Usyk undercard to include fight between well-rated Briton and Uzbek former Olympian.
There is no doubt that Oleksandr Usyk is one of the very best fighters in the sport. That is something that nobody can deny.
The formidable Ukrainian has achieved everything he’s set out to, and having become undisputed champion on three occasions across two divisions, fans generally agree that he is entitled to fighting who he chooses to.
Even so, when it was announced that Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) would be fighting Rico Verhoeven (66-10 as a kickboxer; 1-0 as a boxer), the limits of that sentiment were stretched to the maximum degree.
While Verhoeven was a legend in his native profession, his one fight on our side of the sporting world was a 2014 knockout over the 0-5 Janos Finfera. This would not typically qualify for a WBC heavyweight title challenge, as his fight against Usyk is.
However, while the main event has been widely questioned, the undercard is expected to feature a very interesting fight.
Though Dmitry Bivol’s title defence against Michael Eifert has been officially deconfirmed for the card, another fight has now been put forward for the show’s supporting cast.
This fight is set to be a WBA (Regular) welterweight title showdown between Jack Catterall (32-2, 14 KOs) and Shakhram Giyasov (17-0, 10 KOs).
England’s Catterall is a former undisputed title challenger at super-lightweight, being the recipient of one of the most lambasted decisions of the last few years against Josh Taylor.
Catterall would gain revenge in a rematch over Taylor, but moved up to welterweight after a close defeat to Arnold Barboza Jr.
Since joining the 147-pound class, Catterall has scalped the undefeated Harlem Eubank and stopped the marauding Ekow Essuman, joining up with renowned American trainer Derek ‘Bozy’ Ennis.
Catterall is ranked in the top ten by every organisation, being #1 with the WBO and #6 with the WBA.
Giyasov, of Uzbekistan, won a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics and has since gone undefeated as a professional, notching wins on the undercards of major fights.
For a while now, Giyasov has languished as WBA mandatory challenger, struggling to get a fight against the WBA world champion. Just one of a recent trend of Uzbek boxing talent, Giyasov has faced little adversity as a professional.
The winner of Catterall vs. Giyasov will stake their claim as the rightful challenger to the full WBA welterweight championship, currently held by America’s Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero.
🚨 CATTERRALL-GIYASOV ON MAY 23
đź’Ą Jack Catterrall and Shakhram Giyasov have agreed to a deal to fight for the WBA (Regular) welterweight title on the May 23 Oleksandr Usyk-Rico Verhoeven undercard at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. pic.twitter.com/VI11CS1WdG
— EverythingBoxing | Darshan Desai (@EverythingBoxi2) March 30, 2026
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