Who can stop Usyk? David Haye says just one boxer has best shot
Oleksandr Usyk can only be beaten by one boxer, says David Haye (photo: RBC-Ukraine)
In an interview with iFLTV, former world champion David Haye has named the only heavyweight boxer who, in his opinion, is capable of defeating the undefeated undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Haye named a boxer stronger than Usyk
The 44-year-old British boxer shared his thoughts on the chances of other heavyweights in a potential fight against the undisputed world champion Oleksandr Usyk. According to "The Hayemaker," the fighter with the best chance is not a seasoned veteran but 20-year-old Moses Itauma.
Haye said that Itauma, who has only 13 wins in his professional career (11 by knockout), could indeed pose problems for the 38-year-old Ukrainian champion.
"He's got the best shot out of anyone to be. No matter how inexperienced he is. He's got the firepower and the heavy-handedness to just cause all sorts of problems. Uh, all sorts of problems for anybody," Haye stated.
He added that Usyk, despite his mastery, is not a "natural" heavyweight.
"He is a cruiserweight. He's a pumped-up cruiserweight. He's done it really well to be a heavyweight, but those types of punches that Moses was throwing would take out any natural-born heavyweight," the Briton noted.
"Everyone else has tried and failed, and he's young, he's fresh, he's hungry, and he just seems to have crazy heavy hands," the former champion concluded.
It is worth recalling that 20-year-old Moses Itauma defeated Dillian Whyte in less than two minutes in his most recent fight.
Itauma vs Whyte (photo: instagram.com/m.itauma)
Is the Usyk-Parker fight in doubt?
Usyk, who is now 38, has twice defeated Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Daniel Dubois. After his most recent fight in July, the WBO ordered Oleksandr to make a mandatory title defense against Joseph Parker, who holds the interim championship.
The New Zealander has repeatedly stated that he wants a fight with Usyk. He even recorded video messages to the Ukrainian, urging him to accept the challenge.
However, after the victory over Dubois, Usyk's team appealed to the WBO to postpone negotiations for the Parker fight. They cited a back injury sustained during preparation for the last bout, as well as the need for rest after grueling fights. The organization accommodated our champion.
Thus, a fight with Parker is very likely, as he is the mandatory challenger. However, Usyk could refuse if negotiations fall through or if he decides to vacate the WBO title and relinquish his undisputed championship.
Earlier, we reported that Usyk shockingly did not make it into the top 10 of the updated BoxRec rankings.
