Oleksandr Usyk’s upcoming fight with Rico Verhoeven may not be a WBC title defence, despite an initial announcement to the contrary.

The Ukrainian southpaw was last in action against Daniel Dubois in July 2025, where he became undisputed in boxing’s top division for a second time. Rather than face his WBO mandatory challenger, Fabio Wardley, next, Usyk opted to vacate that belt.

He still currently holds the WBC, WBA and IBF, but only the WBC was mentioned when his fight with Verhoeven – to take place at the Pyramids of Giza on May 23 – was made official this week.

However, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman, who has come under fire since the announcement, has now told Chris Mannix that the fight will be a WBC “special event” and that the belt on the line will be a commemorative token. He says there has been no request for it to be a sanctioned heavyweight title defence.

“The WBC fully supports this cross over fight … (we) will create an unbelievable belt featuring the elements of Pyramids of Egypt. The WBC supported Fury vs Ngannou which turned out to be very competitive and we have full respect of Rico as a legendary kickboxing heavyweight champion. At this moment there has not been discussion of a request to be a title defence and just a special event involving the WBC heavyweight champion.”

Usyk was granted a voluntary defence months ago on the condition that he would face mandatory challenger and interim champion, Agit Kabayel, next. However, voluntaries should come against someone ranked in the top 15 – something Verhoeven, who has had one professional boxing match, can’t boast.

The Tyson Fury–Francis Ngannou bout provides a recent precedent, where the WBC title was not placed on the line. At the time, Fury held the WBC title, but the sanctioning body permitted ‘The Gypsy King’ to have that fight without the belt on the line, then allowing him to move into an undisputed contest with Usyk.

The Verhoeven fight in general has been met by mixed reviews, with many feeling the Ukrainian road warrior has earned the right for big money crossover bouts at this stage of his campaign. Others, however, would rather the world titles were not held up to make it happen. What the IBF and WBA decide to do remains unclear, with Usyk losing those two belts a real possibility.

India are all set to face off against the West Indies in their final match of the Super Eight stage of the 2026 T20 World Cup. The encounter will be contested at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday, March 1.

The stakes are high, with both teams eyeing a spot in the final four. The match promises to be a spectacle, with plenty of individual battles and strategic face-offs to focus on.

India’s squad for the T20 World Cup: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Washington Sundar.

West Indies’ squad for the T20 World Cup: Brandon King, Shai Hope (c & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Roston Chase, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, Matthew Forde, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph, Johnson Charles, Akeal Hosein, Jayden Seales, Quentin Sampson.

On that note, here are three things to look forward to in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 clash against the West Indies.

#3 India’s new-look top three will be in focus once again

India have moved towards a fresh top order at the business end of the T20 World Cup – Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan. How this relatively new combination fares against a quality West Indies bowling attack will be interesting to see.

The visitors could opt to bring in Akeal Hosein for Matthew Forde. Known for his powerplay bowling, Akeal could ask some serious questions of Samson. If the Windies can break the shaky Indian opening partnership, the stage could be set for Gudakesh Motie and Roston Chase through the middle overs.

#2 Varun Chakaravarthy can be backed to find his best form

Varun Chakaravarthy will be the key cog in India’s bowling attack, and the Kolkata venue might just be what he needs to rediscover his mojo. He’s been a bit inconsistent lately, despite a fair amount of wickets in the tournament.

Varun’s form will be important for India, especially in the middle overs. If he can find his rhythm and bowl with control, he could stifle the West Indies’ scoring rate. The visitors have many players who are susceptible against wrist-spin, making the ace spinner crucial.

India will be hoping that Varun can turn things around. Can he bamboozle the West Indies batsmen and help his team gain the upper hand?

#1 Can India avoid an embarrassing exit from the T20 World Cup?

The Men in Blue will be under pressure to perform, given that a defeat would mean the end of their title defense. India have a strong team on paper, but they’ll need to execute their plans effectively on the field.

The Windies are the obvious underdogs, but the danger they possess is clear. With the pitch expected to be dry, their spinners could even the scales to a great extent. India haven’t been anywhere near their best either.

Avoiding an early exit from the T20 World Cup will be paramount for India. Can they rise to the occasion and deliver a strong performance against a determined West Indies side?