Speaking to BBC Sport’s Kal Sajad, WBO interim heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley says he would like to face undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk next, following his victory against Joseph Parker.
READ MORE: What next for heavyweight division after Wardley win?
LONDON — Oleksandr Usyk disagreed with the idea that he’s become one of boxing’s all-time greats, but the evidence is mounting after his fifth-round knockout of Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
The victory, sealed with a crunching left hook to Dubois’ jaw, made Usyk the undisputed world heavyweight champion for a second time.
The undefeated southpaw retained his WBA, WBC and WBO belts and regained the IBF belt he relinquished just over a year ago.
The bad news for opponents — especially the British ones that he keeps beating — is that the 38-year-old Ukrainian has no plans to stop anytime soon. He said he’s still a “young guy” and named Tyson Fury, Derek Chisora, Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker as possible next foes. Jake Paul threw his own hat in the ring.
“I will continue boxing and I will continue training, but now I cannot say who my next opponent will be,” Usyk said at his press conference.
“I prepared 3 1/2 months, I’ve not seen my family, my wife. Every day I live with my team — 14 guys in one house. Now I want to go back home.”
Usyk dropped Dubois twice in the fifth — the second time with a lunging left hook midway through the round after Dubois missed with a right. The London native looked stunned on the canvas and couldn’t beat the count before about 90,000 spectators at Wembley.
Usyk, best known as a slick tactician rather than a power puncher, certainly answered questions about his age and whether he’d slow down.
He said that hook is called an “Ivan.”
“Ivan is like a big guy who lives in [the] village and work in (a) farm… it’s a hard, hard punch,” Usyk said.
Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk and Britain’s Daniel Dubois trade punches during an undisputed world heavyweight boxing title fight in London on Saturday.
(Frank Augstein / Associated Press)
Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) beat Dubois for the second time in under two years and this time there was no low-blow drama. It was a ninth-round stoppage in Poland with, of all things, a straight jab. But the finishing shot Saturday was a no-doubter.
Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs) joined British countrymen Fury and Joshua in having lost twice to Usyk, who was an undisputed world champion as a cruiserweight before he moved up in weight six years ago.
The 27-year-old Dubois’ last fight — also at Wembley — had been a stunning knockout of Joshua last September.
He couldn’t muster the same magic, telling DAZN: “I gave everything I had. Take no credit away from that man, I’ll be back.”
The Briton gave a better showing than two years ago, when Usyk peppered him with jabs and won almost every round. Between the fourth and fifth rounds Saturday, Dubois’ corner was urging him to use a double jab but there was not time to carry out the orders as Usyk ended it shortly thereafter.
Dubois was hoping to become the first British heavyweight to hold every major belt since Lennox Lewis just over 25 years ago.
Dubois had inherited the IBF title that Usyk vacated last year when the Ukrainian chose to focus on his rematch with Fury.
Usyk said flatly “No” in response to whether he thinks he’s one of the sport’s all-time greats.
He said he’s just disciplined.
“I don’t have motivation, I have discipline. Motivation is temporary,” he said.
Usyk said Britain has been like a “second home” to him. He won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. He dethroned Joshua at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2021.
“I’m very grateful for this country. Thank you so much, you’re the best,” he said.
In 2008 in Liverpool, Usyk was crowned European amateur champion in the light heavyweight category.
In his last fight at the cruiserweight level, Usyk knocked out Liverpool’s Tony Bellew in Manchester. He remains undefeated as a professional and hasn’t lost any bout in 16 years.
Unsurprisingly, Paul had his share of the spotlight Saturday. He was loudly booed during his entrance to the stadium — shown on the big screens.
The YouTuber-turned-boxer told DAZN that a fight against Joshua is “going to happen,” possibly at Wembley.
After the ring cleared out, Paul and Usyk engaged in a brief “stare down.”
Paul posted a message on his social media accounts: “Congrats to one of the greatest heavyweights of all time… I respect you a lot. Now we do an MMA match for the world.”
He added: “First AJ then OU. Book it.”
Frank Bruno was among the VIPs. The London native won the WBC heavyweight belt 30 years ago at the old Wembley Stadium when he beat Oliver McCall. He was knocked out by Mike Tyson six months later.
Usyk entered the stadium with an Eeyore stuffed donkey from the “Winnie the Pooh” books tucked into his jumpsuit. He brought it to past fights as well, apparently given to him by his daughter.
Maguire writes for the Associated Press.
If it wasn’t already clear then it certainly is now. Usyk is the standout heavyweight of his generation.
Usyk has not just cleaned out his biggest rivals – Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Dubois – but he has gone all the way round the block and defeated each of them twice.
He dethroned Joshua in just his third fight as a heavyweight to become a unified champion and it has been an upward trajectory ever since.
The easy path is not one Usyk likes to explore.
After becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era by beating Fury in 2024, Usyk had the option to defend that status by accepting a mandatory defence of his IBF strap against Dubois.
However, he elected to vacate that title in order to pursue a rematch with Fury and record a second successive victory, before circling back to reclaim the IBF title from Dubois at Wembley.
“What he achieved today, it was designated by him a little bit more than a year ago,” Egis Klimas, Usyk’s manager, said.
“His decision was to vacate the title and let Dubois beat someone, and then to fight for a third time for undisputed. That was his plan a year ago. He is not just a good boxer but he is good mentally.”
Usyk is head and shoulders above any active heavyweight, with Fury offering his greatest test, while Joshua and Dubois are several rungs down the ladder.
There were whispers Joshua and Fury would be at ringside for Usyk v Dubois but there was no sign of either man when the first bell rang.
Joshua had surgery on his elbow earlier this year and is not expected to fight before November at the earliest. He has been open about talks with Riyadh Season over a new fight deal and has said he Fury sits atop his wishlist.
Fury is technically still retired but seems to be moving towards a comeback in 2026.
However, Fury, 36, called out Usyk for his return instead of what seems an obvious fight with Joshua.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, told BBC Sport: “You never know what Fury is thinking. When everyone in the world wants to see AJ v Fury, he starts calling out Usyk.
“They are in similar positions where they have both lost twice to Usyk, the third fight isn’t really commercially interesting to the money men or the fans.
“I understand both guys would like a third crack at the cherry, but in terms of public desire AJ v Fury remains the biggest fight in boxing.”
Daniel Dubois and Oleksandr Usyk hit the scales in London before their undisputed heavyweight title fight on Saturday at Wembley Stadium.
READ MORE: Body shots and ‘dirty’ tactics – how does Dubois beat Usyk?
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