BoxRec

What a career this guy has had;

23 fights, 23 wins.
Cleaned up at Cruiserweight, cleaned up heavyweight.
First undisputed HW champion in 24 years.
Olympic gold medallist.

Where does he rank among the greats?

Gotta be up there

Undisputed at 2 weights, small heavy, olympic gold means something too, did a lot on the road

Extremely high - fact. He's a classy guy and all. I'm a fan.
I'll come clean: I didn't think he would beat monsters like Joshua or Fury. Usyk is a rare talent with the attitude to match.

Very very highly, although actually I do think the modern giants flatter him slightly since they're not too highly skilled. Would have a much tougher time against similarly sized heavies like Ali / Holyfield / Holmes, and would have great difficulty against someone like Lennox who knows how to use his height, reach and power effectively. But the fact Usyk is even in the conversation with those greats speaks volumes. Genuinely elite career and a bloody awesome guy to boot

All things considered: juniors, Olympics, WSB, cruiser, heavy, he's up there with the very best.

Only a few years ago we'd all been told that if you weren't 6'4 or taller and 17stone plus you were too 'small' to be a heavyweight nowadays and the modern era of heavies would have been too big for those of yesteryear. Usyk has made a mockery of that.

He's up there with Ali, Louis, Holmes and Lewis for me.

I don't think you can rank anyone until there career is over. One of the issues I have, is how often he's fought. I mean, he's beaten his two main rivals twice, but you could say the same thing about Marciano.

[quote=keithmoonhangover post_id=6075636 time=1734956313 user_id=31744]
I don't think you can rank anyone until there career is over. One of the issues I have, is how often he's fought. I mean, he's beaten his two main rivals twice, but you could say the same thing about Marciano.
[/quote]

I know that’s the only issue. But most of the time, fights were being postponed and he did have the niggling.

He fought 3 times in 2018. Probably his most successful year. Briedis, Gassiev and Bellew.

Then announced his move to HW. I believe he was supposed to fight Tyrone Sprong? This was when he had his injuries though. Kept being postponed and finally fought late 2019 against Witherspoon.

Then 2020, he had the Chisora fight. Again this was postponed u believe but only due to Covid.

Then 2021 the first Joshua fight. Was September. Again this wasn’t all down to him. Fury-AJ kept trying to make their fight, until WBC ordered Wildet as mandatory. Which opened up Usyk as opponent.

God knows why the rematch took 11 months.

Then the fight with Dubois was 11 months after that. It wasn’t the fight people were aiming for Usyk-Fury negotiations were always in talks.

Then we have this year he fought twice finally. Both against Fury.

So only one fight in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 probably hasn’t helped. There are boxers who he could have fought and beaten. But it was mostly due to long drawn out negotiations against divas like Joshua and Fury.

He’s right up there, possibly as a heavyweight alone I think I would have him perhaps a bit lower than some, mainly because essentially it’s only 3 world class fighters he’s beaten… I would rather see him fought two other guys than fury and Joshua a second time (neither Joshua or Fury warranted a rematch), additionally and bizarrely either the official judges or pundits have placed asterix on nearly all his heavyweight wins.

Some people bizarrely think Chisora beat him, wasn’t one or both the aj fights a strange split decision, Fury somehow got a split decision in fight 1 and some are crying about fight 2. You also have the Dubois no controversy that has become a controversy.

Now for me, Usyk easily won them all, but obviously his style doesn’t agree with some people, judges.


But when you add his perfect cruiserweight reign, which I do when I rank Holyfield, then he’s right right up there, he’d have to be knocking on the door of top 5. If you didn’t count his cruiser weight he’d be top 15, but not quite sure about top 10. He’d be on the same page, but for different reasons as Klitschko and no I don’t consider either Fury or Aj ahead of Klitschko as an atg heavyweight.

