Tony Bellew revealed which boxer had the hardest punch and it's not Oleksandr Usyk

Tony Bellew has snubbed three-time undisputed world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk when naming who had the hardest punch.

It's almost eight years since Bellew announced his retirement from boxing, calling time on his career after being knocked out by Usyk at the Manchester Arena.

Usyk has since become one of the greatest fighters ever after recording 25 wins from as many fights, including famous victories over Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua - not once, but twice.

The 39-year-old was easily the toughest opponent that Bellew faced across his illustrious 11-year career in the sport, but 'The Bomber' hasn't selected the Ukrainian as the boxer with the hardest punch - instead choosing David Haye, the man he beat on two occasions.

“[David] Haye was the one who had the most power. I’m certain of that. Stevenson hit me hard, but I was in there that night without much resistance because of the weight struggles. He could certainly punch," the Liverpudlian told DAZN in 2024.

“I knew Haye’s power was going to be a problem from when I sparred with him, and he really could bang. There’ll be many fighters who fought Haye who’ll tell you all about how much power he had.”

Bellew fought Haye in March 2017 and then again in May 2018, winning both contests by knockout, although, as was often the case in Haye’s later years, his body let him down, and injuries played a big part in him losing.

'The Bomber' famously became the WBC cruiserweight champion in May 2016 with a knockout victory against Ilunga Makabu before stepping up to the heavyweight division to fight Haye.

That defeat to Usyk followed in November 2018 via an eighth-round TKO and proved to be a step too far for Bellew, who had already cemented his legacy in boxing with 20 knockouts and just three defeats from 33 fights.

Tony Bellew turned down the chance to fight Anthony Joshua

Following his explosive victory over Haye in 2017, Bellew harboured ambitions of becoming heavyweight champion, and there was talk of him fighting the winner of the Anthony Joshua-Wladimir Klitschko bout in April 2017.

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However, he instantly shut down any chance of him fighting Joshua - who eventually lost to the legendary Klitschko - after claiming he was "too big".

"I'm fighting, let's get it straight, a big cruiserweight, a very small heavyweight," Bellew said in February 2017.

"I'm not big enough, I know I like to kid sometimes and mess around, and I have thought about it - to face the Anthony Joshua-Wladimir Klitschko winner. But in all honesty, Anthony is just too big.

"I think he's a lovely lad as well. I actually admire him; I'm a fan of Anthony Joshua's."

Joshua may have displaced Haye in his reckoning of who had the hardest punch, and almost a decade after turning down the opportunity to fight AJ, the 43-year-old confirmed he would get in the ring with him now.

"100%. I was adamant I wouldn’t fight him, but now, I would," Bellew admitted. "I don’t want to, but I don't care what anybody says; every man has a price," he told Johnny Nelson on the Fights Your Corner podcast last month.

"I look at him now, and I just want to help him."

"Brendan Ingle would’ve done wonders with AJ. Brendan Ingle trained so many different styles."

"Everyone thinks Naseem Hammad was a showboater. He was one of the most clinical and aggressive counter-punchers you’ll ever see."