Fighter of the year 2021

Well Canelo moved up from 154 if you're going to throw Usyk's cruiserweight career in there.

Both impressive, both have good arguements, but Canelo beat the two best SMWs who were undefeated, while Usyk beat the #3 HW who's chin had already been shattered but remained extremely popular in the UK and amongst hardcores.

 

Canelo beat two undefeated Champions, for Usyk to match him he would have to beat two undefeated champions or at least another dominant HW.

 

Canelo and Usyk

 

Usyk moved up to HW two years ago FYI, not this year. Had Usyk moved up this year and gunned for an undefeated Joshua that would have been more impressive, but he didn't do that, he was at HW two years and fought a damaged Joshua.

 

You're literally going back more than 30 years in history and comparing him to an ATG. That should tell you a lot about Canelo's status.

 

I just said the same thing before reading your post.

 

Beating the #3 HW who happened to be holding some belts vs becoming the first Undisputed SMW by beating two undefeated champions.

Both have a case but the former seems like a bigger accolade.

 

Wasn't saying he moved up this year. Simply saying this was the year he got his shot. Joshua had already lost to Ruiz when Usyk moved up and only got his shot because he had earned mandatory status moving up earlier wouldn't of necessarily seen him get a title shot. There's no guarantee Joshua would of fought him any sooner as he was more focused on unifying.

Joshua damaged? Funny how people before said Usyk was perhaps past his best and too heavy at 34 prior to the fight but now he's the one picking on a damaged 32 year old Joshua.

 

Usyk had the most shocking win, no doubt about it. But Canelo was far more dominant against 3 undefeated SMW Champs. Joshua was already KO'd by Andy Ruiz so he's already been upset by a guy he was expected to destroy.

It's not just Canelo being more active, it's the fact that he's made history by becoming Undisputed and has produced KOs against fighters who've never came close to being stopped. That said, I have no problem with you saying Usyk is FOTY, I get the logic there of him being an underdog and pulling an upset like that. And the fact that Usyk is not really considered a HW but a Cruiserweight. Winning a HW Title for a smaller guy coming up from Cruiserweight means a lot.

 

Agreed is an impressive feat too by Canelo moving up in weight also.

Although BJS has a decent resume at MW not SMW and Plant resume is thin ( still impressive by canelo nonetheless). AJ has a much deeper and proven resume than these two and was the clearly the with best resume in the divison. That why voted Usyk but as I said a case can be made for both guys.

 

I picked Joshua to best Usyk, so that's why I give Usyk tons of credit for the win and think that he has a decent arguement for FOTY, but I also know that I rated Joshua at #3, and have maintained that he was damaged. Some people who followed Joshua's career pre Wlad say he got damaged in the Wlad fight that he was not the same fighter. I personally feel he was not the same after being completely destroyed in the Ruiz fight.

I also think that as much as he won the rematch, Ruiz lost it for going into the fight after and without training.

 

Joshua was already damaged goods. Yeah he was the #3 HW in the already weak division, but he had a loss and had already been beaten in worse fashion.

 

That's a good point, it's not like he just moved up to HW this year. And yes Joshua was damaged. Canelo's last fight at Middleweight against Jacobs in May 2019 was 6 months after Usyk's last fight at Cruiserweight against Bellew. So technically both Canelo and Usyk moved up in weight around the same time.

 

Fury beat the hardest puncher in history whilst out of shape with a 3 week camp. Walked into his hardest shots and ate them up. Both elbow damaged. Rolled his ankle in round 3.

Usyk outboxed a bodybuilder who tried to box him

Fury's win was better.