Former super-middleweight champion, Carl Froch, has shared his thoughts on how a cruiserweight clash involving a prime David Haye against a prime Oleksandr Usyk would have played out.
Haye and Usyk are undoubtedly two of the best fighters to have graced the division since its formation in 1979.
The ‘Hayemaker’ became unified 200lb champion in 2008 with a victory over Enzo Maccarinelli, and Usyk was later crowned the first to be undisputed the four-belt era after he defeated Murat Gassiev in what was just his fifteenth professional outing.
The pair are two of just three men to have been cruiserweight and heavyweight champions at some point in their career, with Evander Holyfield being the third.
On his ‘Froch on Fighting’ YouTube show, ‘The Cobra’ applauded the qualities of both men, but could not look past a win for the undefeated Ukrainian.
“Haye was a monster puncher at cruiserweight, explosive power, really fast, that would be such an interesting fight. You know what, Usyk doesn’t get beat, his amateur record has about three-hundred-and-fifty fights and he’s only lost about fifteen of them, in the amateurs that is really good, and he has avenged most of them [defeats].”
“Haye-Usyk, for me, you would have to say that the smart money, if you’re a betting man, would have to go on Usyk.
Usyk is that good, he is so brilliant, but David Haye had his best years as a cruiserweight, he was unified champion, then he stepped up to heavyweight. He would have had a punchers chance, he could of won by knockout, but I just think that Usyk is that good that I wouldn’t be able to sit here and honestly say that David Haye beats Usyk.”
Usyk remains in talks for an undisputed heavyweight fight with Tyson Fury, where he could once again join Holyfield as only the second fighter to be undisputed at both cruiserweight and heavyweight.