His Excellency Turki Alalshikh addresses potential next moves for Agit Kabayel, Oleksandr Usyk, and Rico Verhoeven

His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, who's credited as one of the most important boxing promoters instrumental in successfully organizing the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven boxing match, has addressed both boxers' potential next moves. He also weighed in on the Agit Kabayel situation, with many fans and experts calling for Germany's Kabayel to be given the next title shot against boxing's unified heavyweight kingpin, Usyk. 

Usyk defended his unified heavyweight crown against kickboxing great Verhoeven in a grueling boxing match that headlined the 'Glory in Giza' event on May 23, 2026.

Many predicted that the kickboxing savant, who'd previously competed in just one pro boxing match, would be dominated by Usyk due to his being comparatively inexperienced in the sport of boxing. However, he seemed to be pulling off the upset until getting knocked down late in the 11th round, after which he faced another volley of punches. The referee waved the fight off and handed Usyk the TKO win. 

Nevertheless, a number of members of the combat sports community argued that it was an early stoppage and have been lobbying for Verhoeven to be granted an immediate rematch against Usyk. 

His Excellency Turki Alalshikh echoes the sentiment of many boxing fans after Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven

Per Mike Coppinger of Ring Magazine, HE Turki Alalshikh has addressed the current unified heavyweight title picture, primarily including the trio of Oleksandr Usyk, Rico Verhoeven, and Agit Kabayel. Germany's Kabayel is the mandatory challenger for Usyk's WBC heavyweight title, and a number of his supporters have asserted that he's also deserving of a shot at Usyk's unified and lineal heavyweight throne. 

Speaking to Coppinger, Alalshikh echoed the sentiment of several fans of the sweet science. He implied that Verhoeven was the victim of a premature stoppage by the referee. The boxing personality opined that Usyk was controlling the fight at the end, adding that the supposedly early stoppage discarded the possibility of the fight ending decisively. 

Alalshikh stated, "It was a bad stoppage. Rico deserved to continue to fight. It's clear that Usyk was controlling in the end, but the referee should have allowed the fight to reach clear result." 

HE Turki Alalshikh on Oleksandr Usyk, Rico Verhoeven, and Agit Kabayel's potential next fights

Further expounding upon what's next for Oleksandr Usyk, HE Turki Alalshikh said, "It is the call of Usyk now what he does next." Additionally, in regard to Agit Kabayel possibly fighting Usyk, he said, "Kabayel has waited a long time. We want to do the fight in a stadium in Germany." He added that Usyk could then rematch Verhoeven, "And after that, we want to see the rematch with Rico." 

The Saudi Arabian boxing promoter also highlighted that he'd like to promote two more fights featuring Verhoeven. He stated, "And I want to do two more fights with Rico. I had Rico up three rounds entering the 11th round ." 

Currently, no specific date has been officially announced for Usyk's next title defense, and it's also unclear as to whether he'll face Verhoeven or Kabayel first.