Oleksandr Usyk: Frank Warren ‘will not stand’ for Rico Verhoeven rematch over Agit Kabayel heavyweight title clash | Boxing News

Frank Warren has warned Oleksandr Usyk he “would not stand” for the Ukrainian entertaining the prospect of a rematch with Rico Verhoeven instead of fighting Agit Kabayel.

Usyk survived an almighty scare stopping Verhoeven in the final second of round 11 just as the Dutch kickboxer threatened to pull off one of boxing’s greatest upsets in Giza.

The WBC heavyweight world champion had rematch talks ignited when promoter Turki Alalshikh took the stage and said Verhoeven’s performance had shifted the conversation.

Kabayel is the WBC mandatory challenger for Usyk and risks being stripped of his belt should he choose to face a different opponent – a decision that Queensberry Promotions chief Warren strongly advises the title holder against taking.

“[Kabayel] has beaten everybody he’s put in front of him, and he’s a real, real class act, a lovely guy, and he can fight,” Warren told Sky Sports. “He deserves to be in, in the number one spot, and he’s been there for a while.

“They’re talking about maybe doing a rematch with Usyk and Rico [Verhoeven], we’re not going to stand for that.

“Usyk’s been there long enough, and he wants his moment, and that’s what we’ll be pushing for with WBC, and hopefully get it over the line and do that same time in the autumn.

“If he doesn’t take it, he’ll have to vacate it, or be stripped, it’s as simple as that.

“You’re a champion, you defend the belts, that’s what you’re there for, if you don’t defend them, then you’ve got to give them up and let other people have an opportunity to build their name.

Warren: Verhoeven surprised everybody

Despite Warren’s preference of opponent, the promoter was more than complimentary of Verhoeven, who wowed audiences across the world by running the undefeated Uysk close in only his second every professional bout.

“I thought it’d be fairly a routine type of job for Usyk, but that’s not how it turned out,” Warren said.

“Old Rico, he showed a lot of heart, a lot of desire and he showed some skills and he was very aggressive in his movements, and the way he came forward.

“For me, [Verhoeven] was winning the fight. I didn’t understand the scoring. I genuinely thought that he was in front by a few rounds.

“I do feel the referee could have let it go on. Having said that, the referee is not a timekeeper. That’s not his job. It’s when he feels it’s appropriate to stop a fight. That’s what he has to do.

“But I do feel he could have let it go on, considering where they’d got to in the 11th round, but he was close to the action. That was his decision, and it turned out to be a very, very exciting fight and a big surprise.”

Watch Chris Billam-Smith vs Ryan Rozicki in the Zuffa Boxing show in Bournemouth in June 6, live on Sky Sports.