Oleksandr Usyk has never lost in the professional ranks over the course of his 12-year career.
The Ukrainian southpaw turned over after winning a gold medal at the Olympic Games in London in 2012. By 2018 he had cleared out the cruiserweight division and claimed every belt on his way to becoming undisputed champion.
Six years after that, he matched that feat up at heavyweight by beating Tyson Fury back in May to add the WBC belt to the IBF, WBA and WBO straps he claimed off Anthony Joshua and then defend in an immediate rematch across 2021 and 2022.
One man to have beaten Usyk is the undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev who did so on points in the amateurs back in 2007. Beterbiev was 22 and Usyk just 20 when they fought in a Russia vs Ukraine Amber Gloves tournament.
Speaking to Second Out, Beterbiev, who is undefeated and boasts an incredible 21 knockouts from his 21 victories, was asked if he would want a rematch with Usyk up at cruiserweight if he, as he has suggested he might, move back down after his rematch with Fury in December.
“Yes of course. I have interest in this fight. [Usyk] did good job, you know, he did the best job in boxing.”
Many people have claimed Usyk is weak to the body because Beterbiev put him down with a body shot in their fight, but the man himself played it down.
“I got the body and did one knock down but I got him only once to the body. It doesn’t mean his body is a weakness.”
Like Usyk, Beterbiev has a rematch of his own to deal with next up when he takes on Dmitry Bivol having narrowly beaten him on points when they fought in October for the undisputed crown.
