By: Sean Crose
“Oleksandr aims to return to cruiserweight in 2027 and become undisputed again.” So says Sergey Lapin, advisor to heavyweight kingpin Oleksandr Usyk (per ESPN).”First, we are looking at a fight for a vacant world title. Then, the goal is to face David Benavidez to unify all the belts and become undisputed cruiserweight champion…we see 2027 as the final chapter of his career. He wants to finish as undisputed champion in the division where he first won all the belts.” This, frankly, might end up being the first fight that’s both legitimate and a novelty. How many fighters have been undisputed cruiserweight titlists, then undisputed heavyweight champions before moving back down to become the undisputed cruiserweight champion again?
On top of the hype this potential battle might bring, there’s also a very real question of who might actually win. Usyk, of course, is nothing short of a chess master. The man’s footwork and punch accuracy is a wonder to behold. What’s more, he has spent a large amount of time under the spotlights. Some fighters have big matches. Usyk has had enormous matches. Two bouts apiece with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, coupled with matches against the likes of Daniel Dubois add up to a wealth of experience.
Benevidez is unlike Usyk when it comes to his resume. While he’s had big fights against the like of Zurdo Ramierz and Caleb Plant, he appears to have perhaps been avoided by Canelo. For whatever reason, Benavidez hasn’t been allowed to engage in a true megafight. That will all change, however, if Benavidez gets to have a crack against future Hall of Famer Usyk. That fight – should it actually transpire – would have the makings of an historical event. Again, there’s no guarantee that Usyk would win at his age. Boxing consists of a lot of wear and tear and Usyk has literally spent years at the sport’s highest levels.
With that being said the man may be 25-0 but he still stands at the moment at 39 years old. The guy also didn’t look that great when he faced off against near boxing novice Rico Verhoven last spring. Father time, as they say, is undefeated and it appears as if he might already be breaking Usyk down as a fighter. Then again, some fighters would leave you to believe they had nine lives with their successful career longevity. Yet such fighters are few and far between.
Furthermore, Benavidez is the boogie man of every division he seems to enter. Here is a man who can fight, really fight. Watching him in action is to watch a powerhouse with an under the radar skill set thoroughly break an opponent down. He’s also a good six feet tall and boasts a record of thirty three wins against zero losses. Of course, Usyk is about a full three inches taller than Benavidez, but the twenty-nine year old is considerably younger than Usyk, which may mean Benavidez is a whole lot fresher. Usyk will have to drop weight to go down to cruiserweight, but he’s ruled that division before.
Of course a fight of this nature is going to have to go through its share of hurdles. This is boxing, after all, a sport where things never seem to go smoothly. Contract negotiations, career maneuvering and clashing personalities can all add up to derailing or at least slowing down negotiations. Then again, going from undisputed cruiserweight king, to undisputed heavyweight king and back to undisputed cruiserweight king once more is no small thing. Such matters can be complicated. It’s worth it, though, so long as the fight is actually made when all is said and done.
