Usyk adviser says Wardley can enter unification talks by beating Daniel Dubois in Manchester
Fabio Wardley could move into position for an undisputed heavyweight fight with Oleksandr Usyk if he defeats Daniel Dubois on Saturday night in Manchester. Usyk adviser Sergey Lapin said Wardley would become part of the conversation by proving himself at the highest level.
“If Fabio Wardley proves himself at the highest level, he can definitely become part of that conversation,” said Sergey Lapin to Sky Sports Boxing.
“Becoming a three-time undisputed heavyweight champion would be something historic, and Oleksandr is always motivated by the biggest challenges.
“At the same time, we don’t build our plans around one name or one outcome. There are several strong contenders in the division, and we are focused on the biggest and most meaningful fights available.”
Wardley pushed himself into the heavyweight title picture with comeback wins over Joseph Parker and Justis Huni, but the Dubois fight is viewed as a much different test because of Dubois’ power and experience against top-level opposition.
Usyk, meanwhile, is preparing for next month’s fight against Rico Verhoeven in Giza before making decisions about his heavyweight future. Agit Kabayel is also being discussed as a possible opponent because of his WBC position.
“If it’s Fabio Wardley, it could potentially be for undisputed. If it’s Agit Kabayel, it would more likely be a title defence.
“But we don’t like to look too far ahead. Right now, we have a fight with Rico Verhoeven, and all our focus is on that,” said Lapin.
Usyk has already become undisputed at cruiserweight and twice at heavyweight, leaving his team balancing legacy fights with business opportunities at this late stage of his career.
“For many years Oleksandr accepted fights based mainly on sporting value, often without focusing on the business side. He was building his legacy.
“Now it’s different. At this stage, both sporting and business factors matter,” said Sergey.