Promoter Frank Warren wants to stage heavyweight world-title unification fights in 2027 and hopes to bring former undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk back into the mix. The division's four major titles are currently held by different champions, with Warren promoting three of them, including Daniel Dubois, who defends his WBO belt against Fabio Wardley at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday.
"The plan is to make the unification fights happen and try to get Usyk back in it," Warren told the 5 Live Boxing podcast. "No-one can say we're keeping guys apart." Dubois and Wardley meet five months after Dubois recovered from two early knockdowns to stop his British rival in the 11th round of a thrilling encounter in Manchester. Warren, who also promotes WBC champion Agit Kabayel and IBF title-holder Filip Hrgovic, believes Saturday's winner will be in a strong position to pursue further world titles.
Warren also said the WBA 'super' heavyweight championship will be at stake when Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua meet in Cardiff on 11 December. "The WBA have put that belt up for them," he said. However, the sanctioning body has yet to publicly confirm the arrangement, with Russia's Murat Gassiev still listed as its sole heavyweight world champion. Usyk became the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era when he beat Fury in May 2024. The Ukrainian has since vacated his world titles, leaving the division open to a new generation of champions.
Warren also confirmed British heavyweight Moses Itauma will return to the ring in January as he rebuilds his career and aims to challenge for a world title in 2027. The 21-year-old suffered his first professional defeat in August, when he was stopped in the ninth round by Croatia's Hrgovic, who claimed the vacant IBF heavyweight title. "He's only 21 and he wants 2027 to be the year he wins a world title," Warren said.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing