Serhii Lapin: "After Usyk Retires, Joshua Will Become the Next Undisputed Champion"

Serhii Lapin, CEO of Oleksandr Usyk’s team, believes that once the Ukrainian superstar hangs up the gloves, Anthony Joshua is the leading contender to become the next undisputed heavyweight champion.

Lapin, who oversees the career of the unified WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBO champion Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs), shared his thoughts on the division’s future:

"We spoke with Anthony Joshua about our training camps, how they go, and about boxing in general. He’s a very good man, and we enjoy communicating with him. He analyzes his mistakes.

We talked about his excellent boxing skills and exchanged ideas about the sport. We have a lot of mutual views and respect.

My team and I believe that after Oleksandr retires, Anthony Joshua will become the next undisputed champion. He’s a very talented boxer and a true English gentleman."

Usyk and Joshua have already met twice in the ring, with Usyk emerging victorious on both occasions—by unanimous decision in September 2021 and split decision in August 2022.

Now 35 years old, Joshua last fought in September, where he suffered a fifth-round knockout loss to IBF champion Daniel Dubois.

Serhii Lapin has previously named the most likely months for Usyk’s next bout, signaling that the Ukrainian champion still has a couple more chapters to write before walking away from the sport.