Holyfield had to fight real contenders at HW to get his shot.... shouldn't Usyk have to do the same?

And taking a scuba diving lesson with Malik Scott.

 

I would hardly claim that wins over James Tillis and Pinklon Thomas at that stage were “impressive”.

Tillis was addicted to crack and fighting on instinct by then. Thomas was a full blown alcoholic and heroin addict by then.

So naw man, you can’t use those two names as examples of Holyfield facing contenders immediately to “earn his shot”

The wins over Dokes and Stewart in his 3rd and 4th fights were impressive. But Usyk has 2 fights to get to that point if we are comparing him to Holyfield!

 

Usyk has a look, a built in national fan base, and a flashy style. His appeal is all there to be seen. Holyfield, in the other hand, you really had to WATCH in order to see what the big deal was. Nothing about him, either physically or technically, really jumped out. The things that made Holyfield great:
His tirelessness
His ridiculous work rate
His pressure
His great infighting
Diamond chin
And as tough a man to ever set foot in the ring


Holyfield would have eaten him alive. Full stop.

And PS. yes, I’m over 30

 

Honestly, why does it matter? If he gets the championship fight after merely 2 or 3 fights and wins, he's already 'earned' it by virtue of being the better man, and given the fight was made in the first place, enough of a draw in regards to legacy building and revenue earning to justify signing a contract.. His historic CW run was the catalyst.

Boxing is a sport and a business that balances desires for legacy and money. If Ruiz or Wilder want to fight the best and the money is right, a Usyk fight might make sense. That's the machination of the sport. Athletes and promoters coming together to determine what works and what doesn't. This idea of earning it only being legitimized by a long road of fighting journeymen and gatekeepers at the new division is merely ideology. It's like you're comparing it to a new employee at some job getting promoted to boss after a few months before he knows what he's doing. A guy like Usyk has already paid his dues and can get a shot if deemed of value (money and legacy). That value isn't fixed though. It changes depending on a champs position in the sport. Maybe a champ just fought elite competition, is coming off injury and feels the need to fight a journeyman for his follow up. That level of boxer is suddenly of value to the champ.

 

I always get a bit of a xenophobic vibe from these threads. I think we have to realise that Evan Fields had American Roid privilege. So to even things out socio-economically, Usyk is given a leg up. Don't be a hater, love diversity, it enriches everyone. Don't be getting all SOG on us and take issue with these foreign intruders coming in and taking opportunities away, that's some hateful **** right there. We want to embrace people like Usyk and Loma and Kovalev, enjoy their enrichment of boxing and contributions to the diverse community in the USA. The time of monolithic murican boxing culture is over, we have to progress and move on to better things, more diverse things. As the late great Martin Luther King once said, 'I enjoy diverse orgies at the ***** house, it's much more enriching'.

 

In time, Usyk will rule the heavyweight division.

Be patient.

 

Nothing wrong with unified champ in cruisers getting hw title shot.

 

I would add that part of why Usyk gets an easier treatment is because Holyfield paved the way. He showed a cruiser could be a great HW champion. This makes people more inclined to see what Usyk can do, sooner. Also Holyfield needed the time to juice up.

 

Maybe, but it's as likely to reflect the lack of real star quality in the top division. A lot of the contenders are either physically impressive but technically challenged or vice versa.

 

Usyk’s body looks about as natural as Anthony Joshua. The roids he has access to these days probably make Holyfields look like tic tacs.

 

TS isn’t worried bout dat doe!