Shannon Briggs has shared his verdict on an intriguing fantasy clash between Evander Holyfield and Oleksandr Usyk.
Usyk and Holyfield remain the only two fighters in the history of boxing to win the undisputed championship at both cruiserweight and heavyweight, proving themselves to be two of the greatest fighters in the last four decades.
The bulk of Holyfield’s success came during the 1990s where he racked up a number of impressive victories over the likes of Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe, Michael Moorer and Larry Holmes to name just a few.
Usyk cemented himself as the best heavyweight of his generation last month when he defeated Daniel Dubois for the second time in two years. He also holds double wins over Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
Speaking to First Round TV, former WBO heavyweight champion Briggs was asked to predict a fantasy showdown between prime versions of Usyk and Holyfield.
“Usyk is just different. The fighters are different now, it used to be like skill, now it’s more about conditioning. You could be skilful for four, five, six, seven rounds but if that guy got that pressure on you and you can’t stop it, it’s just running your machine too fast. You go down and they still going up.
“Like Usyk, he’s still going up. 12th round he’s as strong as in the first round. He’s throwing punches like it’s the first round. No one else has done that, been able to do that in the history of boxing.”
It remains to be seen whether Usyk will go on to announce his retirement from the sport after his most recent victory over Dubois, but the 38-year-old could be tempted by potential showdowns with either Joseph Parker or Agit Kabayel in the near future, with news on his next steps set to be revealed very soon. For now, his team has made it clear he deserves a rest and to choose his own path despite the mandatories in waiting.
