Oleksandr Usyk is expected to fight on just two more occasions before hanging up the gloves, but former opponent, Tony Bellew, believes that there is one heavyweight who deserves a shot at the 39-year-old more than his rivals.
Ahead of last month’s controversial bout with Rico Verhoeven, Usyk unveiled that he was planning on three more fights before walking away from the sport and opening up a boxing academy in Ukraine, content with a career that will be talked about for generations to come.
However, to the surprise of many, his reputation was almost tarnished by Verhoeven, who had just one prior boxing fight to his name, escaping by the skin of his teeth with a questionable round 11 stoppage to preserve a now 25-fight undefeated record and retain his WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight world titles.
Now, Usyk is expected to face WBC mandatory challenger, Agit Kabayel, before the end of the 2026 calendar in order to keep ahold of the green and gold belt, with that bout being ordered by the World Boxing Council over a week ago.
Yet, in an interview with Fightlens, Bellew, who was stopped in the eighth round of his 2018 clash with Usyk, admitted that he would prefer to see the Ukrainian rematch Verhoeven.
“If I am being totally honest, I believe that Rico Verhoeven deserves a rematch. I just don’t think that he [Usyk] can get away from that.
I know that Agit Kabayel is very deserving and he has waited patiently, I get it, but I am sorry, this guy has just been pushed the closest that he has ever been pushed.”
That being said, Bellew went on to state that he would understand if Usyk decided to swerve a second fight with the kickboxing star, but insinuated that a different approach to the contest could result in a more conclusive victory the second time around.
“I wouldn’t blame him [Usyk for not wanting the rematch]. I am not going to say that he is getting old, because that is a disservice to Rico Verhoeven and Peter Fury and the work that they have put it. So, it’s not that he is getting older, but what I do think is – I don’t think it was the ideal weight for him.
“From the outside looking in, I seen him Saturday morning, I gave him a hug and just thought, ‘ooh, you are solid, like you are heavy and you are a proper heavyweight, you are a lump’.
“Does that play a factor? Well, it definitely played a factor on his workmate because he wasn’t throwing as much. Does the temperature, the setting and surrounding play a part? I don’t know. There is so many factors, only he knows, he is the champion and he is the man who is in control.”
Verhoeven has vowed to remain in the sport even if unable to secure a second showdown with Usyk, and he is now ranked in the top 15 with both the WBC and WBA.