Oleksandr Usyk Could Face Fabio Wardley After Dubois Test
Oleksandr Usyk could move toward Fabio Wardley if the WBO champion proves himself at the highest level, keeping a future heavyweight unification in play. Wardley faces Daniel Dubois in Manchester this weekend with his title on the line.
Usyk’s next opening
Sergey Lapin, the chief executive of Usyk's promotional company Ready To Fight, drew the line clearly: Wardley can enter the conversation, but only after another step up. “If Fabio Wardley proves himself at the highest level, he can definitely become part of that conversation,” he said.
Lapin also pointed to the scale of the opportunity around Usyk. “Becoming a three-time undisputed heavyweight champion would be something historic, and Oleksandr is always motivated by the biggest challenges,” he said. Usyk is unbeaten, holds the WBC, WBA and IBF titles, and has already gone undisputed at cruiserweight and twice at heavyweight.
Wardley’s title path
Wardley earned his position by beating Joseph Parker last year to secure the WBO Interim title, then moving up to full world champion after Usyk vacated the belt. That left him with the WBO title and a direct route into bigger heavyweight fights, starting with Dubois in Manchester.
Lapin said the team is not built around one opponent, even with Wardley in the frame. “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,” he said.
Dubois and the larger picture
That leaves Wardley in a sharp spot this weekend: beat Dubois and he strengthens his case for a major shot; lose and the path gets longer. Lapin said a Wardley fight could even carry undisputed stakes, while Agit Kabayel would bring a different outcome. “If it's Fabio Wardley, it could potentially be for undisputed,” he said. “If it's Agit Kabayel, it would more likely be a title defence.”
For now, Usyk has another bout in front of him, with Rico Verhoeven scheduled in Giza next month. “Right now, we have a fight with Rico Verhoeven, and all our focus is on that,” Lapin said.
