Oleksandr Usyk ‘Didn’t fancy it’… Frank Warren criticises the icon for avoiding Fabio Wardley

EXCLUSIVE: Frank Warren believes Oleksandr Usyk wants no part of Fabio Wardley.

On May 9, the devastating puncher puts his WBO heavyweight championship on the line in a blockbuster showdown against Daniel Dubois at the Co-op Live in Manchester, UK.

Frank Warren slates Oleksandr Usyk for refusing to fight Fabio Wardley

After producing an unbelievable comeback against Joseph Parker for the WBO interim title, Fabio Wardley looked on the cusp of receiving a monstrous opportunity to go toe-to-toe with Oleksandr Usyk. However, rather than facing the dangerous Brit, the two-weight King opted to head in the direction of Glory kickboxing superstar, Rico Verhoeven, resulting in Wardley being upgraded to full champion.

And according to Frank Warren, there’s only one reason the Ukrainian swerved the bout.

In an exclusive interview with Sporf, the Hall of Fame promoter explained: “He obviously didn’t fancy it, did he? It doesn’t matter which way you look at it, if he’d have taken the fight, we would have sold a Tottenham Hotspur Stadium or Wembley Stadium out with that fight. So, it wasn’t about money. More people would’ve watched that than will be watching him fight a guy in Egypt, that’s for sure.”

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Frank Warren compares Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois to iconic fight

Blessed with remarkable power and all-out action styles, the blend of Wardley and Dubois looks destined to create a clash so brutal that fans will remember it for a very long time to come.

Of course, Warren can’t wait for the madness to unfold, with the Brit claiming the domestic collision could live up to the entertainment value created during an encounter between two of the best of all time.

Warren enthused: “The title says ‘don’t blink’, and that’s for a reason because these guys in one split second can turn a fight around, and it won’t go the distance. They’re massive punchers. It’s going to be explosive and exciting. I believe it’s going to be England’s answer to Marvin Hagler vs Thomas Hearns. It’s going to go down in history.”

Fans can watch Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois live on DAZN PPV

Featured Image Credit: Getty/Mirafit