Comments Thread For: Daily Bread Mailbag: Oleksandr Usyk, future opponents and his status as an all-time great heavyweight

[BoxingUpdates]

In the aftermath of Oleksandr Usyk?s commanding victory over Daniel Dubois, this week?s mailbag, with trainer Stephen Edwards, analyses your reactions to Usyk defeating Dubois a second time, what it means for his place in history, and what is left out there for him
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[BirdSong]

""I’m not trying to criticize Usyk. I think he’s great. I just think he gets extra special treatment. I have theories as to why, but they’re a bit controversial, so I won’t write them here.""

""I think there is a hasty energy to crown Usyk and I’m not sure why.""

methinks lots of mystery in todays mailbag i wonder whats going on here

[TonyRespectful]

""I’m not trying to criticize Usyk. I think he’s great. I just think he gets extra special treatment. I have theories as to why, but they’re a bit controversial, so I won’t write them here.""

""I think there is a hasty energy to crown Usyk and I’m not sure why.""

methinks lots of mystery in todays mailbag i wonder whats going on here

What kind of commentator is shy to use their free speech ? This is some weak BS

[Donnie Herrera]

“Usyk being labeled a two-time lineal champion is a farce. He got stripped and he beat a fighter that he already stopped a couple of years ago to regain his crown. That’s the not the same as losing it and winning it back. Or being stripped like, say, Ali and coming back to face a new great champion in Frazier. So the two time lineal champion label is false advertising.”

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[Donnie Herrera]

Usyk fans are smokin’ crack…


Assalaam alaykum Mr Edwards, I wanted to write to you briefly after Ollie Usyk's complete destruction of Daniel Dubois and ask how Usyk ranks as an all-time-great rematch fighter. I believe you and I already in agreement on Usyk’s status as an all-time-great fighter and an all-time-great heavyweight. This knockout win puts him squarely above Lennox Lewis in my estimation, as well as above Evander Holyfield pound for pound. I imagine your historical perspective (which is better than mine) leaves Usyk slightly lower on your list, but I would be very interested to know if his demolition job changed it at all for you. I hope this finds you and yours well and I send prayers and blessings to you and your family. Thank you for all you do for the sport. Ma salaam, John

Bread’s response: I think Usyk is the best heavyweight since Lennox Lewis. I believe he’s the best cruiserweight since Evander Holyfield. I think he’s a top ten fighter of this century. And he’s a top ten southpaw ever. I don’t want to over or under value him. I have seen some say he’s the GOAT at heavyweight. That’s a stretch because he beat Chazz Witherspoon, Dereck Chisora, Fury 2x, Joshua 2x and Dubois 2x. That’s a solid resume but it doesn’t equate a GOAT status just yet.

I think there is a hasty energy to crown Usyk and I’m not sure why. I personally view him as ATG fighter. I think he’s earned that. I also think he’s a top ten or twelve heavyweights ever. I don’t rate him over Holyfield and Lewis but I can see him being over the Klitshckos if you need a specific tier. If you think Wlad is on the cusp of the top twelve then it’s fair to put Usyk in if you think Usyk is better than Wlad, which I do.

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[ShoulderRoll]

Reading between the lines here…but Oleksander Usyk being white obviously rubs some people the wrong way. He does’t have the right complexion for their protection.

He has proven himself to be a great fighter regardless.

[BirdSong]

Reading between the lines here…but Oleksander Usyk being white obviously rubs some people the wrong way. He does’t have the right complexion for their protection.

He has proven himself to be a great fighter regardless.

u dang might have solved the mystery maybe but i didnt want to say that incase i get another ban this time forever maybe this site is now nuts officially

[Oregonian]

Reading between the lines here…but Oleksander Usyk being white obviously rubs some people the wrong way. He does’t have the right complexion for their protection.

He has proven himself to be a great fighter regardless.

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You aren’t wrong. I hope he gets to fight at least 3 or 4 times and KO’s them all.

[Mark Elding]

Reading between the lines here…but Oleksander Usyk being white obviously rubs some people the wrong way. He does’t have the right complexion for their protection.

He has proven himself to be a great fighter regardless.

It was the same thing with his little buddy Loma. I think peak Vasily was even better than Usyk, but the bigger guys he chose to challenge himself against didn’t display the sort of diminishing returns that giant heavyweights do, which Usyk could take advantage of. Loma’s chronic shoulder injuries didn’t help either.

It wasn’t just the fans. Contrast Mayweather’s attitude to Loma to Roy Jones’. Floyd was gleeful and gloating when he lost to Teofimo. Roy insisted he was still PFP top 5, and even made a point after Crawford’s dismantling of Spence that Loma used to be every bit as good as that.

[lilacp]

I'm a fan of Usyk, but the folks out there who are saying he is at the present better than a Lewis or Holyfield in the all time heavyweight greats ranking are smoking some good weed. His resume isn't all that, at least not yet. I do hope he gets to fight Parker, Kabayel, and Itauma, and beats them all, now that would probably get him realistically closer to being one of the top five heavyweights of all time.

Also, it shouldn't be controversial to say that some of those fans appreciate Usyk more because he's a white dude and they're white dudes. That is as normal as it gets in boxing and society sadly, where people tend to stick with their own racial group.