In terms of p4p atg status, I think his longevity lacks compared to pacquio and mayweather, but I’d have him ahead of likes of Andre Ward, he might very well #3 of fighters who fought in last 10 years, but I have mayweather and pacquaio in the top 10 all time list.

One of the GOATS, Historians will talk about him a hundred years from now

Would love for him to retire on the high of the Fury win. But there will be a lot of money on offer for him which will be very difficult to turn down for his foundation supporting Ukraine during the war.

Definitely deserves to be on par with Ali performances wise .. on a higher level than Ali as a man

Nightmare Roy wrote: ↑23 Dec 2024, 09:49 One of the GOATS, Historians will talk about him a hundred years from now

100% when you think it’s been 100 years since Dempsey and 90 since Louis, that’s pretty good company and he’d have to be above Dempsey for me when taking his entire resume

tonyevs wrote: ↑23 Dec 2024, 10:35 Would love for him to retire on the high of the Fury win. But there will be a lot of money on offer for him which will be very difficult to turn down for his foundation supporting Ukraine during the war.

Definitely deserves to be on par with Ali performances wise .. on a higher level than Ali as a man

Come on Tony, Ali has wins over Liston, Foreman and Frazier. When he was champion before the ban, he was as close to unbeatable as you can be.

tonyevs wrote: ↑23 Dec 2024, 10:35 Would love for him to retire on the high of the Fury win. But there will be a lot of money on offer for him which will be very difficult to turn down for his foundation supporting Ukraine during the war.

Definitely deserves to be on par with Ali performances wise .. on a higher level than Ali as a man

Wow.

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑23 Dec 2024, 10:43

tonyevs wrote: ↑23 Dec 2024, 10:35 Would love for him to retire on the high of the Fury win. But there will be a lot of money on offer for him which will be very difficult to turn down for his foundation supporting Ukraine during the war.

Definitely deserves to be on par with Ali performances wise .. on a higher level than Ali as a man

Come on Tony, Ali has wins over Liston, Foreman and Frazier. When he was champion before the ban, he was as close to unbeatable as you can be.

Except almost getting beaten by Henry Cooper and Doug Jones

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑23 Dec 2024, 10:43

tonyevs wrote: ↑23 Dec 2024, 10:35 Would love for him to retire on the high of the Fury win. But there will be a lot of money on offer for him which will be very difficult to turn down for his foundation supporting Ukraine during the war.

Definitely deserves to be on par with Ali performances wise .. on a higher level than Ali as a man

Come on Tony, Ali has wins over Liston, Foreman and Frazier. When he was champion before the ban, he was as close to unbeatable as you can be.

And Tony rates Usyk's best win as on a par with Valuev!

stujones wrote: ↑23 Dec 2024, 10:41

Nightmare Roy wrote: ↑23 Dec 2024, 09:49 One of the GOATS, Historians will talk about him a hundred years from now

100% when you think it’s been 100 years since Dempsey and 90 since Louis, that’s pretty good company and he’d have to be above Dempsey for me when taking his entire resume

Definitely, love to see him step away now and retire undefeated but I think he will keep going, not for money but to keep Ukraine on the map.

aside from " the greatest " Muhammed Ali

Usyk is the GOAT

JamesPhilips wrote: ↑23 Dec 2024, 11:18

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑23 Dec 2024, 10:43

tonyevs wrote: ↑23 Dec 2024, 10:35 Would love for him to retire on the high of the Fury win. But there will be a lot of money on offer for him which will be very difficult to turn down for his foundation supporting Ukraine during the war.

Definitely deserves to be on par with Ali performances wise .. on a higher level than Ali as a man

Come on Tony, Ali has wins over Liston, Foreman and Frazier. When he was champion before the ban, he was as close to unbeatable as you can be.

Except almost getting beaten by Henry Cooper and Doug Jones

I did say when he was champion.

For me he's Top 15 p4p all time (post 1930).

Mayweather, Roy Jones, Usyk and Crawford are the lads who have fought in the last 30 years who qualify for me.

