How GREAT is Oleksandr Usyk.

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

Just looking back at his career thus far and he’s a genuine ATG.

First off he fights all over the world as an amateur winning everything, European gold, World gold, Olympic gold etc

Then he turns pro, 20 fights, 20 wins, Undisputed Cruiserweight champion, Unified Heavyweight champion.

Then out of 20 fights, 12 of them have been on the road, 9 of which have been in the home country of his opponent. Out of those 9, 7 were world title fights and 4 were against defending world champions.

He’s fought in some real tough places to win too man, Russia, Poland, Latvia which was an absolute bear pit. Then with so much turbulence back in his home country, he blocks all that out, goes back on the road to Saudi and outclasses Joshua once again.

The majority of posts since the fight have been about AJ so I just wanted to give Usyk his props, a truly special fighter.

[lopetego]

Usyk is an ATG in the making

I've said since the first day he moved up to HW, even after his lackluster debut against Chisora, that this guy was gonna be the HW kingpin

Now let's hope the fat gypo grows a pair of balls and comes out of hiding, so Usyk can become undisputed HW champ too

[famicommander]

With Fury abdicating his Ring and TBRB lineal titles prior to the fight and Usyk picking them both up via being #1 and beating #2 Joshua, he became:
-Just the second southpaw to win the lineal heavyweight championship (Michael Moorer)
-Just the second person to win the lineal cruiserweight and lineal heavyweight championshps (Evander Holyfield)

[HeadShots]

he's also the 2nd blue eyed HW champion in 100 years. the other being Gene Tunney

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

With Fury abdicating his Ring and TBRB lineal titles prior to the fight and Usyk picking them both up via being #1 and beating #2 Joshua, he became:
-Just the second southpaw to win the lineal heavyweight championship (Michael Moorer)
-Just the second person to win the lineal cruiserweight and lineal heavyweight championshps (Evander Holyfield)

Fury is still the reigning WBC champion. He hasn’t abdicated the lineal title yet IMO, he certainly hasn’t retired, he was simply attention seeking. Was Joshua the legitimate #2 also? That’s debatable. Long story short, I don’t think Usyk has a legitimate claim to the lineal title, he’ll need to beat Fury.

[famicommander]

Fury is still the reigning WBC champion. He hasn’t abdicated the lineal title yet IMO, he certainly hasn’t retired, he was simply attention seeking. Was Joshua the legitimate #2 also? That’s debatable. Long story short, I don’t think Usyk has a legitimate claim to the lineal title, he’ll need to beat Fury.

As far as I'm concerned the TBRB are the keepers of the lineal title and both they and the Ring said he contacted them and abdicated. He also told the WBC, they just called his bluff and said to put it in writing first.

But he announced his retirement. Just because he intends to fight again so quickly doesn't change that for me. Just like when Pacquiao retired, then quickly unretired and fought Horn. Horn had no claim to the lineal title because Pac retired, even though he unretired a few months later.

[YGriffith]

He is 9-0 in title fights, some comparisons to ATG:

olympic gold medalists:

George foreman 5-3
Joe Frazier 5-2
Muhammad Ali 22-3
Evander Holyfield 16-7-2
Sugar Leonard 10-2-1
AJ 9-3
Lennox lewis 16-2

Non olympic medalists
Rocky Marciano 7-0
Jack Dempsey 6-2
Mike tyson 12-4

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

As far as I'm concerned the TBRB are the keepers of the lineal title and both they and the Ring said he contacted them and abdicated. He also told the WBC, they just called his bluff and said to put it in writing first.

But he announced his retirement. Just because he intends to fight again so quickly doesn't change that for me. Just like when Pacquiao retired, then quickly unretired and fought Horn. Horn had no claim to the lineal title because Pac retired, even though he unretired a few months later.

I consider TBRB a separate org. I’m fine with him being Ring, TBRB champ but until I consider Fury genuinely retired he’s still lineal.

The Pac situation was weird man, he beat Bradley for the vacant lineal which was very debatable, I personally didn’t view them as #1 and #2 he then retired yet fought that same year so I never even considered him retired. For me the last lineal welterweight champion was Mayweather.

That’s the issue with lineal though, there’s no physical embodiment so it’s subjective.

[Lupara]

Not to mention he's a few years past his prime also and still achieving great things.

The Witherspoon and Chisora bouts were literal sparring sessions to get acclimated

[Shrimper]

He is an ATG - I know many will disagree but I would have him top 20 PFP within the past 20 years.
HIs record and achievements(both amateur and pro) exceed that of many that are considered top 20 P4P.