Speaking again with The Ring, British heavyweight, former cruiserweight and bridgerweight belt-holder Lawrence Okolie said he very much thinks all the world’s heavyweights are waiting for unified four-belt champ Oleksandr Usyk to vacate the titles and retire – thus leaving the titles up for grabs, with a “Royal Rumble” taking place, this featuring himself and the other heavyweight contenders out there.
Usyk may or may not fulfil his WBO mandatory order and defend against Joseph Parker next, or of course he may not (there is, almost unbelievably, some talk of Usyk fighting Jake Paul next, in a cage). Usyk, we pretty much all agree, has earned the right to do what he wants, to go out how he wants. But if the four heavyweight titles do become vacant, “The Sauce,” as Okolie is known, wants in on the action.
Okolie says nobody else wants Kabayel—but he does
And one man Okolie, 2-0 (1) as a heavyweight, wants to fight is current WBC interim champ Agit Kabayel. Okolie says he is the only heavyweight calling Kabayel out.
“I think everything does sort of wait on Usyk but something tells me, and maybe it’s just wishful thinking, if he doesn’t box Joseph Parker next with the WBO ordering it, why would you let go of one [belt] and not let go of all of them and then just have your own exhibition match or your own fight against whoever? So we’ll have to wait and see,” Okolie said. “I don’t really like words like destined, but I think it’s (a fight between me and Kabayel) is looking aligned. He’s obviously interim champ, I’m silver. Usyk might decide he wants to box Kabayel. He might decide he wants to box someone else. I think Kabayel and me are going to fight. And I don’t see anyone else calling Kabayel out at all in the world.”
Is Kabayel the most avoided heavyweight on the planet?
It’s true Kabayel is a very dangerous proposition for anyone, Usyk included, and Okolie is right when he says there is no line of fighters who are anxious to fight the unbeaten German who has a wicked body attack. Usyk against Kabayel would for sure be very interesting, and Parker aside, Kabayel is the most worthy heavyweight title challenger out there right now. But credit to Okolie for calling for a fight with Kabayel, 26-0 (18).
If Usyk does vacate the belts—all of them—how good would it be to see Kabayel and Okolie rumble for the vacant WBC title? And who would win if this fight did happen?
Again, it’s all down to Usyk at this point, and what the 38-year-old all-time great decides to do next.