Oleksandr Usyk has been offered the chance to make even more history for himself in a move that could see him go back down to cruiserweight.
The unified WBC, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion defeated Tyson Fury for the second time in their rematch on December 21, as he cemented himself as the greatest heavyweight of this generation.
The 37-year-old from Ukraine became the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the ‘four belt era’ last May when he outpointed ‘The Gypsy King’ in their highly anticipated showdown at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Only three of the four heavyweight titles were on the line in their second meeting last month, after the IBF stripped Usyk of his crown to elevate Daniel Dubois to full champion last summer.
In the wake of his legacy defining victory over Fury, the 37-year-old has been targeted by reigning IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia, who has opened the door to a showdown with the Ukrainian in the near future, which would see Usyk move back down to cruiserweight, where he held the undisputed championship in 2018.
Speaking to The Stomping Ground, Opetaia revealed he would be more than willing to face Usyk if the opportunity was presented to him.
“If it happens it happens man, I’m always open for it, I would never knock down a fight like that. That’s a fight I would take with both hands, 100%.”
The 29-year-old from Australia is making waves in the cruiserweight division where he has picked up two impressive wins against Mairis Briedis, who is an ex-opponent of Usyk after he fell short to the Ukrainian during the World Boxing Super Series between 2017 and 2018.
Opetaia’s most recent victory came earlier this month when he knocked out New Zealand’s David Nyika in brutal fashion to retain his IBF and Ring Magazine titles.
