Oleksandr Usyk rules the heavyweight division with the WBA, WBO, and WBC titles, yet the question remains: Which contender will he face next? After "The Last Crescendo" in Riyadh, a clearer picture seemed within reach, until Daniel Dubois fell ill and had to pull out of his IBF title defense against Joseph Parker. Parker instead fought a vastly overweight Martin Bakole, swiftly ending matters in two rounds. By virtue of that victory, Parker retained his interim WBO status and became Usyk’s mandatory challenger. Understandably, Parker wasted no time calling out the Ukrainian champion, seeking an immediate showdown.
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However, Dubois is still in the picture, defiantly insisting he'd have stopped Usyk via body shot had the referee not "robbed" him in their August 2023 clash. Usyk, for his part, has repeatedly stated he’s open to a rematch with “DDD” - mainly to quell any controversy around that infamous low-blow ruling. But the third name in the mix is Germany’s Agit Kabayel, who seized the WBC interim belt in Saudi Arabia by delivering a crunching body-shot KO to Zhilei Zhang. Kabayel’s résumé is stacking up impressively, marked by wins over Arslanbek Makhmudov and Frank Sanchez prior to toppling Zhang. As WBC No.1, he has a strong case for taking on Usyk.
Usyk has only two fights left before he hangs up the gloves, making it crucial for the Ukrainian to choose the matchups that both solidify his legacy and satisfy the sanctioning bodies. Some fans prefer Parker, others want to see Dubois get his shot at redemption, and a growing contingent calls for Kabayel to be rewarded for his old-school approach. If you were in Usyk’s corner, who would you pick?
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