The great Oleksandr Usyk has spoken – we now know who the unified world heavyweight champion wants to meet in his next fight.
Usyk (24-0) is now 38 years old and has done everything in boxing a man could desire. Olympic champion, undisputed cruiserweight world champion and now a two-time undisputed world heavyweight champion.
The Ukrainian maestro has scaled every summit, repelled every challenger, mostly on the road in hostile environments. In the case of British stars Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois – he’s done it twice.
Usyk was forced to give up his WBO world title last month, clearly not believing that his next move should be a mandatory defence against Britain’s fairytale fighter Fabio Wardley.
Instead Oleksandr is looking to bigger things, and has named the man he wants to meet. And it is – drum roll – big-punching former WBC king Deontay Wilder.
Usyk would start a huge favourite for this one, should it happen in 2026. And the Wilder camp appear game, why wouldn’t they?
There are reasons to believe it’s the absolute perfect choice for Usyk, and there are reasons to feel just a little bit underwhelmed at the same time. Here is why…
Usyk vs Wilder, why it’s perfect
We should say first that Usyk has earned the right to choose who he fights – he owes no man nor sanctioning body anything after his glittering career to date. And in many ways, he’s chosen perfectly here.
It appears Fury and Joshua are on course to meet each other at some stage next year (September in London appears to be the likely landing spot for that long-awaited superfight). So those two would be out as potential opponents, and would we really want a trilogy fight anyway?
The rest of the heavyweights just below that elite level are made up of contenders, fighters who may be really good or even great one day, but don’t have the CV to demand a huge TV audience. Wardley, Agit Kabayel, Joseph Parker etc. None really set the pulse racing.
The one man still in the top 15 who does have some box office potential is Wilder. The man from Tuscaloosa, Alabama is now 40 years old and has not looked remotely impressive since losing to Fury in an epic trilogy fight in late 2021.
But Wilder has two things in his favour – he is American, and he has a huge right hand. The ability to draw a crowd, with at least the lingering threat he could do something incredible. It’s Rocky territory.
Outside of Fury and Joshua, and a crossover fight with Jake Paul (please, no) Wilder might be the biggest payday out there for Usyk. So of course, it makes sense.
And why it’s not perfect
So we’ve given you the reasons why Usyk is right to choose Wilder, now the flip side.
Oleksandr is an amazing fighter, one who always relishes taking on the biggest of challenges. Sadly, these days, Deontay is not that.
Wilder was massively unimpressive in losing his last two meaningful fights – to Joseph Parker in December 2023 and Chinese giant Zhilei Zhang in the summer of 2024. He has never been a technically gifted fighter but he appeared shot on both occasions, no longer able to pull the trigger either.
‘The Bronze Bomber’ did return to the ring in June 2025, stopping Tyrrell Herndon in seven rounds in Wichita. But aside from maybe removing a little ring rust, one look at Herndon’s record shows that fight proved nothing.
Ask most experts out there about Wilder and they will tell you he is a shadow of the fighter who once struck fear into the hearts of opponents. Even in his pomp he needed that knockout punch, most rivals would comfortably outbox him.
While on the face of it, to the casual, it is a fight which might sell to a point in America (or Saudi), it’s hardly a dangerous assignment for Oleksandr. And for that reason, we are just a little bit underwhelmed.
So who should Usyk fight?
So as we said, Usyk has earned the choice here to make his own decision, but that does not mean we can’t all have an opinion. And there is one fight out there, that is available, which would absolutely set the pulse racing.
Moses Itauma, the 13-0 British phenom, is the most exciting thing to hit the heavyweight division since Mike Tyson back in the 1980s. A devastating mix of speed, power and ring savvy. Put simply, he looks the realest of deals.
Fighting Itauma would undoubtedly be a risk for Usyk, the biggest risk out there for him right now. But he has made a career by taking on the mightiest challenges, by elevating his legacy even further.
Usyk vs Itauma would be a massive collision of the young pretender against the brilliant and established champion. A crossroads fight for the heavyweight division and a matchup to savour.
Maybe it will happen one day but for now it appears Oleksandr is headed in a different direction. Yes, he’ll make some money, and yes he will beat Wilder.
Anthony Joshua shook up the boxing world when he said he’d joined his old rival Oleksandr Usyk’s team earlier this year, to fine-tune his skillset during his twilight years.
