If Usyk retired today, where would he rank all time P4P and at HW?

I'm sure this has been touched on before and I might have responded to a few of the threads concerning that.

But let's say Usyk retired today, where would he rank all time P4P? And where would you place him all time at HW?

It's difficult for me to judge as I have followed boxing from early 2000s but from my experience watching boxing evolve over the past 2 or so decades and watching replays fighters who ruled well before my time I would place Usyk somewhere in the top 10-25 P4P, hard to pin point where exactly as there are too many variables to consider but what this man has done in so few fights is incredible.

He went to hostile territory to claim every belt in his career pretty much, he has beat the top dogs in likely best best Cruiserweight era we've ever seen and then went up in weight and has beaten the top togs in a decent HW division while being 30lbs + smaller and 35 + years old. I'd have him somewhere in the top 10-15 HWs for sure

What about you lot? Where would you have him?

 

I don't like ranking boxers between eras as the sport isn't static, and also you can only beat who has been put in front of you. Usyk is unequivocally the best heavyweight (and cruiserweight) of his era; I don't think you can say he is any better or worse than greats such as Ali, Foreman, Holmes, Lewis, Holyfield etc, however I would say he belongs in the same echelon.

 

Top 15 at Heavyweight.

Top 30-35 all time.

 

I wouldn't rank him very highly historically at HW. He's not in the top 10.

I think he is either #1, 2 or 3 at CW. Only Evander and Rocky Marciano (because he was a HW, but he's really a CW) have as strong a claim at that weight to # 1. They are interchangeable and no one should argue having any of them at # 1.

 

Not been at HW long enough so doesn't have the body of work.

H2H he could compete with anyone

 

Usyk is the only man in boxing today who has no exclamation marks against him as a multiple champion, undisputed, undefeated and

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fought all comers on all soils without favourite treatment. I suspect Fury will outpoint him in the rematch in another great fight but it's no negative. It will just allow both to retire as they should knowing they've done all they can and care to do.

 

As a man. That is all.

 

Not high. Hes undefeated and is 3-0 against the top 2 of his era and beat Dubois. Theres nothing else there and most of his fights have been close. While none of his decisions were controversial AJ, Fury and Chisora always got their 5 rounds. A 6-0 guy with 4 close decisions is not going to rank high.

P4P Usyk case is based on some people pretending a 6 ft 3 man is Sam Langford without the power. And that someone the same size as Ali and Foreman outboxing 6 ft 6 and 6 ft 9 champions is this historically unprecedented feat. The list of guys smaller than Usyk who've beaten 6 ft 6+ champs and contenders is numerous and only limited by the amount of guys that size that have been successful. Chagaev is 6 ft 1 and beat a 7 ft 300 pounder and Haye beat him too. Jack Sharkey beat Carnera. Max Baer and Joe Louis knocked Carnera out. Dempsey was the "giant killer" a century ago. Wills KO'd Fulton. Usyk beating these guys by 1 round shouldn't stand out and won't stand out.


At CW Usyk will be the GOAT but only by default because CWs a division where anyone who'd be in the conversation will try their hand at HW and Usyk was undefeated and won the HW title. Hes only 15-0 at CW.

Beterbiev will rank higher P4P if he retires undefeated.

 

Hes fought 5 people at HW and 4 of them are British.

 

When Fury beat Klitschko and Wilder, people were saying he was in top 10 all time HW. When Usyk beat Fury, it's said "Usyk is just a good heavyweight".

 

I really like Usyk. In a sport where there's often so much hype around fighters and hyperbole, often, from fighters themselves... Usyk has been a wonderful breath of fresh air. He's beat everyone he's supposed to, in their back yards, no fuss. He does it the way it should be done; by eliminating the main threats so there's no doubt. I genuinely believe we are lucky to be seeing a bonefide ATG in action.
That said, at heavy, I probably couldn't put him in the top 10. The likes of Ali, Louis, Tyson, Louis etc did their best work in the division over the course of their careers. Usyk, for all his skills, does not have the same body of work. I could have him top 20, perhaps? Or 25.
At cruiser I have him number 1.
So Usyk is interesting because he spans two divisions and, for me, matches up well in P4P \ GOAT discussions as he has proven his skills against a lot of different fighters. It's always so difficult to compare different eras - and I haven't really thought about his ranking here too much. But I would probably make a space for him in my top 30 ATG list across all divisions.

 

Who rated Fury as a top 10 Heavyweight ? He had only beaten 3 ranked opponents there was absolutely no basis for rating Fury in the top 10 Heavyweights of all time.

 

I don't think any sensible people were ever rating Fury as a top ten ATG heavy.