WBO, WBC, WBA, IBF cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk is still expected to make his heavyweight debut in 2019.

Usyk (16-0, 12 KOs) is likely going to be the 2018 Fighter of The Year - with unmatched accomplishments over a twelve month period.

He gained impressive wins over Mairis Briedis and Murat Gassiev to unify the entire division and win the World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight tournament. And then he came back in November to retire Tony Bellew with a brutal knockout.

Nothing is left at cruiserweight - and Usyk wants to make his mark as a heavyweight.

One option is the winner, or loser, of Saturday's rematch between Dereck Chisora and Dillian Whyte.

Promoter Eddie Hearn handles Usyk, Chisora, Whyte - and Joshua.

Another option is tough heavyweight Carlos Takam, who did well with Joshua, Chisora, Joseph Parker and Alexander Povetkin.

"Usyk could fight the winner or loser of [Whyte vs Chisora]," Hearn said to Sky Sports.

"No-one really knows how good Usyk truly will be at heavyweight. We know he will be good, but can he mix it with the big boys? That is the fascination."

"Usyk won't mess around. You won't see him fight someone average. Carlos Takam is a guy that would make sense - a bit small but powerful and strong."

According to Hearn, there is one cruiserweight fight enticing enough to keep Usyk from moving up - and that is a showdown with former unified super middleweight and light heavyweight champion Andre Ward, who retired from boxing over a year ago.

"I think that would be the only fight that Usyk would stick around at cruiserweight for," Hearn said.

"[Usyk vs Ward] is pure boxing. It is the absolute art of the sweet science. It would be the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, who is undefeated and retired, against the current best pound-for-pound fighter and the fighter of the year.

"There are so many different narratives - it would be a 50-50 fight, Ward going up to cruiserweight. I have [spoken to Usyk about this] and I have put it to Ward. But I think it would take something unreasonable to bring Ward out of retirement.

"I think Usyk will move to heavyweight and box in America in April."