Joshua rose through Team GB’s elite system under Rob McCracken, winning Olympic gold and building a heavyweight reign on discipline and fundamentals. After setbacks, he moved from Robert Garcia to Derrick James and then Ben Davison, searching for tactical evolution and a trainer who could unlock his full potential.
As reported last month, Joshua made an extraordinary move behind-the-scenes as he “spent time with Usyk’s team,” as he “looks set to change trainers,” according to British sports reporter Chris McKenna. Now, Usyk has explained the real reason for AJ’s move to the Usyk team’s training facility in Valencia, Spain.
Usyk team manager Sergey Lapin manages the Spanish camp, and was one of the key figures to welcome Joshua to the facility. It comes at a time in which Joshua is preparing for one of the more straight-forward fights of his pro career as he takes on the internet sensation Jake Paul at the Kaseya Center in Miami on the 19th of December. That event airs on Netflix.
Speaking on the link-up between his team and Joshua, Usyk told Boxing King Media: “I’m not [his] coach. I’m a friend. I have very professional coaches, like 15, now with Anthony, [helping him] like a friend. If we can, if I can help my opponent, I help. We spoke with Anthony, we have preparation, ‘You can come into my camp, and we will do training together. Now, it’s possible.”
“We’re training together and we’re working together.”
Oleksandr Usyk’s Team is Helping Improve Anthony Joshua
Usyk continued: “We speak with Anthony, messaging, on the phone. I have his phone number. ‘Hey, champ! How are you?’ I like this guy because he’s smart, and this guy has a very big heart.”
Though Usyk is one of the more unbeatable fighters in the sport, and on the cusp of a possible fight with Deontay Wilder in 2026, the heavyweight king said it’s important to not impose his style on fighters who join his team but, rather, further develop their own unique skillsets.
“We are not helping him with my style,” he said. “My team, it’s not only one line — Usyk, Usyk, Usyk. No, we have different styles. I’m southpaw. Anthony is [orthodox], and doesn’t move like me.”
“We give him what helps Anthony grow.”
“My team does the plan, and gives me what helps me,” Usyk finished. “They give him his plan that will help him.”
Deontay Wilder Responds to Oleksandr Usyk Callout With Strong Statement
There is a lot of intrigue around what Oleksandr Usyk is going to do next in his boxing career. There hasn’t been much activity or content from the former undisputed heavyweight champion and pound-for-pound great ever since his KO victory over Daniel Dubois in the 5th round of their July 19 bout.
While every heavyweight has been jockeying for position to be his next opponent, Usyk hadn’t even conveyed whether he wanted to fight again, let alone who he was keen to match up against.
Some believe that his most likely next opponent would be Fabio Wardley after Wardley beat Joseph Parker, especially because Wardley now holds the WBO heavyweight belt. Then again, Usyk relinquished that belt because he had no interest in fighting Wardley, as becoming undisputed again doesn’t seem to be his biggest interest.
Instead, Usyk wants to fight the biggest names. This is why he has expressed an openness to fighting against UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and Jake Paul in recent months.
Oleksandr Usyk Calls Deontay Wilder Out, Wilder’s Team Responds
However, Usyk has conveyed that he has an active heavyweight icon and superstar in the sport in his sights next, which he asserted during a December 1 interview with Boxing King Media.
“I want to fight Deontay Wilder. I think it’s interesting,” Usyk said while speaking at the WBC convention in Thailand, per a video from Boxing King Media’s YouTube channel.
When asked why he wants to face Wilder, Usyk said, “This is a world champion guy, this is a very famous guy, this is a strong guy. He is one of the great heavyweights of the last 10 years.”
It didn’t take Wilder’s team to respond to this callout from Usyk, as Wilder’s co-manager Shelly Finkel told Sky Sportson December 1, “Usyk is a great champion. We have plans for next year, and we’d like Oleksandr Usyk to be part of them. If we receive the right offer, we would be open to that fight.”
Wilder's co-manager Shelly Finkel on the prospect of Oleksandr Usyk vs Deontay Wilder 💬 pic.twitter.com/Z7cKa523ue
While this message was technically from Wilder’s manager rather than from himself, it’s obvious that he was behind this fight callout response. And this would be a huge gift for Wilder, who didn’t appear close to fighting for a title before Usyk called him out in this way.
