Warren demands Kabayel shot at Usyk, rules out Verhoeven rematch

Frank Warren says Agit Kabayel has waited long enough for his heavyweight title shot and will not stand aside for an Oleksandr Usyk-Rico Verhoeven rematch.

Kabayel, who holds the WBC interim belt and sits at No. 2 in The Ring's rankings, stopped Zhilei Zhang in February and has been idle since. Usyk meanwhile defended against Daniel Dubois for the IBF strap before knocking out kickboxing champion Verhoeven in the 11th round Saturday in Egypt.

Warren rules out waiting for Verhoeven rematch

The Queensberry boss told Sky Sports his camp will not accept another delay. "Whatever happens, they're talking about maybe doing a rematch with Usyk and Rico. We're not going to stand for that," Warren said, per The Ring. "Usyk's been there long enough and [Kabayel] wants his moment. And that's what we'll be pushing for with WBC and hopefully we get it over the line and do that sometime in the autumn."

Kabayel, 33, was ringside in Giza to watch Usyk struggle with the bigger man before finding the finish. Warren believes his fighter offers skills the Ukrainian has not yet faced at heavyweight, noting Kabayel stopped everyone placed in front of him and showed grit in rallying past Zhang after hitting the canvas.

The German drew 12,000 fans to Oberhausen in January for a shutout win over Damian Knyba, staying sharp while Usyk pursued the crossover bout. Warren called Kabayel a class act with hand speed and ring IQ, adding that the 27-0 contender deserves the number one spot. A formal WBC ruling on the mandatory could come within weeks.

Source: ringmagazine.com