Will Usyk be memorable?

Of course.

He is in the paradoxical spot, though, where he'd be better off retiring and letting the guys he beat add to their own accomplishments.

 

Usyk is, in my opinion, the most skilled heavyweight of all time. He goes into other fighters' backyards, takes their fans and beats them. He does all of that without raping women, being an addict or getting popped for PEDs.

Usyk will be remembered as an all time great by intelligent fans and people within the boxing industry. Everybody else will say Tyson could crush him.

 

Ali is remembered, aided by what he did outside the ring. He had a captive audience on TV and partially radio. Even if you weren't a boxing fan, you would recognize him. I doubt anyone recognizes Usyk outside of ardent boxing fans. He will remembered by us for sure.

 

Only boxing fans, like the ones on this forum, will remember Usyk.

General public or casual fans will never know who he was.

 

I think he will as I can’t see anyone matching his accomplishments by becoming completely undisputed in CW and HW while beating the guys he beat to get there any time within the next 20 years.

As much as people including me like to bash this era, it may very well be the 3rd best HW era of all time. And tons of HWs from that 70s and 90s eras are remembered to this day.

 

Seriously, this isn't even a real question or serious topic. Imo.


But it IS a fun thread!...


My missus who knows very little about boxing, said to me, prior to the last fight, are you watching Oleksandr Vs Dubois this weekend?


I replied.




Oleksandr who????....

 

His last win was emphatic. There was a social media brigade defaming him up until the utter destruction of DuBois. Throughout he conducted himself as a gentleman. He's a ****ing hero. A role model. How does he stack up against LL and Ali and Louis and Marciano and so on and so forth? For now, take it to Classic and then ask again in 10 years. Dude's an icon in a diminished sport.

 

Ali was at one time the most famous athlete and perhaps person on earth, that's something no boxer will achieve again. He's on his own tier compared to anybody else in the sports history.

Usyk will certainly be remembered at least as much as the Klitchko brothers. But boxers overall don't have the same societal cachet they once did, no fault of Usyk.

 

The only reason to talk about Holyfield's fights with Lewis is to talk about the draw being perhaps the most rigged decision in history.

 

You can say that about every boxer, since the sport is on its deathbed in most countries.

 

He will need a legacy defining fight against Jake Paul on Netflix to become memorable by the casuals.

 

This is a matter of media control. The media creates these narratives of 'legendary' fighters and fights etc.
For example if you wanted to create that narrative with the first Fury fight you could in a documentary of movie, throw in the Ukraine war and whatever, spin things how you want. It was a good enough, dramatic enough fight to do that and actually a better fight than so many other 'classics' we've heard about.

As for a debate whether he is better than Lewis or not, I think Lewis being destroyed twice by mediocre fighters is enough to settle that one. And the idea Usyk wouldn't beat Tua, Older Tyson (even younger actually, but definitely older), Briggs, Golota and all these characters is pretty laughable. He also likely beats Vitali and Evan Fields.

Whether Lewis could beat Fury x 2, Joshua x 2, Dubious x2 ... does anyone really believe that's some certain outcome? I find it very hard to believe Mr Sleepy doesn't get wrecked by AJ/Dubious at least once and Fury would likely beat him at least once too. Lewis could actually go 0-6 there, though 2- 6 to 4-6 is maybe more likely. 6-0 is very hard to imagine though.

 

Some points to consider IMO

+ 1st Undisputed heavyweight in 4 belt era, and 1st since Lennox Lewis - who is remembered for that alone, independent of anything else
+ Crusier Undisputed prior
+ Round 9 vs Tyson Fury was iconic and will be replayed many times
+ Highlight reel KO against Dubois to obliterate whatever controversy there was with the low-blow
+ His footage will be reviewed and studied by trainers and future generations for any number of reasons
+++ Elite footwork
+++ Elite traps & feints
+++ Keeping head off the line
+++ Lateral movement and IQ in response to whatever the opponent is doing
+++ Riding with punches and rarely being clipped clean
+++ Being able to 'think in the moment' very clearly in the rare moments when he is clipped clean and adapt, apply strategies
+++ Many techniques to defeat clinching inside, and get back to dictating his fight 'slippery as an eel'

Yeah, he will be memorable!