There’s no question that Wilder is a heavy puncher who could potentially put Usyk’s lights out. Still, the skill difference between them would likely make many boxing fans apathetic to this potential bout.
Oleksandr Usyk expresses desire to fight Deontay Wilder who would be open to world title clash in 2026
Oleksandr Usyk wants to defend his world heavyweight titles against Deontay Wilder, who has welcomed a fight against the unified champion.
The Ukrainian has broken his silence about his next career move, confirming that he wants to put his WBC, WBA and IBF belts on the line against Wilder.
Usyk has been absent from the ring since his stoppage of Daniel Dubois in their July rematch, but the two-time undisputed world heavyweight champion is now targeting the American, who had a lengthy reign as the WBC champion.
Speaking at the WBC convention in Thailand, Usyk told Boxing King Media: “I want to fight Deontay Wilder. I think it’s interesting.
“This is a world champion guy, this is a very famous guy, this is a strong guy
“He is one of the great heavyweights of the last 10 years.”
Wilder, who returned to the ring with a seventh-round stoppage of Tyrrell Anthony Herndon in June, would be open to a fight against Usyk.
“Usyk is a great champion,” Wilder’s co-manager Shelly Finkel told Sky Sports.
“We have plans for next year and we’d like Oleksandr Usyk to be part of them.
“If we receive the right offer, we would be open to that fight.”
The Alabama fighter could receive the chance to become a world champion again, a decade after he dethroned Bermane Stiverne to become WBC champion in January 2015.
Usyk became the undisputed world heavyweight champion for a second time after he halted Dubois in the fifth round at Wembley Stadium.
The unbeaten 38-year-old vacated the WBO belt last week and Britain’s Fabio Wardley was elevated as the new WBO champion.
But Usyk has vowed to unify all four major titles again in the future, telling the WBC convention: “Some people are saying I’m not undisputed champion anymore. Well, that is only temporary.”
Oleksandr Usyk has remained quiet since his last win back in August.
That victory made Usyk history’s first-ever two-time undisputed champion in the four-belt era as he reclaimed the IBF belt he had to vacate in order to honour his rematch with Tyson Fury in December 2024.
That night he got his second win over ‘The Gypsy King’, having become undisputed champion for the first time after the first with in April of the same year.
He has also twice beaten Anthony Joshua and stopped Daniel Dubois on both times he met the Brit, so many think there are few challengers in the boxing ring left, especially as he is also a former Olympic Gold medallist and undisputed cruiserweight champion.
“The team is working on it. I think manager Egis Klimas will share something interesting with you soon. I’ll say this: in 2026 we will see Usyk in the ring again. Everything happens in its time.”
Fury had previously called for a trilogy fight, David Haye thinks Agit Kabayel would be a good opponent, and the fast-rising young British talent Moses Itauma has also declared himself ready to challenge the generational threat, though next time out will fight former Joshua and Dillian Whyte victim Jermaine Franklin in January.
Oleksandr Usyk’s Manager Reveals Reason For Vacating Heavyweight Title
Oleksandr Usyk is no longer the undisputed champion at heavyweight after vacating his WBO title in November. Now, the belt resides with Fabio Wardley, who held the interim version of the title.
Wardley claimed the interim WBO World Heavyweight title against Joseph Parker in October, with an 11th-round knockout in London. Now, the 30-year-old fighter from Britain can call himself a world champion.
The decision from Usyk means that he has lost his undisputed title, despite remaining undefeated. Now, the reason behind his decision has been revealed.
Serhii Lapin Reveals Why Oleksandr Usyk Vacated WBO Heavyweight Title
The WBO had ordered Oleksandr Usyk to defend his heavyweight crown against Joseph Parker earlier this year, after the Ukrainian defeated Daniel Dubois. However, Usyk was unable to compete at the time due to an injury.
Although Wardley likely would have been made a mandatory challenger for Usyk in 2026, this is not the reason the WBO title was vacated, according to Serhii Lapin.
Lapin is the director of Team Usyk and has spoken out on the multi-weight champion’s decision to give up one of his belts to Pro Boxing Fans.
“Oleksandr vacated the belt to give younger fighters the opportunity to box for it… We’ll see how things develop next.”
Serhii Lapin
Lapin gave no indication as to when Usyk may return, or whom the Ukrainian may face in his next outing.
