LONDON — Along with his magnificent Spherical 5 demolition of Daniel Dubois on Saturday, Oleksandr Usyk offered extra convincing proof why he ought to be thought-about the very best heavyweight since Lennox Lewis.
The left hook that left Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs) in a crumpled heap in entrance of 90,000 at Wembley Stadium was a factor of magnificence, which fittingly sealed Usyk’s second reign as undisputed world heavyweight champion. Usyk additionally dropped Dubois to the canvas earlier in Spherical 5 with a proper hand in an completely imperious efficiency from the Ukrainian.
So long as Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) doesn’t lose a possible trilogy struggle with Tyson Fury in April 2026, or one other title defence later this yr most likely in opposition to former WBO titleholder Joseph Parker, the undisputed heavyweight king will go down in historical past as the very best heavyweight for the previous twenty years. Not solely that, Usyk may also be thought-about the very best cruiserweight for 3 many years for the reason that likes of Dwight Muhammad Qawi and Evander Holyfield dominated within the mid-Eighties.
Usyk was the primary undisputed cruiserweight champion and reigned the division from 2016 to 2018, earlier than stepping as much as heavyweight. He has now made 5 heavyweight title defences in opposition to high degree opponents — former champions and present champions.
Usyk’s achievements at heavyweight have surpassed what he managed at cruiserweight, and he has crushed the very best of his period (Fury, Dubois and Anthony Joshua) — twice — to place any arguments past doubt as to who’s the very best. Dubois argued he scored a legit physique punch of their first encounter two years in the past, however it was (rightly) dominated a low blow. Usyk overwhelmed the big-punching, spirited Briton the remainder of the struggle for a ninth-round TKO, and within the rematch produced an much more emphatic conclusion.
Parker (36-3, 24 KOs), 33, will beat his buddy Fury to Usyk it appears, as WBO necessary challenger.
“The WBO say he has to struggle Joseph Parker subsequent, in order that would be the struggle,” Queensberry Promotions promoter Frank Warren mentioned.
It’s arduous to envisage how a resurgent Parker, who’s in the very best type of his life, will threaten Usyk’s legacy.
Parker received the WBO belt with a factors determination over Andy Ruiz in 2016, then misplaced it in a 3rd defence and title unification struggle versus Anthony Joshua in March 2018. Spectacular wins over Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole within the final two years have resurrected Parker’s profession, however Usyk’s ring IQ, motion and stylish expertise are on a distinct degree to Parker and the others.
Fury and Joshua, each two-time world champions, had good wins over Wladimir Klitschko, and Fury additionally stopped the damaging puncher Wilder twice in world title fights.
However Usyk’s unblemished file, with a complete 13 world title struggle victories in addition to a 2012 Olympic gold medal, stacks up higher. Usyk’s fellow countrymen Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, with their superior attain and peak may effectively have made issues troublesome for Usyk.
Wladimir’s jab-and-grab technique was impregnable at occasions throughout his nine-and-a-half yr reign, and it might have annoyed Usyk to the purpose of defeat. Vitali and Wladimir dominated the heavyweight division between them, holding all of the belts at one time, from 2004 when Vitali grew to become champion following his loss on cuts to Lewis in 2003, to when Fury boxed the ears off Wladimir in 2015.
Wladimir made a staggering 18 title defences in a second reign as unified world champion (2006-2015), along with his greatest wins over David Haye, Alexander Povetkin and Jean Marc Mormeck. Vitali (45-2, 41 KOs) made two defences of the WBO belt, earlier than 10 defences over two reigns as WBC champion, which have been interrupted by damage, with harmful wins over Samuel Peter, Danny Williams and Herbie Conceal.
– Usyk knocks out Dubois to turn out to be undisputed heavyweight champion
– In camp with Oleksandr Usyk: Behind the scenes with a heavyweight champion
– Struggle outcomes: Usyk stops Dubois, regains undisputed championship
The Klitschko brothers’ numbers are better than these thus far compiled by Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs), who has made 5 heavyweight title defences and 6 cruiserweight title defences. However Usyk has higher names on his file, and is a three-time undisputed world champion.
Usyk grew to become the primary recognised undisputed world heavyweight champion since Lewis (41-2, 32 KOs), who beat such fighters as all-time greats Holyfield, Mike Tyson and Klitschko over three reigns as champion, with 17 wins, 2 losses, and 1 attract world heavyweight title fights.
Like Vitali, Wladimir and Lewis, Usyk launched his skilled profession off the again of an Olympic gold medal triumph and as he closes in on the tip of his profession, whether or not it’s later this yr in opposition to Parker or subsequent yr in opposition to Fury, his legacy appears to be like the strongest of any heavyweight since Lewis.