David Haye Says Oleksandr Usyk Belongs With 1990s Heavyweight Greats

Haye believes Oleksandr Usyk’s victories over Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua prove he could compete in any heavyweight era

David Haye believes Oleksandr Usyk has already done enough to prove he would have belonged among the elite heavyweights of the 1990s. The former two-division world champion said Usyk would have “hung with the best of them” against names like Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, and Evander Holyfield.

“Usyk, putting them in there with [Evander] Holyfield, [Mike] Tyson, Lennox [Lewis], he would have hung with the best of them,” said David Haye to BoxingScene.

“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.

“It’d be the equivalent of me beating Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, Vitali Klitschko, and anyone else.”

Haye said Usyk’s ability to win away from home repeatedly against elite opposition separated him from most heavyweight champions from previous generations during their title runs over time.

Haye, who also won world titles at cruiserweight and heavyweight during his career, believes Usyk’s body of work already places him among the top heavyweights of any generation.

Usyk’s fight against Verhoeven is expected to draw major attention because of the unusual crossover element, even if many fans see it as a mismatch compared to the contenders waiting behind him at heavyweight.

The fight headlines Saturday’s “Glory in Giza” card in Egypt.

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