Oleksandr Usyk will make his debut in the heavyweight division against Carlos Takam, the Ukrainian’s co-promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed.
Having dominated at cruiserweight, winning literally every single title he possibly could before making a defence of his belts against Tony Bellew back in November, Usyk’s plan was seemingly always to clean up one division before moving up to face boxing’s biggest – and his decision to do so could scupper the idea of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder ruling the division.
It’s been clear for some time now that Takam was the likely opponent for Usyk to leap into the division with, and the Frenchman will prove no easy task, a fighter who has sparred and faced Joshua, taken Joseph Parker the distance and returned to winning ways with a big, convincing knockout of Senad Gashi after that defeat to Dereck Chisora at the O2.
Having officially relinquished his WBA cruiserweight belt, the wheels are set in motion for Usyk to get moving as a heavyweight, and Hearn confirmed terms are agreed for his first fight.
“Usyk has now moved up to heavyweight, he’ll be fighting Carlos Takam,” Hearn said to IFLTV.
“We’re just sorting out the date, we were going to go for May 18th but now [Deontay] Wilder’s going on that date, we don’t want to clash with that show. We’re just tinkering, May 17th or possibly the 25th. That will all be decided by Monday at the latest.
“It will be heavyweight, it will be Carlos Takam next for Usyk.”
The prospect of Usyk in boxing’s top division is one that can only bring intrigue to mind – and starting out against Takam shows the true confidence of a man who plans on ripping through the division at a similar rate to which he did the cruiserweight.
With the move up in weight, according to WBO rules, the 32-year-old will become mandatory to Joshua’s belt, and with a growing reputation in the UK, the pair could meet in a super-fight at Wembley Stadium later this year. A prospect Usyk, speaking last year after his knockout win of Bellew, cannot wait for.
“I’ll have extra pasta for dinner now.”
