Former two-weight World Champion, David Haye, has had his say on the “bloody exciting” prospect of a fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Deontay Wilder.
The Ukrainian champion got people talking recently as he said, should an undisputed fight with Tyson Fury not happen soon, he would like to face Wilder. As match-ups go, it would be one of the most intriguing in the division – the polar opposites of supreme boxing skill versus the danger of devastating punch power.
Haye holds similarities with both men. Like Usyk, he was champion at both cruiserweight and heavyweight. In the other corner, he was capable of knocking people out just like Deontay Wilder does.
He had his say to Boxing Social on how the heavyweight scrap might go.
“That’s tough. He’s [Usyk] going to need to be more aggressive with Wilder than he was with Anthony Joshua – because Anthony Joshua doesn’t wing them in, he tried to have a boxing match.
Wilder won’t try to have a boxing match, he’ll just try and take his head off – but, you look at [Luis] Ortiz, Ortiz was able to outbox him from that southpaw position … for the majority of the fight before that one detonated off his head and just pretty much look like it comatosed him.”
As for a prediction, and while he makes Usyk a slight favourite, Haye pointed out something that most do when it comes to Wilder – his incredible power. Ultimately, he couldn’t pick between them.
“It would be hard to bet against Usyk, but if there’s anyone who’s got the one-punch power to just devastate anyone, it’s Wilder. I still believe he is the hardest hitting heavyweight on the planet right now and one of the hardest hitting ever.
“So that’s just a great fight. I don’t know how it would go but it would be bloody exciting.”
‘The Haymaker’s words will ring true with many fans, and it’s certainly a good consolation if we can’t see Fury face Usyk for undisputed.
The Ukrainian is seemingly ready to go early next year, but ‘The Bronze Bomber’ has business in the shape of Robert Helenius to take care of first.