Oleksandr Usyk has looked impervious in just about every fight he has had across two weight divisions as a professional, though David Haye’s trainer, Adam Booth, believes he would have been a perfect match-up for his man.
Olympic medalist Usyk turned professional and very quickly became an undisputed four-belt cruiserweight champion.
He then moved up to heavyweight and within three fights had collected the IBF, WBA and WBO world titles from Anthony Joshua before defending them against the same man and then knocking out mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois earlier this year.
He held three of the four major world titles as well as the Ring magazine and lineal titles and then moved up to heavyweight to win the WBA title in 2009 by defeating Russian giant, Nikolai Valuev.
He later came out on the wrong side of a points decision against Wladimir Klitschko and went on to lost back-to-back all-British grudge matches with Tony Bellew.
At the time he was cruiserweight king, Haye was trained by Booth who, speaking to Up Front With Simon Jordan, reckons Haye would have beaten any cruiserweight in the world during his peak, including current pound-for-pound contender Oleksandr Usyk.
“I think Usyk’s style would have suited David. If he had stayed cruiserweight and stayed on that path he was on at that period I would match him with anyone.”
It’s a sentiment Haye agrees with, having previously said he would have ‘got Usyk out of there’ inside the distance.
As for the here and now, Usyk would truly stand himself proud of all peers past and present should he be able to beat Tyson Fury and become the first four-belt undisputed heavyweight champion when the pair meet later this year or early next.