Did Usyk actually dominate the greatest talent pool in heavyweight history. He beat everyone

Usyk may not be the greatest heavyweight ever off resume but functionally he has an argument over everyone else in regards to fantasy match ups and h2h status due to his historically high iq, unique style, complex skillset and iron chin. Furthermore the sport is global so the talent pool today is better than the 70s and 80s like ALL SPORTS, but it's also logically better than the 1990s and the Klitschko era so Usyk has a very strong argument for the h2h goat.

Just as Holmes, Holyfield and Tyson replaced Ali as the h2h goat, Lewis replaced them and then got surpassed by Wladimir according to Emmanuel Stewart and then Fury beat a game unified champion in Wladimir only to fall to the great Oleksandr Usyk. It's sound math. Usyk has to be the best ever

 

He could be.

Certainly no other era contained as many huge and Mobile SHWs

Size is one thing. But speed and athleticism alongside the size makes this era tougher than most people think

 

Each thread more brilliant than the last.

 

Homes, Holyfield and Tyson did not replace Ali as H2H GOAT. I just had to say that.

 

Well more something than the last, anyway.

Mods gotta keep this place ticking somehow, I guess.

 

I rate Usyk as an ATG. But, I mean I think of all the best fighters from the 90s, in Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and so on the list is truly crazy. Those I've named personally convincingly beat well all the best guys Usyk has beaten in Fury, AJ, Dubois.

Along with the 1970s, I really feel the 1990s had the best talent pool by some distance - that era defined the beginning of modern HW boxers.

 

If we stood today's MOBILE giants

beside the "legends" of old

You would soon see why today's SHWs would dominate

Especially given they are so athletic for their size.

There has never been a generation so huge and so mobile

 

Another question is how do AJ, Fury and Dubious do in these old eras? I think they smash the hell out of them. Of course AJ and Dubious are quitters, we all know it, and will be KO'd and quit a bunch of times also, but they're going to demolish so many of these characters.

 

I always laugh when people talk about "fearsome" Sonny Liston, etc.

The guy was only 6'1" and would be absolutely obliterated by every Top 10 HW today

Just like so many others also

 

I agree. I doubt Liston could survive 3 rounds with Filip Hrgovic.

 

Nope. If Usyk came around when Povetkin, Lewis, Wlad and Vitali were boxing and beat them all it would have been the deepest talent pool in boxing history, imho.

 

Anyone who thinks size isn't that important is coping. There is more than 1000x more guys who are 6'1 to 6'3 than there are 6'4+ yet only a very very small proportion get to the top of the division from that group, where as a much larger proportion from the 6'4+ group.

Also back in the day there were way less 6'4+ guys than there is now, in ultimate number terms and as a proportion of the population.

 

You need to watch Rocky 4 son.

 

No.

Beating Fury who barely survived an MMA debutant isn't some astonishing achievement. Joshua is a very good win but again, Joshua is hardly some ATG. And while Dubois is a good fighter, he is extremely limited and has a questionable chin.

The same people on this forum arguing that the likes of Holmes, Holyfield and Ali were too small for today's super heavyweights are the exact same people predicting Usyk would be too small for heavyweight.

Shall we bump the threads on this forum where people were saying Usyk was too small for Joshua and then Fury? If people were wrong then, why can't they be wrong now?

If these giants are struggling with a smaller quick man like Usyk, they would struggle far more with smaller faster heavyweights than Usyk such as Holmes and especially Ali.

There is a tendency in the general forum to get completely carried away with recent fighters. Such as people claiming Joyce would beat prime Tyson when Joyce was doing well.