Usyk is 38 years old

Hail to one of the goats

 

Became pro at 26 and didn’t have a real fight until he was 28.

 

Exactly
Amateur matches and only having 20 odd fights against low opposition doesn't hurt

Miles on clock means more than age
Ali was champion at 22 dethroning a monster, while Usyk was playing tag with pillows for 3 or 4 rounds

My favourite washed up fighter had more than a dozen ranked wins and title defences lol

Tyson was washed at 24 and had more ranked wins and title defences lol

 

Dubious is going to belly him

I guess he wants solid proof that he is on the steep slide and he will get it if he wants to keep fighting at this level.

 

Usyk is one of my all time favourites but let's be honest: he has only had a dozen pro fights vs outstanding competition.

Ali had over 30 fights vs top 10 ranked guys by the time he was 36.

So did many other greats.

So a lot easier to maintain a good level when you are not fighting 3-4 times a year, often training and fighting with injuries, and have adequate time to rest.

 

I get mistakened for a hater because I continually point this out, BUT usyk has done so much in so little fights and I do FULLY respect that

Usyk is a generational talent and is the best heavyweight of the last 25 years. Wlad if course has the deeper resume at the weight, but I think Usyk would out point both brothers

I balance the scales. He is not the Goat, but he's not just a great fighter either. He is an ATG

 

Usyk’s had fewer pro fights than most but he has also had far more amateur fights, so exact comparisons are impossible. Ali for instance only had around 100 amateur bouts iirc, Usyk’s allegedly had 350 and 6 semi pro, plus Usyk has generally fought bigger men than Ali did, even far bigger men. It’s commonly stated that certain star amateurs (particularly Cubans) “left it all in the amateurs”, so the fact that Usyk is still at the top at 38, 12 years into his pro career, is exceptional and a testament to his professionalism as well as his ability. I believe the oldest successful heavyweight title defence by a Ring champion is Wlad-Jennings when Wlad was 39 and Wlad had considerable size and power advantages to fall back on.

 

Yeah this is why I think to myself here and there Wlad should have found a way to beat Fury despite him being 39 and that loss looks worse over time. At the time I actually let the loss pass though.

 

Usyk has a style that doesnt age well normally. He could become old overnight and get beaten. I think its good that he accepts this and has his last two fights. I hope he gets fo walk out on his own terms.

 

So is Usyk the actual Goat, all trolling aside?
Do you guys have him above Ray Leonard, Ray Robinson, Floyd, pacquiao and Ali to name a few?

That's cool if you do, but are you being genuinely honest and think he has left a greater legacy than Ali or Louis by beating ten guys?

I think this nonsense has gone on long enough. Let's compare how many champions or former champions they have beaten. Remember champs in Alis time were unified/undisputed and mostly lineal champs

Floyd Patterson x2 undisputed champion
Liston x2 undisputed champion
Frazier x2 was an undisputed champion
Foreman undisputed champion
Spinks lost to but then beat another champ
Norton title holder

How many unified or undisputed champs has usyk beaten, while losing 3 of his prime years
Remember you are passing over Ali to make a statement. The guy fought wars in the ring and usyk (and his opponents) ALL pick Ali over him

Show some f.....g respect to the true goat

 

While i do think amateur fights are significant, i don't think they are as intense as pro fights. There are some exceptions of course. Usyk-Beterbiev was very intense. But still, i wouldn't place pro and amateur fights in the same category.

When it comes to achievements, i look at pro achievements unless a fighter was barred from turning pro.

 

Examining amatuer backgrounds for fighters professionally ranked is a bit of a misnomer. It works well for the legacies of fighters like Usyk who have had prestigious careers, or Anthony Joshua who built his public profile as being a Gold meddalist. But it means nothing when examining professional fight itineraries of guys like Tony Yoka and Audley Harrison - or any Cuban fighter. Then you have guys like Andy Ruiz who had a good amatuer career, won a HW title but will never enter the conversation as an ATG of his era.

There are only a select few fighters whose Amatuer days are remembered.

Both are separate, Usyk has excelled at both.