A potential Oleksandr Usyk vs. Deontay Wilder fight was in talks for an extended stretch, but the blockbuster heavyweight matchup never got finalized. According to Usyk team director Sergey Lapin, the bout was being targeted for the United States before delays opened the door for Wilder to move in a different direction.
Lapin said Usyk’s camp had long viewed the American market as the right stage for a fight of that size, believing U.S. fans would have embraced the contrast between Usyk’s technical brilliance and Wilder’s one-punch knockout power. In today’s heavyweight landscape, where major fights can shift quickly based on timing and financial opportunity, that kind of delay can kill momentum fast.
“We were in negotiations for the Wilder-Usyk fight for quite a long time. In the end, they preferred the Derek Chisora option. We really were planning to stage the fight in the U.S.,” Lapin said. “But the process dragged on longer than expected, and while the talks were continuing, Wilder got another real opportunity. That happens often in boxing: time passes, and alternative offers appear.”
That outcome carries real consequences for the division. A Usyk-Wilder matchup would have been one of the most intriguing style clashes available at heavyweight and a major attraction for the American market, especially given Wilder’s long-standing profile in the U.S. Instead, Wilder signed on to face Derek Chisora, while Usyk pivoted to a very different kind of event.
Usyk is now set to step into the ring on May 23 in Giza, Egypt, at the foot of the pyramids, where he will face legendary kickboxer Rico Verhoeven. The location alone gives the event a spectacle feel, and it also underscores how far Usyk’s team is willing to go to create global moments outside the traditional boxing capitals.
For now, the heavyweight division moves on without one of its most compelling possible pairings, and attention will shift to whether either man can circle back to unfinished business after their next assignment.