Crawford Wants Usyk vs Kabayel, Not Wilder, for Farewell Fight

Oleksandr Usyk is planning his exit, and everyone's got an opinion on who should share the ring for the send-off. The 39-year-old Ukrainian, 25-0 with 16 knockouts and still the lineal heavyweight king, is reportedly lining up a farewell bout with Deontay Wilder for March in New York City. Terence Crawford, undefeated himself at 42-0, thinks that's the wrong call.

Posting a wish list of fights on X, Crawford floated Usyk against freshly-minted WBC champion Agit Kabayel instead of the 45-4-1 Wilder. It's a bolder ask. Kabayel is 27-0 with 19 KOs and represents an active, live title — not a nostalgia trip against a puncher whose best days are behind him.

Why Usyk's Walking Away Now

The retirement talk isn't out of nowhere. Usyk was dragged into deep water earlier this year by Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven, a man who'd had exactly one pro boxing fight before stepping up. Usyk got the job done, stopping him in the 11th, but a competitive night against a novice tends to concentrate the mind. He's decided to protect the zero and step off after one more show.

The plan, as it stands, is to relinquish his three world titles and then take a farewell fight anyway. Wilder is the name being targeted, and 'The Bronze Bomber' would love nothing more than to crash Usyk's party and rebuild himself as a heavyweight threat. His last outing was a split-decision win over Derek Chisora — hardly the form of a man knocking on the title door.

The Kabayel Angle

Crawford's preference makes sense if you value competition over spectacle. Kabayel was upgraded to WBC champion in June and hasn't fought since, though he stopped Damian Knyba inside three rounds before that. His first defence is expected to be announced shortly, staged in Germany, after original opponent Nelson Hysa pulled out. Whether that opens a lane toward Usyk is another matter entirely.

For now it's just Crawford talking — a man coming off a unanimous-decision win over Canelo Álvarez, so he's earned the right to daydream about matchups. Usyk hasn't confirmed a farewell opponent, and Kabayel has a mandatory-looking calendar of his own. But the debate is telling: some want Usyk's last night to be a coronation, others want it to actually mean something.