What we learned in Usyk's knockout victory over Dubois tonight is that Usyk would have little trouble with Deontay Wilder. Usyk's toughest fights have primarily been against smaller opponents who are fast. Breidis 6' 1" and 75" reach) comes to mind, as does Chisora (6' 2" with 74" reach). Usyk is 6' 3" with a 78" reach. When Usyk fights larger, longer men he's usually able to get inside of their punches and out-speed them. And because of his speed/go-within-the-big-man's-looping-punches advantages, he's is able to fight on the front foot against bigger foes. As he did with Dubois. Joshua is 6' 6" with an 82" reach. Although AJ fared better in the second fight, Usyk was clearly the better fighter and won both fights away from home. Wilder is 6' 7" with an 83" reach. He's also 1.5 years older than Usyk, which is a key disadvantage. Prime Usyk smokes Wilder. Wilder wouldn't land a punch if Usyk didn't want him to. AJ is a far better boxer than Wilder and he had trouble landing anything consistent on Usyk even though Usyk is beyond his prime. Older Usyk is vulnerable. Wilder has always been vulnerable, and it's worse now as he gets ready to turn 38. What probably happens in the fight is what happened in the Usyk-Dubois fight. Usyk befuddles the puncher, wears them out, and then takes them out as they fade away. Wilder's age would play a big part in him likely being KO'd late. One of the most important keys to Usyk setting up KO's is his pace (and pressure). Tonight he wanted to stalk and pressure Dubois, and he did it easily. Wilder meets the same fate. Maybe he lasts the fight as a younger man, but this older version meets the demise that Dubois and Bellew did.
