David Haye says Oleksandr Usyk has earned the right to fight whoever he wants after dominating every major heavyweight of his era, and believes the kickboxing match against Rico Verhoeven is fully justified.
Speaking to BoxingScene ahead of Usyk’s fight against Verhoeven in Egypt, Haye pushed back on critics who wanted to see Usyk face fresh contenders like Agit Kabayel or Moses Itauma.
“He’s given the boxing fans everything. He’s given the boxing fraternity and the hardcore purists fight after fight. If you’d have said from the amateur days, from when he’s turned over, what’s the toughest, hardest possible route for this Olympic champion to fight at cruiserweight, the fights he had, one after another, tough guys, he’s fought the very, very best, beat them, got up to heavyweight. Okay, fight AJ, fight Tyson Fury. Okay, fight him again, just in case it was a fluke. Beat them all twice. Now he’s like, ‘Okay, I’ve done it all. I’m going to fight a kickboxer for a load of dough who’s never had a boxing match.’ God bless him.”
Haye also addressed how Usyk would have matched up against heavyweights from previous eras.
“Usyk, putting them in there with Holyfield, Tyson, Lennox, he would have hung with the best of them. He would have found a way. He’s shown consistently that he’s beat every man in and around his era. It’s hard not to be a fan of someone who’s done that.”
Haye suggested only one fight remains for Usyk to complete a legacy-defining run.
“I think he should fight this kickboxer, then fight Deontay Wilder, because then on paper, he’s beaten every man of the era. And in 50 years, looking back, no one cares that Wilder had a life and death against Dereck Chisora. No one cares. They just see the name brand there.”