Who is more skilled ? Bivol or Usyk ?

This is probably the best answer you will get its not as simple as picking fighter A or fighter B

 

Agree

 

Bivol beating Canelo would be akin to Usyk beating Bivol at CW, possibly even less important a victory. I have zero doubt Usyk would defeat Bivol.

 

Usyk but Bivol is better defensively

 

Both lacks one KO punch power, but when it comes to skills it doesn't get any better than that. Usyk is the complete package. And sorry to crush some people dreams, but fighting in higher weight classes and weighting 200+ is million time harder than doing it in the lower ones. A lot more factors to deal with it. Usyk is also way out of his prime and in a division where everyone have young on him, huge size, weigh, height, reach and power advantages over him.
And he is constantly fighting referees and judges as well + the whole boxing establishment. And to move from someone he had to beat them twice + again referees and judges as well.
Also weighting 200+ pounds and looking good is million time harder than doing it at 150, 160, 170, etc. If the "midget" was so skilled they wouldn't have problems with someone being their own size, but weighting just few pounds heavier. Aka Clenela is big time overrated, as well as most small fighters.

 

I don't think it's necessarily 'more skilled', heavyweights just physically can't do the same things - move in and out do fast, put combinations together like that etc.

 

In terms of combination they can, but that will make them open, which ain't a problem in lower classes, but at HW 1 punch can change the whole fight.
Fighting at higher weight classes is million time harder. This is a fact.

 

They aren't less skilled. Heavyweight is a completely different game.

LHWs look better, since the move better, punch more and all that. But in HW, carrying that weight you have to restrict your movements and punch output. And when anyone can knock you put with one punch you also cannot take the same risks as in lower weights. Hence they might look less skilled, but that's like comparing a carpenter to a cabinet maker.

 

This.

I should read the comments before commenting.

 

Bivol has a particular strategy and he does it better than anybody. However by more skilled I'm going to assume a breadth of skillset and for that Usyk is better.

 

There's no such thing as "pure boxing skills."

Skill doesn't exist in a vacuum; it has to be measured against who you're fighting against.

If you're looking slick and awesome against lower level guys you hold physical advantages over while another is looking decent but vulnerable against much higher level guys who hold physical advantages over you that doesn't mean the first man is more skilled, it just means they haven't been tested as much.

Bivol is like Wlad right now, very good when allowed to fight his own fight and not forced out of his comfort zone, but who knows if he'll be able to adapt to a much bigger opponent leaning or mauling him or shaking him to his boots with every shot he lands. The Ukrainian has proven that already, and put clinics on guys to boot. Bivol would need to go up to CW or maybe beyond and start beating guys like Opetaia and Kabayel to be seen in the same ballpark because these are the sorts of achievements (yes, achievements, the things you can measure skill against) that the Ukrainian is achieving.

You can keep arguing that these things are irrelevant and insisting on some weird evaluation of skill outside of any consideration of outside factors but I doubt it will sway anyone's opinion because the initial formulation of your question was poor and your follow up clarifications haven't been any better.

 

It's because he has called Usyk a traitor and a bad man, that's why. He hates the man, so he won't give the boxer his props.

Bivol is about as sound a boxer as I've ever seen. Has no faults as far as I can see.
However Usyk has amazing footwork and over all movement, he's a heavier Lomachenko.

It's Usyk for me.

 

I though you were taking a break from posting boxing opinions.