The Unforgettable Greatness of Oleksandr Usyk

Boxing, like life, moves fast. Since Oleksandr Usyk’s historic split decision victory over Tyson Fury to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the 21st century, the sport has continued to move, and the focus has shifted elsewhere. The heavyweight division has carried on with Daniel Dubois cementing himself as a legitimate contender with a huge win against Filip Hrgovic and Deontay Wilder potentially making his final appearance inside a professional boxing ring after a knockout loss at the hands of Zhilei Zhang. On August 3, Terence Crawford will challenge Israil Madrimov for titles at junior middleweight, headlining a stacked card in LA. With a win, Crawford may leapfrog Usyk for the top spot in the mythical yet forever hotly-discussed pound-for-pound rankings yet again.

By the time Usyk and Fury have their scheduled rematch on December 21, a lot will have happened in boxing, and the significance of Usyk’s win may have been slightly forgotten. The biggest lesson that boxing history has taught us is that rushing to place greatness upon a fighter is risky business. Many heavyweights have been acclaimed as top five or top ten of all time after a great win without allowing time for the true extent of their career and legacy to settle and be accurately reflected upon. The same applies to talks surrounding Usyk, being amongst the ten greatest heavyweights ever to grace boxing. Perhaps we still need to sit back and let the great Ukrainian’s career take its course.

Does Usyk Belong In The Top Ten All-Time?

However, his pound-for-pound greatness amongst the finest boxers ever lace gloves should now be beyond any doubt. Nearly a month later, and throughout history, we cannot forget the significance of what Usyk achieved. Usyk defeating Fury at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh was the crowning moment for a modern-day great. Usyk’s a great fighter, and anyone fortunate enough to watch the undisputed showdown will never forget it. To have an undisputed heavyweight champion of the world is something to be enjoyed and savored, as it does not come around too often. It should be savored even more on this occasion because of the particular individual who has achieved this feat.

Usyk has forced his way to the top whilst fighting on the road as the ‘away’ fighter. Nothing has been given to the great Ukrainian; he has taken it all. The newly crowned undisputed heavyweight champion has made a career out of performing in opponent’s home territories and overcoming countless seemingly insurmountable odds with amazing ease.

Great light-heavyweight Archie Moore once said: “I’m not a dreamer, I’m a practical man. I don’t believe in the theory that he who waits gets. You have to go out and get what you want.” Usyk shared the same approach and mindset. He paved his way to greatness in a manner only the truly greats could. Dangerous monsters and huge stars have lost on home soil to the majestic Usyk. The Ukrainian went through an extremely talent-laden cruiserweight division, then moved up and dethroned the biggest stars at heavyweight.

Usyk defeated an unbeaten Krzysztof Głowacki in Poland, a young, talented Michael Hunter in America, a tough Marco Huck in Germany, and an extremely dangerous, Mairis Briedis in Latvia. He produced a tactical masterclass to completely nullify concussive puncher Murat Gassiev in Russia, then brutally knocked out Tony Bellew and dethroned Anthony Joshua in the UK, before a rematch victory against Joshua and a win against Fury in Saudi Arabia.

Usyk is the ultimate ‘road warrior’ and feels like a throwback to the more brutal days of the past. Only eight of his 22 professional fights have taken place in Ukraine, which is now an unfortunate impossibility due to current circumstances. The Ukrainian is a true champion. He has out-classed, out-fought, and out-thought far bigger men with the talent and skill sets to accommodate their huge dimensions, and Usyk overcame every possible factor set against him. This is down to his boxing IQ, beyond anything else we could witness in the ring today.

After the seventh round against Fury, Usyk, looking very much like he was in the fight of his life, was asked if he wanted to kiss his crucifix. Usyk responded “Yes” and subsequently dug deep into his reservoir of will and belief to turn the tide of the fight and bounce Fury around the ring on the ropes in the ninth in what turned out to be a defining round, with an official knockdown scored. When Usyk faced Joshua in the rematch, how Usyk rebounded from Joshua’s best round in the ninth to overturn their fight and go through the gears was truly special. Against Fury, the great Ukrainian took it to another level. After the sixth round, when it indeed looked like Fury had gotten into a rhythm from which he could not be budged, Usyk overturning the tide of the fight completely was sensational.

In those middle rounds, Usyk suddenly looked like a tiny man. Fury, a man-mountain at around 6’9” and over 260 pounds, looks like a proper 21st-century heavyweight, following the mold of Lennox Lewis and the Klitschko brothers. After six rounds, it was starting to look like overcoming Fury’s size advantage was too difficult a task for Usyk after a bright start for the Ukrainian. However, in the seventh round, Usyk started taking chances, then took even more chances in the eighth to take charge of the fight, and then in the ninth, it was Usyk who started looking like the giant. Fury was hanging on the ropes, at the mercy of Usyk, who was standing tall before the referee’s intervention, when Fury was clinging onto his last inch of consciousness. This was the fight to confirm that Usyk is the greatest boxer to hail from Europe in the modern era. Usyk is a once-in-a-lifetime fighter who has emerged as an unbeaten, undisputed champion, competing against larger, heavier men.

Usyk’s Boxing IQ Is Different

For all of the great southpaw’s strengths, perhaps the best of them all is his brain. His ability to survive and adjust, appearing to slow down time in his brain as he processes everything to find a solution, even when amidst the toughest spots in battles against talented, bigger men, is second to none.

Furthermore, Usyk should now be recognized as the greatest southpaw heavyweight champion in history. The blue-ribbon division has never had a southpaw champion with such sublime footwork, movement, high punch output, unbelievable accuracy, phenomenal southpaw jab, implementation of angles, alongside sheer toughness and heart, rolled into one. His accomplishments, cleaning out the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions in such few fights, an unprecedented feat in the modern era, alongside his style, make him a distinguished heavyweight champion, and his status will only shine brighter with time.

There was some fuss following Usyk’s fight against Dubois regarding a possible decline in Usyk following a brief moment of controversy. Aside from one controversial moment in the fifth round against Dubois, Usyk dominated the Brit, broke his will, and stopped him in nine rounds. With the Brit’s subsequent success, that performance and victory for Usyk has aged brilliantly. Any talks of the Ukrainian appearing slower were clearly premature. However, for all of his undoubted greatness, Usyk is 37 and only human. The inevitable decline that comes with the assistance of Father Time will strike at some point.

Should Usyk Retire After The Fury Rematch?

With this historic win and the Fury rematch on the horizon, it may not be such a bad idea for Usyk to bow out of the sport at the mountain’s peak following his potential victory against Fury in the rematch. A better ending to an all-time great career would not be possible. Usyk has lived the life of a consummate professional, and when it came down to the business end, where legacies are cemented, it paid dividends.

All-time great Alexis Arguello once said: “My opinion of boxing is that the sport really is apart from other sports. It’s a challenge. You’re dealing with a human being that is the same weight as you, with the same brain. The same ability, different ability, quality. Different skills. For you to be a winner, you have to dedicate yourself all the time.”

In Usyk’s case, competing in the land of the giants, he wasn’t dealing with human beings that were the same weight as him. They were up to 40 pounds heavier and with someone like Fury, who was hailed as a big man who knew how to fight like a big man and impose his size, Usyk still managed to overcome the odds without any controversy. His commitment and discipline to the sport are known to be incredible, and he has reaped the rewards.

Usyk is not quite ready to enter discussions amongst pugilistic immortals such as Henry Armstrong, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Muhammad Ali. However, the peculiar Ukrainian southpaw has definitely entered discussions amongst the finest boxers to lace a pair of professional boxing gloves. This case will only get bigger if Usyk can repeat his win against Fury in December.