Oleksandr Usyk is not expected to fight again this year, says promoter Frank Warren.
It means Joseph Parker, the mandatory challenger for the WBO, one of the four world championships Usyk holds, will likely fight Fabio Wardley next.
“[Usyk] asked for time out from the WBO because of an injury and he provided evidence and that’s the position at the moment,” Warren told Sky Sports.
“Will he fight before the end of the year? I very much doubt it.”
Both Wardley and Parker, the holders of the WBA and WBO Interim title belts respectively, are in talks to box at the O2 Arena in London on October 25.
“We’re quite close to an announcement for a big fight, plus a couple of others,” Warren said.
“We’re talking about quite a few heavyweight shows which we’re working on right now, hopefully we’ll be in a position very soon, and it’ll have to be very soon because we’re looking for one of them to take place in October.”
It’s a sign that, rather than wait for Usyk, Parker and Wardley are willing to risk their lofty world rankings in a fight against each other.
“That says a lot about them but that happens in this heavyweight division. The fighters are fighting each other, no one’s ducking anybody. They’re happening and we’re making them happen and they’re making them happen,” Warren said.
“Everybody wants to see these fights and we’re working very hard to deliver.”
British boxing legend Lennox Lewis believes Moses Itauma is not ready to challenge for world titles and should wait until Oleksandr Usyk retires before stepping up
After ruthlessly dispatching Dillian Whyte, Moses Itauma is the rising star of the heavyweight division. Just 20 years old, he is already highly rated in the WBO and WBA rankings behind Parker and Wardley, though he’s not expected to box either man next.
“He will fight before the end of the year,” Warren said of Itauma. “There are great expectations of him. I still temper all that because of his age and whatever.
“This young man, 13 fights and no senior bouts as an amateur so he’s done tremendously well.
“[Inevitably] he’s going to fight in a really big fight and we’ll see what he’s all about.”
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