Oleksandr Usyk has the chance to go undisputed in two weight classes if his fight with Tyson Fury is made – and there’s a heavyweight legend who believes he can do it in style.
It will be Ukraine versus England in the division’s first all-belt clash since Lennox Lewis against Evander Holyfield, and contract talks are said to be reaching a conclusion.
Should both fighters sign on the dotted line, Fury will likely go into the bout a favourite. Both are undefeated and elite, however a general consensus is that the man from Morecambe may just be too big for Usyk.
Hasim Rahman – known for his shock victory over Lennox Lewis and two championship runs – believes otherwise.
In a resurfaced clip from around the time of Fury’s win over Dillian Whyte and retirement announcement, ‘The Rock’ Rahman was asked by FightHype if he believed hanging up the gloves was the right decision for the Brit.
“I think if he want to keep his legacy intact, he should. Because I think Usyk can beat him. I think Tyson Fury’s biggest advantage is that most heavyweights are really slow and he’s used to boxing against them.
If you go against a boxer – kind of like Steve Cunningham – bad things can happen. I think Usyk is prime and is right into the heavyweight division. I think he can beat Tyson Fury.”
Rahman went into more detail about the size difference, believing the bulk could ultimately be Fury’s downfall rather than Usyk’s.
“[The size] would be [an advantage] with most heavyweights who stand in front of you, and that Tyson can lean on and grab. But Usyk is not that type of He’s gonna make him do the little spurts of boxing – he gonna make him do that the whole twelve rounds.
And I think Tyson walking round almost 300 pounds gonna gas out … Turn the tables on Tyson and make him work. Make him get exhausted and then probably knock him out.”
It’s a prediction to be added to Usyk’s tally that, from pundits and fighters at least, is eclipsed by Fury’s.
For any of them to be put to the test though, the fight must be finalised and announced. The promoters of both men were meeting in London this week to try and do just that.