The news that Oleksandr Usyk will return to cruiserweight with the ultimate goal of facing David Benavidez has sparked a wide range of reactions among boxing pundits and insiders. Former world champion Timothy Bradley has perhaps offered one of the most extreme and surprising takes. Here is what the former American boxer said during an episode of the Into The Storm podcast:
“The first thing I thought was that Benavidez is going to beat the brakes off of Usyk. It might sound crazy.
However, it doesn’t sound crazy to me because I feel like Usyk coming up to heavyweight and gaining 25lbs of muscle, then tearing that back down, at 39 years old, that is going to have an effect on him. It is going to have a huge effect on him, man.
You have got one guy coming down and getting weaker and taking from himself, an older guy in Usyk, even how great he is. Then, you have the younger guy coming up and he is gaining more and more momentum and gaining more confidence.
Right out the gate, put a gun to my head, I am going to say Benavidez – maybe even by stoppage.”
Usyk’s decision certainly comes with risks and potential pitfalls, as we tried to explain in our opinion piece published yesterday (click here to read it). On the other hand, given his extraordinary résumé, the Ukrainian would still be considered the favourite in the pre-fight predictions and bookmakers’ odds should a fight against Benavidez come together.
Will Bradley’s prediction prove to be a brilliant piece of contrarian insight, or will it be brutally disproved by the reality of the situation? We will find out in 2027!