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It would be nice if a few people with opinions about Usyk looked at him more carefully. I am saying this because we can all be idiots. I present to you idiot #1, yours truly. A lot of you had mentioned to me that Usyk fought with tremendous skills. I had seen him against Bellew and Chisora, and saw a guy moving in straight lines, head up, with little movement to speak of, and I said as much.
Well I finally looked at Usyk at cruiser and lo and behold! Different fighter entirely! I would put the Usyk I saw on a short list of light heavies... Maybe top ten even. I saw varied timing, varied tempo on the punches, head movement, angles, and real bona fide aggression, physicality, the desire to finish an opponent. I had to slap myself as I hate when I cannot figure out "WHY?" Why was it that a guy who was a phenominal fighter... a guy who would be a handful against Michael Spinks, Moorer, Maxie Rosenbloom... could become so devoid of all these skills? By the time he fought Bellew. Surely Bellew was no slouch and Chisora is a decent heavyweight to test one's resolve... But what happened with Usyk? Was it age?
Then it hit me. There was an underlying asset that Usyk had. It turns out that Usyk fighting at his best weight was a very physical fighter. He depended on his strength a lot in driving his other phenominal skills. This was something he could not do against a bigger opponent. It might have been possible with Bellew... a fine fighter who also could get physical when necessary for sure... But against a bona fide heavyweight like Del Boy? Impossible.
The reason Usyk will probably not beat Joshua, at the end of the day, In my humble opinion... is that he simply does not have the driver, that allowed him to do all the things that made him such a spectacular cruiserweight. He cannot use strength, and has resorted to fighting in a fashion that allows him to eventually attack an opponent, but in a limited fashion. He also moves straight back... and holds his head way too high... all a recipe for getting clipped.
Well I finally looked at Usyk at cruiser and lo and behold! Different fighter entirely! I would put the Usyk I saw on a short list of light heavies... Maybe top ten even. I saw varied timing, varied tempo on the punches, head movement, angles, and real bona fide aggression, physicality, the desire to finish an opponent. I had to slap myself as I hate when I cannot figure out "WHY?" Why was it that a guy who was a phenominal fighter... a guy who would be a handful against Michael Spinks, Moorer, Maxie Rosenbloom... could become so devoid of all these skills? By the time he fought Bellew. Surely Bellew was no slouch and Chisora is a decent heavyweight to test one's resolve... But what happened with Usyk? Was it age?
Then it hit me. There was an underlying asset that Usyk had. It turns out that Usyk fighting at his best weight was a very physical fighter. He depended on his strength a lot in driving his other phenominal skills. This was something he could not do against a bigger opponent. It might have been possible with Bellew... a fine fighter who also could get physical when necessary for sure... But against a bona fide heavyweight like Del Boy? Impossible.
The reason Usyk will probably not beat Joshua, at the end of the day, In my humble opinion... is that he simply does not have the driver, that allowed him to do all the things that made him such a spectacular cruiserweight. He cannot use strength, and has resorted to fighting in a fashion that allows him to eventually attack an opponent, but in a limited fashion. He also moves straight back... and holds his head way too high... all a recipe for getting clipped.
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