Promoter Frank Warren, who represents both Wardley and Dubois, said he would welcome discussions if the opportunity arose once Usyk finished the Verhoeven fight.
“We’re ready for it,” Warren told Sky Sports. “There’s a lot of frustration because Fabio wanted it before. But the fact that Oleksandr has come out and said he wants the winner of the two of them is very encouraging. For both guys, it gives them a lot of incentive.”
Warren added that his relationship with Usyk’s team could help move talks forward if the timing lines up for the winner to pursue a unification fight.
“We have a good relationship with him, and if we can do business, we certainly will,” Warren said.
Tyson Fury is still pushing for a third meeting with Usyk after losing two close decisions in their previous fights. Fury believes he will need a knockout to avoid another defeat on the scorecards.
“I want a third fight but I know if he gets up at the end of it I’m not going to get the decision,” Fury told Gareth A Davies of The Daily Telegraph. “They might as well give him the fight. If I don’t knock him out, I don’t get the decision.”
Warren suggested a Fury-Usyk trilogy could be easier to arrange than a long-rumored fight between Fury and Anthony Joshua. Joshua has been dealing with injuries and the emotional aftermath of his most recent fight, leaving uncertainty as to when he will return to the ring.
Usyk’s plan now depends on several results falling into place, starting with his fight against Verhoeven and the outcome of Wardley vs. Dubois in Manchester. The heavyweight champion has made it clear he wants to face the biggest opponents available before ending his career, and the next year could determine how that final run goes.
