BoxRec Forum HW TOP 15 Ranking update - Usyk vs Witherspoon

[margaret thatcher]

Well tiny some people are saying that doesn't count, but there's really no good practical reason to exclude his dominant win over Hunter..the people who are doing that because it 'didn't happen at hw' are going way too heavy on the technacality, and that's pretty much all it is in this case. Hunter and Usyk are small HWs who basically just stopped cutting rather than adding any mass. Look at when they fought.....physically they look exactly as they have in their HW bouts, fought with customary styles, each showed really nothing totally different than we've seen before and after. All they really did differently was sweat off some weight for the day before, and then they came back in the ring at HW weights

Really, I have seen no good practical reasons given as to why it shouldn't count, and why Usyk should be considered as having done nothing to earn a HW ranking, even though he dominated a ranked guy and has wins over elite cruisers who have had some success vs HWS

But it is what it is, and at least he will end up ranked unless several more ppl vote who think he's not top 15. Next opponent will be better than Chazzy I'm sure

[drunkenpiper36]

Chazz Witherspoon at his absolute pinnacle was a fringe contender at best. And that was maybe 10 years ago.. today he’s journeyman level. It’s going to take a bit more to convince me than beating an old Chazz that Usyk is heading for top 3 anytime soon

[margaret thatcher]

No one's voted him top 3 yet from what I see, that would be premature for sure. Need to see him vs a solid top 10 guy first for better idea of how close to the elites he is.

Defo top 15 though

[drunkenpiper36]

Agreed. Dillian whyte or perhaps a rematch with Michael hunter would be a good next opponent

[Finkel]

Usyk to 14
Both Hunter and Hrgovic have beaten similar level heavyweights.
Usyk beat Hunter but at cruiser weight
Hrgovic is not a cruiserweight
Therefore I'll slot him between the two

And I can't put Usyk any higher due to Hunter not really having beaten anyone of note. Heck, Joe Joyce isn't in the top 15, and neither Hrgovic or Hunter have beaten anyone on Jennings' level.

[DrDuke]

Usyk to the 13th. He must be over Hunter. While Hrgovic doesn't have the same big achievements despite having a longer HW career.

[dagilechia]

bump

[dagilechia]

The voting is over.

Oleksandr Usyk enters at #10, Chazz Witherspoon remains unranked. It means that Agit Kabayel, previously #15, disappears from the list.

Current ranking:

1. Tyson Fury - 29(20) 0 1 - next fight: TBA

2. Deontay Wilder - 41(40) 0 1 - next fight: 23.11.2019 vs Luis Ortiz - 31(26) 1(1) 0 - (#7)

3. Andy Ruiz Jr - 33(22) 1(0) 0 - next fight: 07.12.2019 vs Anthony Joshua - 22(21) 1(1) 0 - (#4)

4. Anthony Joshua - 22(21) 1(1) 0 - next fight: 07.12.2019 vs Andy Ruiz Jr - 33(22) 1(0) 0 - (#3)

5. Dillian Whyte - 26(18) 1(1) 0 - next fight: TBA

6. Alexander Povetkin - 35(24) 2(1) 0 - next fight: TBA

7. Luis Ortiz - 31(26) 1(1) 0 - next fight: 23.11.2019 vs Deontay Wilder - 41(40) 0 1 - (#2)

8. Kubrat Pulev - 27(14) 1(1) 0 - next fight: TBA

9. Joseph Parker - 26(20) 2(0) 0 - next fight: TBA

10. Oleksandr Usyk - 17(13) 0 0 - next fight: TBA

11. Óscar Rivas - 26(18) 1(0) 0 - next fight: TBA

12. Adam Kownacki - 20(15) 0 0 - next fight: TBA

13. Dereck Chisora - 31(22) 9(3) 0 - next fight: 26.10.2019 vs David Price - 25(20) 6(6) 0 - (unranked, BoxRec's #21)

14. Filip Hrgović - 9(7) 0 0 - next fight: TBA

15. Michael Hunter - 18(12) 1(0) 0 - next fight: TBA

[greg]

...decent list, Dag..although I do believe that the dopers/cheats past and present should have an asterisk attached to their names to raise the boxing fans awareness..

