Are there any areas where you would acknowledge that Usyk has an advantage over Ali as a HW?

inside fighting and bodywork.

 

Usyk is a better body puncher, better at cutting off the ring, beaten bigger opposition, never been floored (including the low blow) and is less suseptible to left hooks, Usyk also trains harder than Ai did, he's in insane condition, or was at his peak.

 

Of course. Usyk is far more textbook, with pendulum step, in and out movement, solid combinations at all angles, masterful work ethics (Ali could get fat as a hog and it cost him the first Norton fight and unofficially the Young fight), and excellent third gear in his prime.

There are absolutely things Usyk does better, Ali, as Eddie Futch said, got away with a lot of bad habits because of his speed and daring do, meaning his audacity and explosiveness actually made it hard to time his unconventional habits.

That being said (and I say it as a person who likes Ali the one but last out of the great five of him, Holmes, Frazier, Norton, and Foreman)—he was Hollywood movie tier gritty, creative moment to moment (not just round by round adjustment) with ring intelligence unhindered by fear or stress. He had rapier like jab, unshakable belief in himself (and character works wonder at high level), and this right cross that seemed to reinvent its own timing and angle every time he threw it.

All around Usyk is great, but Ali is getting underrated as far as I see it.

 

Does bigger opposition mean better though? David Haye beat 7-foot-2 Valuev, and he wasn't in the same stratosphere as Ali on any measuring stick. Usyk would be more susceptible to left hooks as well if he fought fighters of Joe Frazier's caliber rather than Fury (twice) who should've lost to an MMA fighter on his boxing debut. It's all relative, really; one thing is that they are both truly phenomenal at making adjustments mid-fight when needed to pull a big win out of the bag.

That's something only the very great fighters do. I don't think Usyk trains harder than Ali either. Ali was renowned for his work ethic and clean living. I'm not saying Usyk isn't, but I don't see one clearly ahead of the other in this category.

 

Defence

 

Hype

 

Valuev was slow, Fury is quick and was out shape vs Francis. Ali got foored by hooks before he faced Frazier, Cooper floored Ali with a hook.

 

I actually think they were both poor defensively, only got tagged time and again and Usyk doesn't know how to block, in Usyk's case it's a good offence being the best defence.

 

Usyks a better pressure fighter and has better longevity, also creates better angles from his footwork and southpaw stance than post prison Ali

 

No. Usyk's best attribute is his chin and Ali has a better one of those.

 

What a wild take. All of it.

Ali destroys Usyk.

 

I love Ali and favour him against Usyk but this is not a wild take at all, except from the Usyk trains harder than him part atleast...