New contenders for both Usyk and Wardley will be revealed in January. On January 10, Agit Kabayel will return to action in Germany, facing Damian Knyba.
Kabayel will be looking to retain his interim WBC World Heavyweight title, as well as improve his 26-0 unbeaten record. However, he will have to become the first man to defeat Knyba, who has a perfect 17-0 record.
Moses Itauma will also return to action in January, on the 24th of the month. Taking on Jermaine Franklin Jr., the 20-year-old will aim to continue his outstanding rise in the division.
In terms of other notable contenders, Daniel Dubois was scheduled to take on Frank Sanchez in an IBF heavyweight title eliminator. However, ‘DDD” has now withdrawn from the bout.
The heavyweight division will also welcome back Anthony Joshua in December, as ‘AJ’ is set to take on internet star Jake Paul in a professional bout on the 19th.
At the time of writing, there is no clear heavyweight pair who are set to face off next for a world title.
Stephan “Big Shot” Shaw demands attention in the heavyweight division: he wants real opportunities and a shot at the world title, starting with Oleksandr Usyk.
The 33-year-old spoke to World Boxing News exclusively after a video of him working Amazon delivery shifts went viral two weeks ago, spotlighting a fighter many in the US feel has been overlooked.
Shaw on the Wilder collapse
Shaw confirmed that talks for a fight with Deontay Wilder fell apart in March.
“I’m not aligned with the people that make big fights happen,” Shaw told WBN. “He didn’t want to fight me. They went with someone safer in Tyrell Herndon.
“I asked his team if he could give me an opportunity after the fight. They told me it would be a big fight and have to make financial sense for all of us, and I responded by saying that I couldn’t agree more.”
The fight never materialized, leaving Shaw sidelined despite his pedigree and proven skills.
Ambitions: Usyk, rematches, and top contenders
Asked to name some of the opponents he wants to target after the Wilder collapse, Shaw gave a surprisingly detailed list, showing how much attention he’s currently paying to the heavyweight climate.
“If I could choose? Oleksandr Usyk for the heavyweight championship of the world,” began Shaw, aiming at the very pinnacle of the sport.
“I have shown who I am, even to bounce back from my defeats. I would love a rematch with Joe Goodall and Efe Ajagba ASAP. They must be too afraid to get back in there with me.”
Giving his full wishlist, Shaw stated, “Joe Goodall, Efe Ajagba, Anthony Joshua, Jared Anderson, Jermaine Franklin, Brandon Moore, Andrii Novytskyi, Jarrell Miller, Michael Hunter, Andy Ruiz, Guido Vianello, Richard Torrez. To throw names out there.”
Frustration with US support
Despite US fans crying out for a new top-tier hero as Wilder prepares for retirement, Shaw admits he is disillusioned with the support.
“The American public doesn’t stick by their fighters like international fighters and their fans. A guy like Derek Chisora, who’s 40+ with 10+ losses (multiple KO losses), can still be beloved and appreciated from his country.”
Why Shaw shouldn’t be on the shelf
Shaw is 21-2 (16 KOs) with a 76% knockout rate, standing 6’4″ with an 81-inch reach. He has 88 professional rounds under his belt, and last fought April 12, 2025, stopping Raphael Akpejiori in the first round at Maryland Live Casino in Hanover.
Currently, Shaw is ranked 41 by BoxRec and number five in the US, and despite signing with ProBox on a three-fight deal, only one has come to fruition, leaving one of America’s most naturally talented heavyweights inactive at a critical stage of his career.
WBN believes Shaw is far too talented to remain inactive, especially given his elite amateur pedigree, professional record, and willingness to face the very best in the division.
With Shaw openly calling out Usyk, pressing for rematches, listing a dozen top contenders, and demanding activity, the message is simple:
He is ready. He wants big names. And the heavyweight division can no longer ignore him.
Anthony Joshua shocks fans with Oleksandr Usyk link-up ahead of Jake Paul showdown
Anthony Joshua has surprised fans after confirming that he will be preparing with Oleksandr Usyk’s team for his next fight.
Since splitting with long-time head coach Rob McCracken after his first loss to Usyk back in 2021, Joshua has bounced around camps. He worked with Robert Garcia and Derrick James, before a brief link-up with Ben Davison that he appears to have finished after being knocked out by Daniel Dubois.
