Boxing superstar Oleksandr Usyk is giving up one of his world championship belts. Will German heavyweight hope Agit Kabayel also benefit from this? The Wattenscheider speaks out to sport.de.
The course in the boxing world is being reset. On Monday evening a message caused a stir. Heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk relinquishes his WBO title. The association officially announced this. This means that Usyk is no longer Undisputed Champion.
The Ukrainian decided to take this step after “careful consideration,” the statement said. He had already applied for an extension of the deadline for mandatory defense in the summer.
Who will replace Usyk? The new WBO world champion is now officially the Briton Fabio Wardley. He had only won the interim title a few weeks ago against Joseph Parker.
The shifting of chairs in the scene now also brings the German Agit Kabayel into play. The interim champion according to the WBC version will fight against Poland’s Damian Knyba on January 10th in Oberhausen. If Kabayel wins the fight, he will be Usyk’s only current mandatory challenger. Because at the other associations IBF and WBA there are still internal duels on the program. So the exciting question is: Will the big fight between Kabayel and the world champion come in the summer?
Boxing: Kabayel hopes for a World Cup coup
Sportsman Kabayel first of all congratulates the new WBO champion. “All the best, Fabio Wardley – I wish him all the best,” said the 33-year-old when asked by sport.de.
“It’s cool that the WBO has also prevailed for their athlete, that they are doing their thing,” he explained further.
Kabayel has doubts that his association will react so quickly. He doesn’t know “whether the WBC will be strictly behind it, will declare mandatory status (i.e. commit Usyk to a fight against Kabayel, d.Red) and will put pressure on that. We don’t know that.”
Video: Exclusive: Kabayel challenges Usyk
The focus is initially on the upcoming fight at the beginning of the year. “I’m now concentrating on January 10th. If it is decorated with the World Cup fight, all the better for German boxing. And if not, then not. I have to win one way or another. Everything else comes after that,” said Kabayel.
The dream of becoming the first German since the legendary Max Schmeling (1930) to become world champion in all classes is getting closer and closer for Kabayel. And a fight against the best fighter in the Wellt would be a real highlight for the German fans.