Fresh off Oleksandr Usyk’s dominant WBSS cruiserweight finals win over Murat Gassiev this past weekend, former British star Naseem Hamed says he would like to see Usyk try his hand at heavyweight. Hamed gives Usyk a real chance to take out current titleholders Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder.

“I honestly think he would give Anthony Joshua a run for his money,” said former world featherweight champion Naseem Hamed on ITV Box Office. ”I would like to see him fight AJ. He can work for 12 rounds. He would give Anthony serious problems. I think he can do the same thing [deliver a performance like the one against Gassiev] even against Wilder.”

Despite the vote of confidence, Usyk appears to be much more interested in working on a fight with Tony Bellew at the moment, which would clearly be a safer option to earn a nice bankroll. But just for shits and giggles, let’s talk about it a bit.

Do you think Usyk has anything to offer against the top of the heavyweight division? Could you envision Usyk taming either Joshua or Wilder based on his most recent performance?

Let me know in the comments below.