Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tony Bellew Negotiations Underway

Oleksandr Usyk has done just about as much as one would want to do in a boxing career: win an Olympic gold medal, the inaugural World Boxing Super Series tournament and become the undisputed cruiserweight champion.

But even less than a month after becoming the undisputed champion, Usyk already has his next opponent in his sights: former champion Tony Bellew.

Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, whom Bellew fights for, told Sky Sports that talks are underway to have Bellew challenge for the undisputed titles. Bellew never lost the WBC cruiserweight title he held in 2016 as Bellew moved up in weight to heavyweight to fight two grudge matches against David Haye, both of which Bellew emerged victorious.

Hearn said he told Usyk’s team that a fight would have to be at heavyweight which had been rumored to be Usyk’s desire as he wanted to explore the possibility of challenging for a world heavyweight title and fighting current unified champion Anthony Joshua.

“Bellew called me 20 minutes after [Usyk’s] fight and said: ‘I’ll knock him out’. I told Usyk’s team that a fight would have to be [at heavyweight] because that’s where Tony is now, and he feels good,” Hearn said.

But despite not having fought at cruiserweight in almost two years, Hearn said Bellew wants the fight to take place at cruiserweight because he wants the opportunity to become the undisputed world champion in boxing’s second-highest weight class.

“Tony told me: ‘I want to fight him at cruiserweight because I want all the belts’. If he’s going into a fight as risky as Usyk, he wants the biggest reward possible which is to be the undisputed cruiserweight world champion,” Hearn said.

According to Hearn, there is a “very good” chance of the fight becoming a reality. Usyk currently holds the undisputed WBA “super,” WBO, WBC, IBF and Ring Magazine cruiserweight titles and is the only cruiserweight to ever hold all five of those titles at the same time. Usyk became the undisputed champion when he defeated former unified champion Murat Gassiev in the World Boxing Super Series finals in Moscow by unanimous decision.