IF you’re talking heavyweights, then Frank Warren is the man. The British promoter has an unrivalled stable of big men, and he took the time today to assess the current state of the division with Boxing News…
The clock is ticking on the WBO’s 30-day negotiation period for a potential fight between undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk and his WBO mandatory Joseph Parker, but promoter Warren admits that there has, as yet, been no discussions or contact from Usyk’s team about the fight.
“Usyk’s away at the moment, so there’s been no conversations at all and there won’t be until he comes back from his break,” the Hall of Fame promoter explains. “That’s where we are. The fact of the matter is the WBO have made their order, so Usyk’s either going to fight Parker or not, and if he doesn’t he’ll have to vacate.”
One option for Usyk, of course, is to retire. “I don’t know what he’ll do,” Warren admits. “He’s done what he set out to do – he’s cemented his legacy and I think legacy means a lot to him. Does he want to capitalise any more? I don’t know. But I do know that boxers find it very hard to leave the sport. Not many have managed to do it.”
Yesterday, WBO president Gustavo Olivieri confirmed to Boxing News that if Usyk does vacate the WBO title – either to retire or pursue a different opponent to Parker – then the New Zealander’s status as interim champion means he will be “elevated to full champion status as per WBO rules and regulations”.
Olivieri also stated to Boxing News that in this scenario it would be “most likely” that Parker would be “obliged to fulfil a mandatory obligation against the designated contender”.
Currently ensconced as the WBO’s number one contender is another Warren fighter – the prodigiously talented and unbeaten 20-year-old Moses Itauma.
So, if Usyk vacates, are we in line for Parker vs Itauma?
With Itauma squaring off against Dillian Whyte on 16 August, Warren’s response to this potential scenario is understandably cautious. “That [Parker v Itauma] would be one of the things we look at, but it depends how it goes in Riyadh on 16 August,” Warren admits. “There’s a lot on the line there. But whatever happens, we’ve promised Joe Parker he will get his shot.
“The fight against Whyte is a tough one for Moses. I don’t think for one minute it’s going to be an easy job. It’s a fight that will challenge Moses physically and mentally. He’s in there against a guy who has fought at the highest level and held his own at the highest level.
“Dillian is mature mentally and I think he’ll try and put it on Moses, even before he gets in the ring. So we’ll see how Moses – who’s just a 20-year-old kid – stands up to it. It’s a big step-up and not a foregone conclusion.”
One factor which some have argued may have lessened the chance of Usyk vs Parker being brokered is the apparent disinterest of Riyadh season and events management company Sela in the contest.
Warren, however, downplays this as a factor. “It’s up to them, if they’re not interested, they’re not interested. We promoted the show between Usyk and Daniel at Wembley. If they’re not interested, that’s their choice. How they spend their money is up to them, not me!”
Uncertainty may abound in the heavyweight division right now, but beyond dispute is Warren and Queensbury’s dominance of the promotional landscape, with stakes in the majority of the world’s top heavies.
“It’s what we’ve worked on and what we’ve worked very hard on over the years – me, my son and everyone else at Queensbury,” Warren reflects with satisfaction. “When we first sat down and did a deal with BT all those years ago, we said to them: ‘we’re going to concentrate on the heavyweight division.’
“And we’ve done it in a big way, we’ve gone out there and put our money where our mouth is, going right back to when Tyson [Fury] came back and everyone was writing him off.”
Ah yes, Tyson Fury! Talking of the Gypsy King, what does Warren make of his latest to-ing and fro-ing between retirement and non-retirement? Warren gives a knowing chuckle, one that resonates with decades spent in the world’s toughest sport, a sport in which anything can, might and usually does happen.
“I don’t make anything of it,” he says. “If he’s going to fight and when he’s ready to fight, he will let us all know. Until then, I’ll leave him alone. He’s got a big series he’s doing with Netflix, that’s a big deal. He hasn’t got time for serious professional boxing at the moment. If he does come back, it won’t be until next year. What’s the point in getting carried away and talking about it?”
Finally, Warren also provides an update on another of his fighters who is close to a world title shot – Fabio Wardley, the hard-hitting WBA interim champion, who is in line for a shot at regular champ Kubrat Pulev – should Pulev come through a mooted showdown with Michael Hunter, the purse bids for which were won by Don King.
“Don’t hold your breath for that one!” is Warren’s assessment of the likelihood of Pulev and Hunter actually fighting. “We’d love to do the fight between Fabio and Pulev. We’d make that fight in a heartbeat. But the truth of the matter is – like with all these things – we just have to see how it all plays out!”
