Another truly shocking Oleskandr Usyk opponent choice has come from the undisputed heavyweight champion.
Going against the overall trend of great fights being made in the sport of professional boxing.
Boxing is flying with great fights happening between the best boxers more regularly than ever.
Not with Usyk though. In his next title defense he fights a kickboxer this month (in professional boxing) called Rico. An easy win for him.
Now after that it is being planned when he beats Rico that he will take on not Moses Itauma, not Tyson Fury, not anyone dangerous.
Agit Kabayel is being looked at as the next Oleksandr Usyk opponent in Germany later this year
Shocking stuff. Usyk’s credibility with boxing as a sport and fans is done if he takes that opponent right after Rico.
The setup
- Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven: May 23, 2026. Pyramids of Giza.
- Usyk vs Agit Kabayel: Planned next if he wins. Germany, later this year.
- Both are soft defenses for an undisputed heavyweight champ, critics say.
Why credibility is tarnished if he fights both
- Verhoeven isn’t a boxer. He’s a kickboxer with 1 pro boxing fight.
- That fight is 12 years old. He beat János Finfera in 2014.
- He’s a huge underdog. Bookies give him no chance vs Usyk.
- Kabayel isn’t elite yet. He’s 27-0 but never fought a current champ.
- Usyk is ducking better options. Wardley, Zhang, Parker are all ranked higher.
- Usyk already vacated WBO. Dodged Wardley for “not interesting” reasons.
- He’s 39 and cherry-picking. Says he wants money fights before retiring.
- Two spectacle fights in a row. Egypt vs a kickboxer, then Germany vs Kabayel.
- WBC is enabling it. Sanctioned Verhoeven as a “voluntary” title fight.
- Fans wanted real challenges. Fury 3, Dubois 3, or Joshua are bigger fights.
Fighting a kickboxing novice then a protected interim champ looks like avoiding risk. For an undisputed #1, two easy fights in a row hurts his legacy.
Without doubt it does.
Who knows what will happen with Oleksandr Usyk in fights this year.
He returns shortly this month against Rico next.
