Oleksandr Usyk could now be in line to defend his titles against another highly-rated heavyweight rival after doubt was cast on a potential showdown with Deontay Wilder.
The Ukrainian superstar was last in action back in July when he stopped Daniel Dubois in he fifth round of their rematch at Wembley Stadium, becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion for the second time.
It has been rumoured over the last couple of weeks that Usyk’s next opponent will be none other than former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, who has vowed to become a world champion once again.
That could now be off the table after Wilder was said to be finalising a deal with Derek Chisora, which could pave the way for Usyk to have a potential match-up with reigning WBC ‘interim’ heavyweight champion Agit Kabayel, who has established himself as one of the top heavyweight contenders on the planet in the last two years.
In an interview with talkSPORT Bet, Usyk’s team director Sergey Lapin revealed there is a possibility that Usyk could go on to face Kabayel instead of ‘The Bronze Bomber’ next.
“In today’s heavyweight top division there are no “safe” opponents, every top level guy is a threat. Kabayel is definitely a possible option. We see how Germany reacts to these fights, the stadiums they can fill, and how strong that market is. Stylistically he can be tricky too. Pressure, pace, physicality. It would be a big European fight with strong business potential.”
Kabayel made his long-awaited return to action earlier this month, stopping Poland’s Damian Knyba in the third round of their clash at the Rudolf Weber-Arena in Germany to retain his WBC ‘interim’ title for the first time.
