Viddal Riley says he would love Oleksandr Usyk fight on cruiserweight return

Riley, who has won all 14 of his contests, told Sky Sports Boxing that the fight would excite him, with Usyk looking set to face unified champion David Benavidez at cruiserweight.

By Combat Sports UK Staff · Published Wed 4 Nov, 15:09 UK · AI-assisted reporting

Post by @SkySportsBoxing on X

Unbeaten UK fighter Viddal Riley has told Sky Sports Boxing he would relish the challenge of facing Oleksandr Usyk, who looks set to move back down to cruiserweight to take on unified champion David Benavidez.

Riley has won all 14 of his contests, including a victory over Chev Clarke, and beat Mateusz Masternak on points in April. Usyk had talked about possibly fighting Deontay Wilder before the Benavidez fight came into view.

Riley said such a fight would be the sort of occasion that excites him, but also argued that fighters who move up in weight and come back down are never the same. He pointed to Usyk's long spell away from cruiserweight, his age and the hard fights he has been through, adding that even a landslide win can be a tough night.

Riley said: “That’s the biggest misconception in boxing. To defeat AJ twice, to defeat Fury twice, these things will take a toll on him.”

Usyk is unbeaten and is the only man to have been a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion, having already been undisputed at cruiserweight. His wins also include two over Daniel Dubois, and he last fought kickboxing world champion Rico Verhoeven, winning by late knockout.

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Oleksandr Usyk Deontay Wilder Daniel Dubois