Frank Warren has warned the World Boxing Council of legal action if Agit Kabayel is not ordered to face Oleksandr Usyk for the heavyweight title. The issue comes as Usyk prepares for a crossover fight against Rico Verhoeven in Egypt. Kabayel holds the WBC interim title and is ranked as the number one contender. Warren clarified her position in a recent interview, pointing to the rules for mandatory challengers. The situation has drawn attention from across the division, with the WBC yet to respond publicly as questions remain as to which fights will be ordered next.
Frank Warren says Kabayel deserves title shot
Warren outlined his stance in an interview with BoxingScene, saying that the mandatory fight should take place. “Kabayel is number one in the WBC, and the fight between Usyk and Rico Verhoeven goes on in Egypt, and afterward the WBC has to give a mandatory order, and if they don't do it, we'll sue them.”
He insisted Kabayel has earned the opportunity. "I'm telling you, I wouldn't bother with it. Agit [Kabayel] deserves his chance; He must stay there, and if anyone tries to avoid that fight, he must move away from there. Its as simple as that. Fight the movement or evacuate.”
Kabayel secured his spot at February 2025 by stopping Zilei Zhang to win the interim title. He later defended it against Damien Naiba in January.
Warren raised questions on WBC's decision-making process
Warren also questioned why the requirement had not been ratified earlier. “We won't stand for it, why wouldn't any organization order that fight, why wouldn't you?” He said.
He pointed to Kabayel's recent success in support of his argument. “We just sold out the arena [in Kabayel’s last fight] In one day, we could sell up to three times that amount. It's not like he's a guy you can't make any money off of, it's a football stadium fight between him and Usyk.
Warren also talked about Usyk's position in the game. "I want to see it. I'm a big fan of Usyk, he's a real warrior, why wouldn't he want to fight him?" He said.
Oleksandr Usyk plans to add something to the current situation
Usyk has already outlined his next bouts, starting with a clash against Verhoeven. That fight is going to happen before any mandatory defense.
The WBC has not yet announced whether it will order the Kabyle fight. This decision could impact the direction of the heavyweight division in the coming months.
For now, Warren's comments make it clear that Kabayel's team expects the mandate to remain in place. The situation remains unresolved as both sides await the WBC's next move.
