BoxRec

If this is true, we may be closer to seeing Usyk make his HW debut.

By Mike Smith: Oleksander Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk reportedly says there’s a seventy percent chance of Oleksander, 31, moving up to heavyweight to face either Luis ‘King Kong’ Ortiz (30-1, 26 KOs) or Alexander Povetkin in what would be his first fight in the division as a pro, according to Fightnews info via Michael Benson. Joseph Parker and Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller opted not to take the fight with the unbeaten Usyk (16-0, 12 KOs), which isn’t all that surprising.

Povetkin is the safer/safest fight for Usyk among the top 10 IMHO, and many posters here seemed to feel the same way. Miller shying away from this fight only strengthens my already negative view of him. Who would you rather see? Ortiz in my opinion would be too much risk for his first foray.

Id like to see him face both in 2019.

Voted Ortiz because he is old as fornicate and needs a big fight asap.

Would throw Pulev into the mix too!

Pukka Cheese wrote: ↑06 Jan 2019, 12:31 Id like to see him face both in 2019.

Voted Ortiz because he is old as eff and needs a big fight asap.

I'd like to see his first fight at HW before I want to see a second. He won't get outclassed, but he could get into trouble with substantially bigger bodies and heavier hitters. Bellew had "moments" earlier in the Usyk fight, so we really still don't know what to expect.

As a Povetkin fan, I'd like to see Usyk vs Ortiz more, cause facing Usyk is a kinda finishing of a career in a gatekeeper status for both of them.

I'd like to see him face Ortiz. Take out a pretender like Ortiz is much needed. People still think he's the same fighter from the Jenning's fight, but even then, he's been horribly overrated. He gassed fighting at a slow pace against Wilder. The Kauffman fight was supposed to be a gimmie fight for him and he still look old and slow.

Usyk would school Ortiz.

Mexi-Box wrote: ↑06 Jan 2019, 21:45 I'd like to see him face Ortiz. Take out a pretender like Ortiz is much needed. People still think he's the same fighter from the Jenning's fight, but even then, he's been horribly overrated. He gassed fighting at a slow pace against Wilder. The Kauffman fight was supposed to be a gimmie fight for him and he still look old and slow.

Usyk would school Ortiz.

Disagree.