Usyk in the 70s.

You can’t make comparisons like that.

He’s only had 23 fights.

What shape would he be in, if he’d fought nearly 60 fights, against better/tougher opposition?

 

Any relentless pressure fighter is going to bother a technician with limited power.

 

Why can't I? I don't understand. This is all fantasy stuff unless you have a time machine.

Usyk had 350 amateur bouts. Those bouts and years of associated training take their toll.

We are now watching an old Usyk in his twilight years. He is past his physical prime for sure.

Comparing Usyk at the end of his career and Ali at the end of his, is valid and illuminating.

 

Yes, his struggles have always been against the smaller fighters.

I understand if you think that Larry is overrated, but I could never call him one dimensional.

The guy beat Ray Mercer at 42.

 

You can do whatever you want.

I’m just saying that it’s not a fair comparison, like dynamic has already mentioned to you.

If Usyk had fought 60 fights, against the calibre of guys who Ali fought, then he may well be completely unrecognisable from the guy who we see today.

 

It's completely fair.

I'd argue comparing an aged, bloated Usyk against a prime Ali is unfair.

But we can compare them at similar points in their careers easily.

 

It’s not fair at all.

It’s just a nothing comparison, with zero context applied.

Bloated?

Really?

 

Okay for all you who think Usyk is better because he’s more recent and bigger, here’s the sobering truth for you - his best heavyweight win is against Tyson Fury, who’s best win was nearly a decade ago, in a spoiling non-fight performance against Klitschko in his second to last fight, when he was in the midst of immense personal stress.. since then, the same Tyson Fury has abused his body, been KD’d several times by a ferocious puncher, and uh…..well it was almost 10 years ago, his best win….

That’s why a lot of people have a hard time picking these guys against people in former eras, when the top 10 contenders were actually a threat to champions, no one was a fat slob, and people actually fought each other….

PS - huge fan of both Usyk and Fury….

 

He's not a natural HW. He ate his way into the weight class.

He's said he has to force himself to eat enough to fight at HW.

Besides, all these comparisons are a little silly because it's impossible to really say. The fighters would have to fight to know for sure, and that is impossible. So...one fantasy comparison is just as valid as another.

 

Bloated isn’t the right term though is it.

He’s in great condition.

 

Besides footwork, angles, solid defense, pretty good clinch work and decent punching power but sure the guy who can keep super heavyweights from pressuring him will have trouble with a small heavyweight

 

He's fighting above what he can naturally weigh without resorting to extreme measures.

He's not going to be at his best at that weight in terms of speed and endurance. He's still good but the extra, unnatural weight takes it's toll, no doubt.

 

Of course he’d have had trouble against a small, fast pressure fighter.


The beauty of the sport is how the fighters match up stylistically on the night.

You should be very aware of this.


Usyk can keep super HW’s from pressuring him, simply because he’s smaller and faster, and he can out manoeuvre them.

Frazier was small and fast.

Frazier being smaller than Usyk, wouldn’t have been a disadvantage to him.

Being small and fast, with his style, power and relentless pressure, would have been very problematic to Usyk.


It’s not about size.

Its styles.


Ali was a gifted HW with only respectable power like Usyk, and Frazier give him hell, as he suffocated and smothered him on the inside.


You needed to stop Frazier to shut him down. And if you couldn’t, then he’d relentlessly pursue you all night.

Now if you don’t understand this, and how they’d have matched up on the night stylistically, then you need to expand your knowledge by going and watching more footage.


You’d have to be very ignorant/unknowledgeable to think that Usyk wouldn’t have been in for a very hard night.


The only match up for Usyk as bad/worse, would have been one against Mike Tyson.

 

Chisora has a similar style, is no slower than Frazier and weighed 45lbs more.

One punch Frazier would systematically be beaten up.