Frank Warren targets heavyweight unification fights in 2027 and wants Usyk involved

Warren promotes three of the four major heavyweight champions, including Daniel Dubois, who defends his WBO title against Fabio Wardley in London on Saturday.

By Combat Sports UK Staff · Published Thu 15 Oct, 21:41 UK · AI-assisted reporting

Post by @DAZNBoxing on X

Frank Warren plans to stage heavyweight world-title unification fights in 2027 and hopes to bring Oleksandr Usyk back into the division's title picture.

The Queensberry Promotions boss promotes three of the four major champions: WBO title-holder Daniel Dubois, WBC champion Agit Kabayel and IBF champion Filip Hrgovic. Dubois defends his belt against his British rival Fabio Wardley at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday, and Warren believes the winner will be well placed to pursue further world titles.

The O2 bout is a rematch. Dubois stopped Wardley in the 11th round in Manchester five months ago.

Speaking on a podcast, Warren said: “The plan is to make the unification fights happen and try to get Usyk back in it.” Usyk became the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era when he beat Tyson Fury in May 2024. He has since vacated his world titles, leaving the belts spread across different champions.

Warren also said the WBA 'super' heavyweight title will be on the line when Fury and Anthony Joshua meet in Cardiff on 11 December. He said: “The WBA have put that belt up for them.” The WBA has not publicly confirmed the arrangement, and Russia's Murat Gassiev is still listed as its sole heavyweight world champion. Gassiev could be moved to 'regular' champion status if the WBA awards its 'super' title to the Fury-Joshua winner.

Warren confirmed that Moses Itauma will return to the ring in January, with the fight to be announced in the next couple of weeks. The 21-year-old from Chatham suffered his first professional defeat in August, when Hrgovic stopped him in the ninth round to win the vacant IBF title. Itauma, who has won 14 of his 15 professional bouts, 12 of them by knockout, had been fast-tracked towards a world-title shot.

Warren said he met Itauma a couple of weeks ago to discuss the Hrgovic defeat, and that the fighter wants to be back in contention. He said: “He's only 21 and he wants 2027 to be the year he wins a world title.”