Fabio Wardley could secure a world heavyweight title unification with Oleksandr Usyk, but only after he “proves himself at the highest level”.
Wardley first put himself in the frame to challenge Usyk when he defeated Joseph Parker last year to secure the WBO Interim title.
Usyk though vacated the full WBO championship, still retaining the WBC, WBA and IBF belts, to pursue other options. Next month the unbeaten Ukrainian will box Rico Verhoeven, a kickboxing superstar, in Giza.
Wardley was upgraded to WBO world champion and will box Daniel Daniel this weekend in Manchester.
But Usyk is still open to a future fight with the hard-hitting Briton. Sergey Lapin, the chief executive of Usyk’s promotional company Ready To Fight, told Sky Sports: “If Fabio Wardley proves himself at the highest level, he can definitely become part of that conversation.”
Beating Dubois, the former IBF titlist who knocked out Anthony Joshua, could be an ideal way for Wardley to set up an Usyk fight.
“Becoming a three-time undisputed heavyweight champion would be something historic, and Oleksandr is always motivated by the biggest challenges,” Lapin noted.
“At the same time, we don’t build our plans around one name or one outcome. There are several strong contenders in the division, and we are focused on the biggest and most meaningful fights available.”
As well as a unification with the WBO titlist, for his next fight Usyk could also consider meeting Agit Kabayel, the increasingly popular German heavyweight who is the mandatory challenger for the WBC heavyweight championship.
“If it’s Fabio Wardley, it could potentially be for undisputed. If it’s Agit Kabayel, it would more likely be a title defence,” Lapin said.
“But we don’t like to look too far ahead. Right now, we have a fight with Rico Verhoeven, and all our focus is on that.”
Usyk, an Olympic gold medallist, is undefeated as a professional. He’s already been an undisputed champion at cruiserweight and gone undisputed twice at heavyweight. His record of achievement is virtually unmatched in the current era.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Boxing trainer Gary Logan breaks down the key to victory for Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois in their WBO heavyweight clash on Sunday
“Oleksandr has already achieved what very few fighters in history have done, so now it’s not about chasing titles for the sake of it,” Lapin explained.
“For many years Oleksandr accepted fights based mainly on sporting value, often without focusing on the business side. He was building his legacy.
“Now it’s different. At this stage, both sporting and business factors matter.”
Lapin added: “He also wants to leave a lasting impact on the sport and help the next generation of fighters grow through projects like Ready To Fight.
“What drives him is the pursuit of greatness in a broader sense – taking on the biggest challenges available, staying at the highest level and continuing to test himself against top competition.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: skynews.com
