Turki Alalshikh took over after the post-fight comments from Oleksandr Usyk today in Egypt, seemingly stating that Agit Kabayel will be next for Usyk, and then, potentially, a rematch with Rico Verhoeven.
Kabayel (27-0, 19 KO) is next in line for the WBC, whose belt Usyk defended today in a controversial and far tougher than expected win over Verhoeven. The WBC also have the next mandatory order in the carousel of sanctioning bodies, ahead of the IBF and WBA, whose belts Usyk also holds but were not
defended today.
It should be noted that Usyk (25-0, 16 KO) has been known to vacate titles if he didn’t want to field the mandatory obligation from a sanctioning body. He’s twice been undisputed heavyweight champion, and twice given up belts in those situations to take more lucrative bouts.
Kabayel has been waiting on his shot, and the word going into the fight with Rico is that Kabayel would indeed be next. But only time will tell if that truly is the case.
A rematch with Verhoeven, given how competitive Rico was and how controversial the stoppage, would be much bigger than this first fight was, and it was plenty big already. There may simply be too much money at stake, and the prevailing feeling could wind up being that striking while the iron is hot on that is the best call.
As Alalshikh also said, it is Usyk’s choice.
