Shakur Stevenson has pondered a fantasy fight between Oleksandr Usyk and prime Muhammad Ali.
Usyk is currently ranked as pound-for-pound number one by most in the sport. He is a former Olympic Gold medalist who, six years later, cleaned out the cruiserweight division to become undisputed.
Despite being a naturally smaller man, the Ukrainian then moved up to the banner division and repeated that same historic feat. Along the way, he beat the likes of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury twice. Those wins made Usyk one of only three men to be undisputed in two weight classes in the four-belt era alongside Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue.
Ali held the Ring Magazine title from 1964 to 1970 and was undisputed champion from 1974 to 1978. He had famous wins over the likes of Leon Spinks, Ken Norton, Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Floyd Paterson.
In a round of winner stays on with Daily Mail Sport, elite operator Stevenson was asked to pick between Usyk and Ali and found it a tough one to call given the abilities and heart of both men.
“That’s the hardest fight just because they’re both so skilful. For me, I’ve got to go Ali.”
Ali will always be known as ‘The Greatest’ for what he did inside and outside of the ring.
However, Usyk has established himself as one of the best fighters to ever lace up the gloves. Although he is now towards the end of his career and has already achieved so much, he could well join Ali – whom he shares a birthday with – as a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion should he take on the winner of the IBF world title fight between Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker this weekend.
