Evander Holyfield and Oleksandr Usyk are the only two members of an extremely exclusive club.
Holyfield was the first man to become undisputed at cruiserweight back in the days of a 190lbs weight limit and fifteen gruelling rounds, but ‘The Real Deal’ needed only eight to stop Carlos De Leon and secure all the belts.
He would do the same at heavyweight by defeating Buster Douglas in 1990.
It took 34 years for a fighter to follow in his footsteps. Usyk fought his way through a competitive cruiserweight division before moving up and defeating Anthony Joshua for three of the four major heavyweight titles. Last month, he handed Tyson Fury his first loss to secure undisputed status.
The similarities the fighters share in their journeys makes the fantasy match-up debate a particularly intriguing one, but Riddick Bowe – who won a trilogy with Holyfield 2-1 – told Tru School Sports that there was no question on his former foe beating both Usyk and Tyson Fury.
“There’s no comparison [to my era.] Think about it. Take Evander Holyfield, how small he is, if you match him with either one, what you think would happen? Why, because they ain’t doing none of [what he could do.] He gonna hit you with something.”
Usyk will rematch Fury on December 21 this year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Whether all four belts will be on the line remains to be seen. Regardless, his achievement has been cemented and fans may be waiting a long time before a third man joins him and Holyfield on this particular podium.
