Hearn: Usyk good enough to compete with top heavyweights right now

Oleksandr Usyk already holds all the major world titles at cruiserweight, so it’s no wonder that the fighter has been looking up the scale to other challenges at heavyweight.

Usyk’s name has recently been linked with a potential fight against Anthony Joshua, who is a unified titleholder, and Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn tells Sky Sports that Usyk is ready right now to go after some notable heavyweights.

“Ultimately if he talks about the likes of Joshua, he needs to move into those realms of opponents and size, sooner rather than later,” Hearn told Sky Sports.

“You look at the opponents for Usyk at heavyweight - Jarrell Miller, Dillian Whyte, Derek Chisora, Adam Kownacki, Luis Ortiz. There’s so many fights for him at heavyweight that he could jump straight into.”

Hearn goes on to mention that unless Adonis Stevenson is willing to move up in weight to challenge Usyk, or unless Andre Ward comes out of retirement, there’s really nothing left in the division for Usyk.

But do you think Usyk would be able to handle the size and pressure of someone like Anthony Joshua, or even a Jarrell Miller?