Olympic Gold Medalist and two-weight undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk is coming to the end of his career.
The Ukrainian southpaw first collected all the belts at cruiserweight before moving up to heavyweight and doing the same, defeating Derek Chisora, Daniel Dubois, Anthony Joshua twice and Tyson Fury twice on his route to the top.
Usyk, 38, now has the opportunity to become four-belt ruler at heavyweight again when he rematches Dubois in July, who picked up the IBF belt when the Ukrainian vacated it to honour a second fight with Fury.
The plan, which ‘DDD’ stands in the way of, is gain undisputed status again, have one more fight and then hang up the gloves. If that plays out, there will be a serious conversation about Usyk alongside some of the best of all time.
All time great status means a fighter could be picked up and dropped in any era and been successful. When it comes down to that, former champion Frank Bruno made a case against the Ukrainian in an interview with IFL TV.
“I don’t think in my era he would have got that far but in his era he’s done very well. I’m not being b**chy when I say that but I’m talking from the heart about how it goes. There was too many heavyweights for him, naturally big guys, you know.”
Lennox Lewis, who beat Bruno by stoppage in 1993, disagrees. When he was asked by Boxing Social where USyk ranks amongst the best heavyweights in history, ‘The Lion’ said:
“I would say in the same room as me.”
Lewis is considered by some to be the best heavyweight ever, certainly in the modern era. With Usyk’s story still being written, fans, fighters and analysts will decide on his place when it is all said and done.
