Oleksandr Usyk has cemented his place in boxing history as just the second man to be undisputed at both cruiser and heavyweight.
The Ukrainian collected all four belts in both divisions over the course of 22 fights. In there he has beaten five Brits, the first being Tony Bellew, who challenged Usyk for the undisputed cruiserweight championship in his final bout before retirement. Usyk, after winning by stoppage in the eighth, moved up to the top weight class.
He has since beaten Derek Chisora, Anthony Joshua twice, Daniel Dubois and most recently Tyson Fury, who he will rematch this December.
The 37-year-old’s undefeated record speaks for itself, and a second win over Fury will secure his place as the best heavyweight of a generation.
Bellew, when speaking to Mail Sport, had to go back into the archives to find a man he believes beats his former opponent. When asked how a fight against George Foreman would play out, Bellew hesitated before backing the veteran.
“I’m gonna have to go Big George.”
It’s high praise from Bellew, who has previously said Usyk is unbeatable. Such is the aura of Foreman, who to this day holds the record of the oldest heavyweight world champion.
With statement wins over Joe Frazier, Ken Norton and Ron Lyle, ‘Big’ George’s career spanned four decades. His most famous night under the lights was a loss to the great Muhammad Ali – a fight that some might look to when predicting the Usyk fantasy bout.
Usyk returns to the ring to face Fury on December 21 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
