David Haye has no doubt that the strengths of Alexander Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs), which helped him dominate the cruiserweight division, will not help him win his fight against heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (24-1, 21 KOs).
"In my opinion, Usyk's style would be effective if Joshua was 188cm and 90kg, but AJ is a unique athlete, he's one of the best super heavyweights in the history of the division and that means knocking out Usyk," Haymaker told Sky Sports. "If Usyk was the future heavyweight and was good enough to beat AJ, he would have stopped or at least won with a solid margine against Chisora. But he failed miserably. He couldn't keep a bigger opponent at bay because he lacked firepower."
"I just don't see Joshua having a problem with Usyk. I can even tell which punch he'll miss. He'll go straight left, then right, then left again. AJ will knock out Usyk with a jab!" Haye shared his predictions, who won the WBA heavyweight belt after winning cruiserweight titles.
"Usyk may have the same technical skills that I have, maybe he has more, but he doesn't have the strong punch to keep the big guy at bay. You can be as fast as possible, but speed won't be an issue for a big guy. Usyk's speed and power wasn't an issue for Chisora. To beat these big monster heavyweights, you have to have something to hit with to gain their respect and keep them in fear. Usyk has no punch, so the big contenders will sit on him when they want to," the former champion said.
The fight between Anthony Joshua and Alexander Usyk is scheduled for September 25 in London. The WBA, WBO and IBF belts will be at stake in the meeting.
