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Oleksandr Usyk warned against fighting Canelo Alvarez at cruiserweight despite being able to beat Mexican star ‘easy’

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ROY JONES JR warned Oleksandr Usyk against fighting Canelo Alvarez – even if he could win ‘easy’.

Canelo, the current undisputed super-middleweight champion, is preparing for a sensational move to cruiserweight.

Oleksandr Usyk has been warned against moving down to cruiserweight by Roy Jones JrCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
Canelo Alvarez is set to move up to cruiserweightCredit: Getty

It was the division formerly ruled by undefeated Usyk, before he jumped up to heavyweight and beat Anthony Joshua.

Boxing legend Jones reckons the Ukrainian to make light work of Canelo, but still thinks going back down in weight would be a mistake.

He told iFLTV: “Usyk is too big for Canelo. Usyk beats Canelo easy, in my opinion but Usyk is the heavyweight champion of the world.

“Why would you go back down to cruiserweight when you’re the heavyweight champion of the world?

“Look at what happened when Chad Dawson went down from light heavyweight to fight Andre Ward at 168. That was the end of his career.

“Why would you do that to yourself when you have Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua, Andy Ruiz?

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“You’ve got so many big guys in the weight class where you are champion right now that it makes no sense unless you’re making way more money.

“Usyk versus Fury right now is probably one of the biggest fights on the planet. Usyk versus Joshua again is also a big fight.”

Canelo, 31, had a request accepted by the WBC to step up to cruiserweight and challenge for their belt.

Meanwhile, Usyk, 34, is set to hand Joshua, 32, a rematch in April having won the unified heavyweight titles in September.

He scaled 15st 11lbs the day before, which is over THREE-AND-A-HALF STONE heavier than the 12st that Canelo weighs in at super-middleweight.

Jones, 52, theorised that Usyk is using Alvarez’s name to pile pressure on Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn ahead of rematch negotiations.

Usyk beats Canelo easy, in my opinion but Usyk is the heavyweight champion of the world. Why would you go back down to cruiserweight when you’re the heavyweight champion of the world?

Roy Jones Jr

He said: “If you want to use that fight as a negotiating tool, that makes sense.

“If they’re not paying you enough for the rematch with Joshua, and you’re getting double that to fight Canelo then you’re right, maybe you should go down and fight Canelo. 

But if it ain’t that, I think it’s all about a business decision. 

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“If there’s more money you can make fighting somebody else, then OK, but why would you want to gamble the chance of getting beat because you lost the weight when all you’ve got to do is stay where you at and dominate? 

“Like I said, he’s probably using it as a negotiating tool, because they’re probably not paying him what he wants for the Joshua fight.

“So he’s right, if I can make a Canelo fight and make double or triple the money, then it makes sense.”

Boxing legend Roy Jones Jr has a warning for UsykCredit: Getty

Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk

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