Heavyweight contender Lawrence Okolie believes that Oleksandr Usyk will vacate another one of his world titles instead of facing WBC mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel.
Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) will defend his WBC title against former Glory kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza on May 23. However, WBC President Mauricio Sulaimán has ordered the Ukrainian southpaw to face interim title holder Kabayel (27-0, 19 KOs) in his next fight after Verhoeven or be forced to vacate his championship.
Okolie told Sky Sports that Usyk has gone from “being a man who fights everyone, anytime, any place,” to someone who isn’t interested anymore in the elite fights that have distinguished his career.
“He’s made a career out of it,” Okolie said, “but he’s tasted that Saudi money, he’s tasted, you know, the Wembley arenas and the Wembley Stadium and being the massive A-side. And I looked at it and said, okay, if he was still interested in that stuff, when the WBO ordered him to box Fabio Wardley, he would have boxed Fabio Wardley. When Fabio Wardley got made full world champion, if he wanted to, he could have done the unification and been a three or four-time undisputed heavyweight champion or whatever it is, but he chose not to. So I think he’s in the stage [of his career] where he’s not really interested in hard fights against guys who aren’t gonna give him the sort of money that he’s made.”
Okolie (23-1, 17 KOs) sits in 1st spot in the WBC rankings, likely putting him in line to face Kabayel for a shot at a vacant world title if his beliefs on Usyk are realized. In the meantime, Okolie will travel to Paris to face Tony Yoka on April 25.
“I think Ajit falls into exactly that category,” Okolie added. “I think he’s at the stage where he’s not interested in hard fights against guys who aren’t going to give him the sort of money he’s made.”
Calls have also come for Usyk to vacate his IBF and WBA belts from representatives of Derek Chisora and Murat Gassiev.
Kalle Sauerland, who promotes Chisora vs. Deontay Wilder on April 4, also told Sky Sports that Usyk “has not had one single mandatory defense of the IBF in his reign as heavyweight champion,” and also pressed that: “Given Chisora’s position at the very top of the heavyweight rankings right now, and Wilder’s position as well, and given the high-profile nature of the fight, it would be an amazing addition for them to be able to fight for the belt.”
WBA regular title holder Gassiev and his team have also called for Usyk to be made “a champion in recess” by the governing body for not making a mandatory defense since August 2023.
