If Usyk defeats AJ again & beats Fury after, it could be the greatest achievement in boxing history?

Yeah but who'd he beat? John Ruiz. Didn't become a cruiser champ either. Very different things.

 

And he was caught using PEDs, thus putting a question mark over every single thing he ever accomplished.

Let's leave the thread open a little longer.

 

It would be monumental, being undisputed at cruiser and heavyweight is not a common occurrence.

 

Yeah higher echelons of historical boxers, easily.

 

He'd be up there in the top 10 ATG's probably.

Undisputed CW and Undisputed HW + he'd have his greatest victories after being in a war.

 

There's some truth to that, but there's also a 'recency bias' that works the other way. Just look at some of the names mentioned in this thread like Hank Armstrong, Bob Fitzsimmons or Harry Greb. Most won't know what they achieved, but if you do then you're never as quick to name a current fighter as the greatest ever, however impressive their achievements.

I think Usyk is incredible and has already done amazing things in the sport, as much as he could possibly have achieved. So he's made himself a part of the conversation. That should be enough to be honest because how do we even begin to compare the different eras or the individual circumstances of each fighters upbringing and opportunity? Roberto Duran grew up in a Panamanian slum and turned pro at 16 years old winning 5 world titles in 4 divisions and retiring at 50. Does he merit a mention? How do we compare the two?

This is the truth of it:

 

Since you value the size differences so much, ever heard of a guy named Sam Langford?

 

What's the single greatest achievement in history ? A former champ who comes back and wins the heavyweight championship 20 years after he retired at 46. Mr. Foreman

 

No

 

he is

 

Well Evander Holyfield did beat Riddick Bowe and Mike Tyson also Micheal Spinks beat Larry Holmes twice, jumping up 2 division in the process.

It would be impressive if Usyk pulled it off, but in a historical context, I wouldn't call it the most impressive thing a boxer has done.

 

He would be pound for pound #1
No matter what Canelo does
Or what happens between
bud Crawford & Errol Spence.

 

Anyone beating Tyson Fury is the greatest achievement in boxing history

I respect Usyk but he will slow mid fight after being on the run for 6 rounds then Fury eats him alive, like literally grabs hold of him and starts eating him. Usyk might win by DQ because of it.

 

That's a false equivielence as well as being factually incorrect. It isn't one or the other.
It isn't the case that all old school fighters are better than it is that all modern fighters are better than the old timers.
It isn't a binary and each fighter get's measured against who they fought in their era and how deep that divsion was. It never was either or that's an argument a complete simpleton would make.
I would disagree that in this instance at heavy that this current era has the best boxers of all time. as the division is not as deep as the 70's or 90's and they haven't all fought each other like they did in the decades I just mentioned.