Now as he prepares to face Jake Paul in Miami, Joshua claims to have linked with his great rival’s team, albeit without the input of Usyk himself. The pair have appeared friendly whenever they have met, but they aren’t actually teaming up and the Ukrainian is not currently with Joshua in camp.
Anthony Joshua joins up with Oleksandr Usyk’s team for Jake Paul fight
On Friday afternoon, Anthony Joshua came head-to-head with Jake Paul for the first time since their Netflix super-fight was announced on Monday. The pair looked comically mismatched in terms of size, but stayed relatively respectful of one another in the build-up.
Aside from the face-off itself, it was not a particularly noteworthy press conference as the pair refused to engage in the trappings of trash talk that usually come with these sorts of events. However, Joshua did drop a bombshell when asked by host Ariel Helwani who would be in his corner for the fight.
He revealed that he had been spending time working with Oleksandr Usyk’s team, albeit away from his old rival who recently dropped his WBO belt and lost undisputed status on a technicality.
“I was invited to train with Team Usyk,” Joshua told Helwani. “We’ve been doing some good training. He’s one of the best in the world. Getting an insight to how someone who’s achieved so much has been phenomenal. It’s been a great experience and it’s very challenging.”
Fans confused by Anthony Joshua’s exciting Usyk team news
Many fans have taken to social media to voice their confusion at the idea that Joshua is pulling out all the stops in order to prepare for a challenge like Paul. He noted that he finds too many distractions in London, and has as such gone international again.
“Trained by team usyk to fight Jake Paul… what a circus,” one fan wrote on Instagram, with another adding on X: “Yeah! Because you need an unbeaten champion to train with to ensure you beat the money man.”
Many fans noted that Joshua was already at a massive advantage given his size and world level experience. But they now feel he has an unassailable lead over Paul, writing: “Jake was already dead, but now he dead-dead.”
Another comical fan claimed that Usyk didn’t want his wins over Joshua to age poorly by him losing to Paul. “Usyk & his team were like ‘yeah you’re not f—ing this up & giving boxers a bad name we’re gonna help you’,” they wrote.
Tyson Fury’s chances of fighting Oleksandr Usyk have been boosted by the Ukrainian’s decision to give up one of his belts.
Former two-time heavyweight champion Fury announced his shock retirement from the sport back in January following back-to-back defeats to the Ukrainian. Just weeks after hanging up the gloves, the ‘Gypsy King’ posted clips of him returning to training – hinting at a potential comeback.
Fury’s sabbatical seemingly ended back in July after he confirmed he would be making a sensational return to the squared-circle next year. That said, he has since sent out rather mixed signals after he recently stated that not even a £1billion pay day would tempt him into a comeback.
Warren said: “The fight he really wants is another go with Mr. Usyk, he really wants that. And they were great fights, really close fights, to watch. I’d watch that again. That’s the fight he wants. That’s the one he talks about all the time.” And the ‘Gypsy King’ could find himself in a position where he could walk into an immediate fight with his rival.
Earlier this week, Fabio Wardley was crowned the new WBO heavyweight champion after Usyk gave up his belt. The Brit stopped Joseph Parker in the 11th round of their epic dust-up last month to become interim WBO champion. The Ukrainian behemoth had already been ordered to defend his four belts against the Ipswich native, but Wardley has now been elevated to full champion.
Following the news, Usyk now seemingly has no obligations he must fulfil in the near future – which frees up a potential third fight with Fury should he decide to perform a major U-turn. Earlier this year, the 37-year-old was quick to throw his hat in the ring to fight the two-time undisputed heavyweight champion.
Reacting to Usyk’s win over Daniel Dubois back in July, Fury said: “Massive shout out to Oleksandr Usyk. He did a fantastic performance tonight over Daniel Dubois, a good, young, game lad who came for a good tear, so congratulations to both men but Oleksandr Usyk knows there is only one man who can beat him.
“I did it twice before and the world knows it. I have been f***** good and proper. I took it like a man and here is me, not f****** around at some boxing match, I am out on the road running. I am running tonight. I came home, I did my job and I got myself back and I am the man. I am the f****** spartan and no matter what anyone wants to say, I won those fights. Guaranteed, 100 per cent. There is only one man. GK (Gypsy King) all day every day. Get up!”
