Oleksandr Usyk will put one of his three world heavyweight championship belts on the line against Rico Verhoeven on May 23, but there is strange situation for each of his titles.
Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) is embracing the challenge of Verhoeven (1-0, 1 KO), a legend of kickboxing who is crossing over into boxing for just the second time.
Usyk holds the IBF, WBA and WBC heavyweight championships. He also held the WBO belt, making him undisputed in a second division after previously completing the feat at cruiserweight, until he vacated it. Fabio Wardley was made champion but was beaten in his first defence by Daniel Dubois.
The fight at the Pyramids in Giza, Egypt, has caused a stir surrounding the coveted championship belts. This is everything you need to know...
If Usyk loses, Verhoeven won't win IBF title
The IBF were the most recent governing body to make their position known on this fight.
If Usyk loses, the IBF ruled, the belt will be declared vacant, rather than going around Verhoeven's waist.
If Usyk wins, the IBF added, they will acknowledge the need for a WBC mandatory challenger before naming their own mandatory 180 days afterwards.
An IBF mandatory challenger could be further delayed if the WBA grant Usyk a "special permit" for his first fight after Verhoeven, the IBF confirmed.
Explained: The WBA's unusual stance
The WBA have approved Usyk to defend the belt against Verhoeven "under strict terms and conditions."
Usyk will carry his status as WBA champion into the fight, they ruled, but "the title itself will not be at stake for Verhoeven, as he is currently not ranked by the sanctioning body."
A statement from the WBA read: "Should Usyk emerge victorious, the bout will officially count as a successful title defense. If the champion were to lose, the WBA Championship Committee would then review his status and determine the next course of action regarding the heavyweight championship.
"As for Verhoeven, a victory would not earn him any WBA title recognition, although it would make him eligible to enter the organization's heavyweight rankings."
Why did the WBC sanction Usyk vs. Verhoeven?
Of Usyk's three titles, only the WBC belt is available to be won by Verhoeven.
This is where the controversy stems from. Boxing purists think Verhoeven's inexperience inside a boxing ring means he should not be permitted a fight for the prize, despite his status as kickboxing's top heavyweight of the past 12 years.
The fight was briefly labelled a "WBC Special Event" but that term was swiftly upgraded. Instead, the WBC granted Usyk a "voluntary defence," meaning he could delay facing his mandatory challenger. Usyk chose Verhoeven as the opponent with the belt on the line.
The governing body explained: "In reaching its approval decision, the WBC Board of Governors considered Champion Usyk's activity, which is unprecedented, especially in the heavyweight division."
The WBC added about the challenger: "The transition from kickboxing to boxing is not unprecedented. Many Muay Thai athletes have successfully crossed over into professional boxing and competed for WBC titles early in their boxing careers. This WBC decision is within the WBC rules and regulations."
However, the WBC's ruling has caused a stir. "I don't think it should be happening, and it shouldn't have been sanctioned for the WBC title, it should be an exhibition," heavyweight Dave Allen told ESPN.
Usyk's justification for choosing to fight Verhoeven was: "One time I want to do what I want, not what I need. A lot of time I do what other people need. You have to box this person, or this or this. I say okay. Now I do what I want."
A change of stance by the WBC?
Three years ago under similar circumstances, the WBC title was not on the line when champion Tyson Fury opted to face Francis Ngannou, a former UFC champion making his boxing debut.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman supported his then-champion Fury's decision to engage in a somewhat of a crossover fight, but it was a non-title bout. Fury vs. Ngannou was a professional heavyweight boxing match, like Usyk vs. Verhoeven will be, not an exhibition. Back then, the WBC cited Fury's efforts to make a unification fight against Usyk as their justification to let him face Ngannou in a non-title bout. Fury beat Ngannou by split decision.
What about Usyk's mandatory challenger?
The mandatory challenger for Usyk's WBC championship is Agit Kabayel (27-0, 19 KOs). He is the fighter most impacted by the decision of the champion, and the governing body, to deviate from protocol.
Kabayel's promoter, Frank Warren, has threatened legal action against the WBC if they don't officially order Usyk to face the the German fighter next. "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 has strung together impressive wins over Arslanbek Makhmudov, Frank Sanchez and Zhilei Zhang, and has also beaten Derek Chisora. He holds the interim WBC belt, proof of his worthiness to fight for the full title.
Kabayel said via Instagram when Usyk vs. Verhoeven was announced: "It's official. Just one fight to go. Then we're next. Blow up the comments!"
However, Usyk has named the final three fights of his own career and it doesn't include Kabayel. The mighty Ukrainian has stated his intention to fight Verhoeven, Dubois (because he beat Wardley) and Fury, his rival who he calls "greedy belly," for a third time.
How the WBC would deal with that situation, and Kabayel's status, remains to be seen.
