Reality check.. Usyk is the same size as 'BIG' George Foreman.. is he really that small?

This is standard practice though - Usyk asking for #1 status is just another way of saying "Usyk officially declared he was now fighting at HW"

 

This definition isn't a good one because it uses too much hindsight. Shot fighters look finished to contemporary observers.

 

They didn't ask for the #1 spot at heavyweight (which was already occupied) until the first working day after Ruiz won the title (less than 48 hours later).

It's FUNNY how quickly they asked for it. They wanted it right then. ("Whyte has a fight scheduled. We don't. Put us in the top spot. We can fight him now.")

And the WBO gave it to him because they said he was the unified cruiserweight champion and he could fight the champion (RUIZ) right away, whereas Whyte already had a fight scheduled (like he couldn't have cancelled the Oscar Rivas fight).

It's stated in pretty clear English.

Believe what you want. The only time Usyk and his team were aggressive about getting a title shot was when Andy Ruiz won the belt. When Joshua won it back, Usyk fought some unrated guys, then he agreed to let Joshua and Fury spend a year fighting each other ... took his foot off the gas.

Now he looks like a guy who doesn't plan on sticking around very long Saturday.

We'll see.

 

Whytes team would, but they'd also know it would get them nowhere because #1 always gets pushed aside for the guy coming up from lower weights.

It's just an excuse to cry victim again - as much as Whytes ability gets bashed, he knows how to play the spin game.

 

Disagree - he might've been available to, but he couldn't because Ruiz had a rematch clause pending with Joshua that was always always going to get called in.

For the record, I'm fairly sure Joshua wins too, but I don't believe Usyk didn't want that payday... I think he knew one way or another all roads would lead to it.

 

Think body fat percentage can maybe play a part...i bet usyks carrying quite a bit atm. Whereas george,s would have been a lot lower percentage wise to be the same weight.

When you think about it body fat percentage does probably play a part when deciding naturally bigger men.

Joshuas 240 lbs but i bet his body fat percentage is pretty low to get to that 240. Whereas usyk weighed 221 and his body fat percentage will be high. Tyson was what 210 again tho he,d have had a pretty low body fat percentage back then. I think andy ruiz is just a law into himself tho. He,s obviously got a high body fat percentage but he was a heavy guy...i still say it was that that beat joshua. They underestimated the weight difference. Always harder fighting a guy 40 lbs heavier than you...if it turns into a firefight anyway.

I think usyks up against it tomorrow night tbh...hes the all round better fighter...but regardless of how good you are...you cant give away as much as hes giving away without the big punch. Good fight but if joshuas any good he should be winning that without too much trouble. 4 inch reach advantage. 3 inch height advantage. Home crowd. 20 lb weight advantage and thats with usyk bulking up and joshua slimming down. Will probably be another 5 or 6 lb by the time they get to the ring.

I dont care how good you are...at that sort of level...when you,ve got say the number two heavyweight against the number one cruiserweight....you,d either need the heavyweight to be poor or the cruiserweight to be unbelievably good to bridge that gap. Neither are that.

 

Did you read the article? Whyte was #1. Usyk's team asked to be placed there, instead. Whyte asked the WBO not to. Usyk's team came back with reasons why they should bump Whyte and put Usyk there instead (because he could fight Ruiz right now and Whyte had a fight scheduled).

It wasn't an announcement saying they were moving up. They were calls and letters from Usyk's lawyers to the WBO asking for the #1 mandatory spot. They wanted the #1 spot and the mandatory and said they could fight Ruiz now (and Whyte couldn't).

Read the story instead of making me rekey it 20 times.

 

way harder

 

A fair objection... I'd tend to say that a fighter "looks shot" in the moment though, and only "was shot" when that hindsight is available.

I'd have said Fury looked pretty near shot before Wilder #1 for example, but hindsight shows that he was able to come back in a way I wasn't sure anyone could.

 

I thought so too but the first few rounds changed my mind.

 

WBO always does uses this and fighters for example Crawford too had used this.
When Terence had moved up in weight class they had asked WBO to gave him a World Title fight and they had get it.
So why Usyk should had been treated by WBO differently than Terence Crawford?
Just cos origin ( passport ) or race?

According to WBO rules if THEIR current champion moves up to weight class he does have such rights.
Interestingly why crying had started only when this had appeared Usyk from Ukraine?
With lads from US such crying didn't had appeared here.

It is standard WBO rule during xx years.

 

Surely it was common knowledge joshua had a rematch clause with ruiz?

 

That's kinda the point though, it seems uncharitable to use it firmly without the benefit of hindsight... Maybe that's just a me thing

 

Usyk isn't that small, he's naturally probably a lean 210-215lbs. In contrast Holyfield was shorter and bulked up a lot to just get to 215lbs. So I say Usyk is naturally bigger than Holyfield who by anyone's measure was a great heavyweight.

Foreman may have been 217lbs but it's known he trained down to that weight as there was the idea at the time his natural weight was too heavy. You also have to remember he fought in a 15 round era, many heavies now if forced to fight in a 15 round era would probably drop some weight. Foreman was more a natural 225-230lbs so for me he was naturally 10-15lbs heavier than Usyk.

 

It was less than 48 hours after Joshua lost that Usyk's team stepped in. Joshua hadn't exercised his rematch clause yet. People were telling him not to and wait a while and have a tuneup.

Usyk's team literally called first thing Monday morning.

Joshua exercising his rematch clause is likely why the WBO likely ruled they way they did and put Usyk at #1 but didn't make him the mandatory right away. (Usyk's team wanted both - #1 and mandatory - when they contacted the WBO that Monday).

My point still being clearly Usyk's team made the move because they wanted Andy Ruiz.

They didn't do it because they wanted Joshua. They waited until he lost. And when Joshua won it back, they were happy to step aside, even for two fights with Fury that would've taken a year to complete.

No rush, unlike when Fat Andy won and they couldn't wait to phone the WBO with requests.