Non biased opinion on Usyk/Rico

That's a bit melodramatic. I'm not trying to say that I'm always right, clearly I'm not. But when @Serge and I, Usyk's most outspoken fanboys both were worried about the stylistic and physical threat that Rico presented. You should take our word for it. Usyk didn't tarnish his legacy or tarnish the sport, it was near even maybe a point in either direction, then when he needed it he got the KO. Clearly Rico is levels above Ngannou, and unlike Tyson Fury, he erased all shadow of doubt by turning it on late, maybe a little too late but he still won. The sport survived that first debacle, and the smart fans know what they saw tonight. Rico was as good as we both thought he was, fought out of his skin and Usyk with this newfound bromance with AJ probably didn't take this as seriously as he should have. Everything will be fine.

 

I think he has a legitimate chance to beat both of them. The fight against Agit just got a little more interesting. Usyk will obviously take that one a lot more seriously, and probably the version that fought Dubois the second time will show up. Although if he doesn't, and he isn't as fleet-footed as he was in that match, then he might be in trouble. I still lean Usyk UD, although it might be a SD now.

 

Yeah, people said that Rico isn't a big puncher in kickboxing but he's absolutely massive and very physically strong and you could see and hear how heavy his shots were and the speed they were zipping in at too and I too was concerned Usyk was actually going to get knocked out for the first time in his life. As you say, not just knocked down but knocked out and if he didn't have such a good chin I believe he would of because many of those shots were fast, very heavy and were landing clean with full leverage on them from a way bigger guy and obviously power is magnified when you're fighting a much smaller person. I 100% believe some of those shots would've dropped or knocked out most HWs.

He should've retired after Dubois II at the very latest and truthfully he should've really done so after Belly II but in his own words boxing is his life and like a drug and even though I know for a fact many around him wanted him to and advised him to do so he can't let it go

 

Yeah, I'm not ruling out a KO either. Agit this far less herky jerky and easier to read than Rico. So Usyk won't have near as many issues timing him.

 

If you dont think Usyk tarnished his legacy by being behind after 10 rounds to a non boxer, I dont really know what to say tbh.

Needing a controversial 11th round stoppage in a fight you were losing in most people's eyes doesn't redeem the fact you were getting beaten in many rounds by someone in their second professional boxing match.

Im certain beyond any doubt that to the vast majority of people and boxing history itself, this tarnished Usyks legacy relative to what it was pre fight.

Im not saying his legacy goes into the trash, Im saying it has taken an enormous hit, enough so now that he might as well just keep fighting as the damage has been done.

 

People need to get a bit of perspective. Usyk IS old and he has been defying Father Time for years, playing a game of Russian roulette facing all these giants and massive punchers when already in his mid to late 30s and past his prime (and even the lighter punching giants he's fought hit very hard and even more so given the huge size discrepancy)

And he did come in at a very ill-advised career highest weight of 233lbs when he was already too heavy 227 in his last fight and he should be coming in no more than 221 and it clearly slowed him down a lot and made him very sluggish.

Like I said earlier, when a 37 y/o Lewis came in at a career heaviest weight vs Vitali he clearly didn't look near as sluggish as Usyk did tonight and he looked much closer to his usual sharp best than Usyk did tonight but that performance is widely attributed to him being old, past his best and coming in that heavy

But, also as said, the rules completely change when it comes to Uysk and he is held to a standard these same clowns hold no other fighter in history to.

And Rico is a beast, one of the greatest kickboxers ever, who hadn't lost a fight in over 11 years and was coming off a 12 year reign as Glory champ and his size and power advantage in addition to being fast and athletic for his size, let alone everything else, was a massive factor tonight as was Usyk's age and weight

Many of the HW greats were actually bigger or much bigger than their opponents the vast majority of the time or often so not way smaller and they either never gave away the kind of huge size disadvantages in their primes as Usyk is routinely doing when past or well past his in his mid to late 30s, or did so rarely if they did, or they were facing slow uncoordinated/unathletic Frankenstein's monsters not athletic giants who are fast for their size

And not only weren't they doing this in their primes, let alone when old and past or way past their primes but we literally have a sport where many of the top fighters are massive weight bullies or were before they retired and avoid punchers their own size, let alone way bigger ones, and openly refuse or refused to ever once face a much bigger opponent even though the size discrepancy between them isn't even remotely close to the size discrepancy as Usyk is constantly on the wrong side of vs his opponents at HW when old and already past his best for a long time

And even if they do ''dare to be great'' and do so once they have to cripple their opponent at the negotiating table with catchweights and rehydrartion clauses and these fighters won't do it in their primes in their own countries either