[dagilechia]

...decent list, Dag..although I do believe that the dopers/cheats past and present should have an asterisk attached to their names to raise the boxing fans awareness..

I will think about that, but first, i have to check out the fighters' cheating history, because i do not remember all of the substances they took and dates.

[Bandog]

I don't think anyone, if they are honest with their selves, can rank Usyk fairly good or bad against such a heavyweight that isn't even up to gatekeeper status. He definitely should NOT be ranked among the 10 best at heavyweight until he proves he can compete with others there.

[oogiebe]

I don't think anyone, if they are honest with their selves, can rank Usyk fairly good or bad against such a heavyweight that isn't even up to gatekeeper status. He definitely should NOT be ranked among the 10 best at heavyweight until he proves he can compete with others there.

Yes!

[margaret thatcher]

I think dominating Hunter and clearing out CW (including beating guys who had success at HW, scoring KOs over Haye, Charr, very close vs Pov etc) are stronger than what the last 5 ranked guys have done lately. No problem with him at 10 and the list is more accurate with him ranked than unranked and outside the top 15 like some wanted.

Only 7 other guys on the list have also beaten someone currently ranked btw, and they are all rated above Usyk. I don't see any issues.

[oogiebe]

I think dominating Hunter and clearing out CW (including beating guys who had success at HW, scoring KOs over Haye, Charr, very close vs Pov etc) are stronger than what the last 5 ranked guys have done lately. No problem with him at 10 and the list is more accurate with him ranked than unranked and outside the top 15 like some wanted.

Only 7 other guys on the list have also beaten someone currently ranked btw, and they are all rated above Usyk. I don't see any issues.

Without looking I'd bet they all beat someone ranked higher than Chazz Witherspoon.

[margaret thatcher]

Have they all dominated another guy on the list? I don't have to make that up or hypothesize , it's something Usyk did. And he beat guys at CW who iced HWs like Haye and Charr and proved their superiority to them even at HW.

[oogiebe]

Have they all dominated another guy on the list? I don't have to make that up or hypothesize , it's something Usyk did. And he beat guys at CW who iced HWs like Haye and Charr and proved their superiority to them even at HW.

Keep going...

[margaret thatcher]

Easilyy top 15, and not out of place top 10.

[oogiebe]

Easilyy top 15, and not out of place top 10.

All joking aside, I watched that fight again and frankly, Usyk was inimpressive. it doesn't take away his unified accomplishments at CW, but this is HW. I'll watch eagerly his next fight.

[margaret thatcher]

He played with the guy, did what he wanted, and got hit with like 2 punches a round. I don't see how it was really impressive or unimpressive. As you had said earlier, he did what he needed to do at that level.

[margaret thatcher]

Usyk did everything he was supposed to do. He was out of the ring for a long period of time coming off an injury and soundly defeated a true sized HW. He'll move up from here. Nothing to deduce from this fight other than Usyk is now a HW

[oogiebe]

He played with the guy, did what he wanted, and got hit with like 2 punches a round. I don't see how it was really impressive or unimpressive. As you had said earlier, he did what he needed to do at that level.

At this point I don't think he'll get a belt at HW.

[margaret thatcher]

Maybe not but he's easily top 10 quality and I mean a guy who couldn't beat Joe Parker has several belts, so maybe...

[oogiebe]

Usyk did everything he was supposed to do. He was out of the ring for a long period of time coming off an injury and soundly defeated a true sized HW. He'll move up from here. Nothing to deduce from this fight other than Usyk is now a HW

Yup, that's my post. And it says he was 'out of the ring for a long period of time and coming off an injury.' That is the caveat to saying "nothing to deduce." Hardly an endorsement. After watching again, I don't think he'll win a belt.

[oogiebe]

Maybe not but he's easily top 10 quality and I mean a guy who couldn't beat Joe Parker has several belts, so maybe...

Nothing he's done to date says he's easily top 10 in a higher division. It's purely conjecture.

[margaret thatcher]

Hell, a guy he dominated and battered at the end is almost top 10.

Like you said, he did everything he was supposed to vs Chazz