Will AJ now vacate the WBO or do you think the WBO want a piece of the pie?

Yeah exactly, no matter what he does he will somehow get criticised but beating usyk would stick one right up the haters Ali carters.

 

Usyk’s size and power at heavyweight in regards to his ability to hurt an opponent like Joshua, Fury, Wilder etc is unquestionable in my opinion. Two examples...Chisora has a reputation for having a decent chin yet a couple of times he was very clearly momentarily hurt in their fight. He was there to be finished. The video of him sparring one of the heavyweights with one of the most solid chins in Dave Allen was very telling...Dave Allen was bingo’d on his feet with 18oz gloves and a head guard on.

However, does he have the size and power to cope with being roughed up on the inside is questionable, and his own belief in following up on a stricken opponent and finishing them off. He gave Chisora a way back into the fight which you should never do in the heavyweights.

 

I think Usyk's foot speed and movement will give any heavy fits, with perhaps only someone like Fury who has agile and excellent footwork himself to match him. OU has got quick hands and there is some spite in there but he's not going to be KO artist at heavy, if he hits you with something you don't see then he's got every chance of hurting you but so far from 2 fights he's not looked a killer.

In the early going against Chisora certainly through the first 3 he didn't always look comfortable, there were a few glances at the ref etc and I think some of the digs to the body certainly brought him out of position. Someone who punches harder and more technically correct than Chisora might give Usyk a few more things to think about defensively.

If he does go in with AJ I can see him giving Joshua fits but for all his movement he does get tagged and that's when it gets interesting.

 

I get the point your making about not dismissing Usyk at HW but Ruiz has legitimate punch power at HW and took the centre of the ring against AJ so was able to get leverage on his punches. Usyk was not a puncher even at Cruiser and do you really think after seeing his performance against Chisora he wouldn't be on the backfoot against a giant like AJ ??

 

To be fair bud, Ruiz was not renowned for his punch power before that first Joshua fight. I don’t believe he still is a big puncher but he’s got fast hands and lands with shots opponents don’t see. He roughs opponents up big time as well.

 

I hope I'm Liston and not the character played by Gary Stretch in Dead Man's Shoes.

Usyk didn't seem bothered about the KO in any of his Heavyweight fights, he doesn't ever really look that bothered about the KO in recent years, he knows he has the boxing IQ to take it on the cards, he can bang though and he has a chin on him.

 

That's my take too. Hasn't AJ always stated this?