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Usyk vs Liston, Foreman, Holmes, and Ali?
All 4 guys are around the same size and weight, so these would be interesting fights. Foreman and Liston both relied a lot on being bigger and stronger than their opponents but they would not have those advantages against Usyk, who is as big as them, a trained wrestler, and very physically strong. He is also faster, a more skillful boxer, and a southpaw. I think he would beat them both without too many problems.
Ali and Holmes would be the only HWs Usyk ever fought who could match him for speed, skill and stamina. But Usyk's southpaw stance, and the years of experience he has built up using it to get an edge over orthodox opponents, would be a definite advantage to him against them. I don't recall Holmes ever fighting a southpaw, but Ali did - the German European champion Carl Mildenburger. Mildenburger was the first southpaw to ever fight for the world HW title. He gave Ali problems with his lefty stance and hurt him badly in the 10th round, according to Angelo Dundee, before The Greatest figured him out and stopped him via tko in the 12th.
I wouldn't pick anybody to beat Ali or Holmes in their primes, and I would never pick against Usyk either, so I'm staying on the fence with those fights.
All 4 guys are around the same size and weight, so these would be interesting fights. Foreman and Liston both relied a lot on being bigger and stronger than their opponents but they would not have those advantages against Usyk, who is as big as them, a trained wrestler, and very physically strong. He is also faster, a more skillful boxer, and a southpaw. I think he would beat them both without too many problems.
Ali and Holmes would be the only HWs Usyk ever fought who could match him for speed, skill and stamina. But Usyk's southpaw stance, and the years of experience he has built up using it to get an edge over orthodox opponents, would be a definite advantage to him against them. I don't recall Holmes ever fighting a southpaw, but Ali did - the German European champion Carl Mildenburger. Mildenburger was the first southpaw to ever fight for the world HW title. He gave Ali problems with his lefty stance and hurt him badly in the 10th round, according to Angelo Dundee, before The Greatest figured him out and stopped him via tko in the 12th.
I wouldn't pick anybody to beat Ali or Holmes in their primes, and I would never pick against Usyk either, so I'm staying on the fence with those fights.
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