Definitely #1 all time at Cruiserweight. Definitely Top 10 all time Heavyweight I'd say, could go higher by the time he's done.

No worse than Top 20 P4P ever. You can name big historical names that you'd put over him, but you'd struggle to come up with a good reason why you'd put them over him.

I think PBF is the number one, campaigned a lot above his natural weight class, beat Canelo too which seems to get forgotten.

Canelo himself who is a nailed on HOF, apart from losing to PBF, got beat against Bivol when he genuinely moved up in weight.

Whereas Uysk has handled all comers against much bigger guys.

If I'm going to be really harsh about Crawford, he didn't have the dance partners, the equivalent of a GGG, Bert or Biv.

Imagine if PBF had been 10 years younger

Peak RJJ would have been tough to beat, ruined his legacy a bit by coming back down in weight and going on too long.

Coco wrote: ↑23 Dec 2024, 14:05 I think PBF is the number one, campaigned a lot above his natural weight class, beat Canelo too which seems to get forgotten.

Canelo himself who is a nailed on HOF, apart from losing to PBF, got beat against Bivol when he genuinely moved up in weight.

Whereas Uysk has handled all comers against much bigger guys.

If I'm going to be really harsh about Crawford, he didn't have the dance partners, the equivalent of a GGG, Bert or Biv.

Imagine if PBF had been 10 years younger

Peak RJJ would have been tough to beat, ruined his legacy a bit by coming back down in weight and going on too long.

Canelo. I'm getting forgetful. Yes, I'd pull him into the Top 15 too (post 1930).

In no order

Mayweather
Usyk
Canelo
Jones
Crawford
Leonard
Hagler
Duran
Ali
Armstrong
Robinson
Louis
Pep
Moore
Wilde (sketchy because his best was before my cut off)

mickey1975 wrote: ↑23 Dec 2024, 11:37

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑23 Dec 2024, 10:43

tonyevs wrote: ↑23 Dec 2024, 10:35 Would love for him to retire on the high of the Fury win. But there will be a lot of money on offer for him which will be very difficult to turn down for his foundation supporting Ukraine during the war.

Definitely deserves to be on par with Ali performances wise .. on a higher level than Ali as a man

Come on Tony, Ali has wins over Liston, Foreman and Frazier. When he was champion before the ban, he was as close to unbeatable as you can be.

And Tony rates Usyk's best win as on a par with Valuev!

Its an oft repeated line - but you can only beat who is there in your era.

Whilst Fury and AJ were the recognised best of a bad bunch - they were still recognised the best of this era.
That Fury has a piss-poor fight record on par with Valuev`s is a fact.

Same could be said with Liston. His fights are there to watch - the guy was a tad crude it must be said. And thats without the conspiracy theories of him throwing the fight - or the more likely him being a chronic junkie by time Clay/Ali beat him.

oh come on now , fury far better than valuev and has a better record too. outside of chin fury does everything better than valuev did

big nick wouldnt have won a round vs usyk

tonyevs wrote: ↑23 Dec 2024, 15:00

mickey1975 wrote: ↑23 Dec 2024, 11:37

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑23 Dec 2024, 10:43

Come on Tony, Ali has wins over Liston, Foreman and Frazier. When he was champion before the ban, he was as close to unbeatable as you can be.

And Tony rates Usyk's best win as on a par with Valuev!

Its an oft repeated line - but you can only beat who is there in your era.

Whilst Fury and AJ were the recognised best of a bad bunch - they were still recognised the best of this era.
That Fury has a piss-poor fight record on par with Valuev`s is a fact.

Same could be said with Liston. His fights are there to watch - the guy was a tad crude it must be said. And thats without the conspiracy theories of him throwing the fight - or the more likely him being a chronic junkie by time Clay/Ali beat him.

It's not a bad era. People forget that until the mid-90s half the world was closed off to pro-boxing.