Does Usyk's last performance affects his ranking on an ATG heavyweights list?

Spinks is not exactly a small Light Heavyweight either he's 6'2 with a 76 inch reach his dimensions are not that much different to someone like Usyk.

Obviously Spinks hasn't got the build to be a big Heavyweight but he's not exactly a small man either.

Holmes's peak weight was about 210 and Spinks weighed 205 in the rematch vs Holmes.

Yes Holmes was heavier by the time he fought Spinks but that was extra fat that slowed him down not exactly beneficial to him.

I don't know why Catch keeps trying to make out Holmes/Spinks was like David vs Goliath to try and make Usyk's poor performance look better.

Usyk is still a great fighter but his performance vs Rico was poor end of. I don't know why people keep having to conjure all these mental gymnastics for Usyk.

He simply underestimated Rico and came in too heavy and almost paid the price for it.

No I don't believe Usyk is washed up his performance against Dubois just 8 or 9 months ago showed he isn't.

He simply underestimated Rico its as simple as that.

 

I dont think so not significantly

Bad performance but he still won and it doesnt tarnish his legacy in any major way

 

He was the first SITTING LHW champ to win a belt.

It was humiliating at the time. The world was shocked, and Holmes made a fool of himself in the aftermath.

No, you are not smarter than all the writers at the time, who knew that Spinks attempting something that never been done, and Spinks himself, who talked about his own self-doubt in a post I re-produced. You are re-writing history and giving yourself way too much credit.

 

Again, I just don't agree based on the facts that Uysk has had as many round as Rico has had fights, and Usyk was fighting super heavies back in the amateurs and WSB. I certainly think he take a punch better, but that damage still goes somewhere, just like with Ali.

 

The poll I did was for the end of Klitschko through the Uysk abdication. People will go back and redefine eras into decades or title reigns, but as things sit right now, its all about Usyk, Fury, Joshua and Dubois.

 

People who had been following Usyk since his amateur days, like Serge, have been talking about his decline for years. He hasn't got anything like the speed and reflexes he used to. It manifestly was not a tough performance for him as it was basically the same result as his previous fight with Dubois. He just has Dubois' number.

 

No, of course an open poll with meticulously kept scoring means nothing. What is important is what George Crowcroft thinks!

Oh wait, that's not that important.

Dude, of course the opinions of the many are more important than your stand-alone opinion.

Dubois #4.

 

Usyks legacy is already secured as one of the greats.

It's dissapointing that he didn't give Kabayel the chance he deserved and is likely cashing out with 2 cherry picks in Verhoven and Wilder but that's Usyks perogative, he fought and beat the best his entire career

 

Usyk destroyed what many people perceived as an improved version of Dubois.

It was one of Usyk's rare early stoppages against a notable opponent how many notable fighters has Usyk stopped in under 6 rounds ?

In the RBR people called it one of Usyk's best performances of his career and a stand out win at Heavyweight.

Usyk is a bit past his best but was still head and shoulders above every other Heavyweight and still competing at a very high level.

Hence there was no suggestion that just 8 months later Usyk would look so poor vs Rico.

So now people are conjuring up a theory that Usyk is washed up.

When in reality Usyk just came into the fight too heavy and underestimated his opponent. And almost paid the price for taking what he perceived as a gimmicky fight too lightly it's as simple as that.

If you look back at page 1 of the RBR of Usyk/Rico i commented about being concerned on Usyk's weight and whether or not he's taking the fight too lightly.

 

Buster Douglas was a 42-1 outsider against Tyson yet his current form at that time was better than any other 80s contender.

He'd beaten Greg Page, Oliver McCall, Trevor Berbick, and knocked Mike Williams down 3 times with a jab which was unheard of.

He'd also only lost 1 fight in 4 years yet he was considered to have 0 chance despite being 6 inches taller, 12 inch reach advantage, and being in the best run of form of his career.

Hence Douglas should've been perceived as a much bigger threat.

Now I'm not suggesting you could necessarily see Holmes losing to Spinks at that time. Although that was mostly due to the unknown factor of people not knowing how good Spinks would be at Heavyweight.

But in reality Holmes had slowed down significantly in the last few years and had looked beatable.

And I think the general feeling at that time was that Holmes was there for the taking.

So with hindsight it's not that shocking that a top 5 Light Heavyweight of all time with a very tricky style could outhustle an aging champion there for the taking.

 

But my point is if you're saying Usyk has wear and tear and is getting on now in regards to his age.

Then that same point applies to Rico its no different.

You're only applying that to Usyk and not Rico despite them both being a similar age, and Rico having a tougher professional career in which he's took more damage overall.

 

Dubois is a decade younger than the likes of Fury, Joshua.

Fury won his belt in 2015.

Joshua won his belt in 2016.

Dubois didn't get his first taste of world class experience until fighting Usyk in 2023 a fight on paper he didn't even deserve at that time.

And he didn't come into his own until 2024 almost 10 years after Fury and Joshua won their 1st championship fight.

I'd consider Dubois to be apart of this new era with the likes of Itauma, Kabayel, etc.

 

Yes, you already said that. All caps doesn't help.

Spinks was the first sitting champ to win the belt - but he wasn't the first LHW to win the belt. As I have mentioned, you've clearly misunderstood my post on a fundamental level.

I am smarter and I don't care what they think. Maybe these paragons of knowledge also knew that the more hype around the fight, the better for their line of work. Maybe they just didn't know about the previous LHWs to win the belt. What Spinks was doing is special as he was the first man to have both the LHW and HW titles, concurrently. But it's special in the same way B-Hop was the first four belt undisputed champion. It's not because it's impossible, it's because it's a new system.

Now, are you done trying to deflect onto Holmes or can we talk about the absolute embarrassment Usyks last fight was? So embarrassing he ran away, chucked his belts and quit boxing?