Frank Warren has threatened to take legal action against the World Boxing Council (WBC) if they do not officially order champion Oleksandr Usyk to defend his belt against interim titleholder Agit Kabayel.
Instead of facing the German, Usyk will go up against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on May 23 in Egypt -- a decision that the WBC was heavily criticised for sanctioning. Verhoeven has fought once professionally in boxing, when he knocked out Janos Finfera 12 years ago.
"Kabayel's number one in the WBC, and the fight goes on in Egypt between Usyk and Rico Verhoeven, and afterwards the WBC will have to order the mandatory, and if they don't, we will sue them," Warren told BoxingScene
Kabayel won the vacant interim belt after beating Zhilei Zhang after a sixth-round finish in February 2025. The German has only had one fight since, when he beat Damian Knyba inside three rounds in January this year, defending his interim title in process.
The potential matchup with Usyk looked a formality in December when the WBC ordered the Ukranian to voluntarily defend his belt. At the time it was expected to be against Deontay Wilder but the WBA then ordered the bout with Kabayel.
Warren continued, "I'm telling you, I'm not going to p--- around with this, Agit [Kabayel] deserves his opportunity, he should be in there, and if anyone tries to duck that fight, then he'll have to vacate, it's as simple as that. Fight Agit or vacate.
"We are not going to stand for it, why would an organisation not order that fight, why wouldn't you? We just sold out the arena [in Kabayel's last fight] in a day, which we could have sold out three times over.
"It's not like he's some guy where you're not going to earn any money, that's a football stadium fight between him and Usyk. I want to see it. I'm a big fan of Usyk, he's a real warrior, why wouldn't he want to fight him?"
Usyk has gone on record to say he has two fights left after the Verhoven bout, neither of which include Kabayel.
"Listen, Rico [Verhoeven] this is first. Second, it's who wins, Wardley or Dubois and third fight, it's my friend, greedy belly Tyson Fury," Usyk told Inside the Ring in March.
