Oleksandr Usyk faces a groundbreaking decision: Will he fight mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel – or will the lucrative rematch against Rico Verhoeven follow?
Oleksandr Usyk has achieved almost everything in his career. He defeated Anthony Joshua twice, Tyson Fury twice and Daniel Dubois also twice. He became the undisputed cruiserweight and heavyweight champion and proved over the years that technique, discipline and ring intelligence can also make the difference against physically larger opponents. Now the 39-year-old is faced with a decision that could shape the final phase of his career. There are two options: Agit Kabayel or a rematch against Rico Verhoeven.
From a sporting point of view, there is hardly any way around Kabayel. The German is the WBC mandatory challenger, unbeaten and has earned his position with strong performances. A win against Kabayel would further cement Usyk’s legacy – without any discussions about cherry-picking or lack of sporting legitimacy.
At the same time, the spectacle is alluring. Verhoeven delivered a surprisingly close fight to Usyk in the first duel and provided plenty to talk about with the controversial stoppage in round eleven. A rematch would have great commercial potential and would generate interest far beyond the traditional boxing audience.
Usyk is therefore faced with a fundamental question: does he want to take the cleanest sporting route – or the biggest possible event? Kabayel stands for duty and legacy. Verhoeven stands for drama, reach and unfinished business.
Text by Robin Josten