Oleksandr Usyk is the unified heavyweight champion, and although the Ukrainian has a monumental rematch ahead of him on Aug. 20 against Anthony Joshua, he’s looking forward to future fights against all comers – and at all weights. 

One such possible participant could be current undisputed super middleweight Canelo Alvarez.

The four-division champion and Mexican star Alvarez has campaigned as a light heavyweight twice and has also alluded to aspirations to one day become a cruiserweight champion. 

Days before losing to Dmitry Bivol in May, Alvarez even expressed interest to fight Usyk at a 201-pound catchweight.

Usyk is open to the idea as well. 

“To fight Canelo Alvarez, I would have to lose 12 kilograms. It will be a freak fight. I think firstly I need to do what I have in mind in the heavyweight division, and then maybe arrange such a fight. But the fight with Canelo Alvarez potentially involves big money, so I’m not ruling out the possibility that it will happen,” Usyk told Parimatch. 

An Usyk versus Alvarez fight appears improbable when considering both sides of the physical spectrum. 

The 5-foot-8-inch Alvarez would have to concede seven inches in height and nearly eight inches in reach against Usyk. 

Alvarez was clearly the smaller man against the 6-foot Bivol, and he might consider rethinking his heavyweight plans following the way the Bivol fight played out. 

The former cruiserweight king Usyk, meanwhile, made his heavyweight debut in 2019 and tipped the scales at 221¼ pounds when he beat Joshua last September via unanimous decision.

Usyk campaigned for years as a cruiserweight usually just a tick below 200 pounds. 

For the right price, a new weight loss program doesn’t sound like a daunting task for the 35-year-old if the opposition would be Alvarez. 

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, via email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or on www.ManoukAkopyan.com.