Mekhontsev (billed as 6'1, southpaw, future gold medallist) was the last fighter to beat Usyk, doing so in 2009 at LHW. He pressured Usyk, roughed him up and hurt him to the body multiple times: This content is protected Future LHW champion pressure fighter Beterbiev had a highly competitive trilogy with Usyk, dropping him in the 2nd and 3rd fights with bodyshots. Usyk's two decision wins at amateur heavyweight were subjective/controversial: This content is protected This content is protected The fighter who had most success against Usyk in the 2013 WSB (a fight that easily could have been scored 3-2 Usyk) was Nistor: a short (billed as 5'11, likely 230 lbs, southpaw), stocky pressure fighter: This content is protected Usyk's toughest and closest professional fight thus far was against cruiserweight Briedis (billed as 6'1). Briedis applied pressure but didn't have the same success in the 2nd half, losing 7-5 by consensus in a fight that could have easily been scored a draw: This content is protected Chisora (billed as 6'1.5, 256 lbs) gave Usyk a stern test at heavyweight by heavily utilising his 3 stone weight advantage, consistently working Usyk's body and making it rough, losing 7-5 officially, though 9-3 or 8-4 Usyk were more realistic scores. Chisora was at minimum competitive in 6 of the 12 rounds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWMC3tIIuKI Joshua (billed as 6'6, 245 lbs) had considerably more success in the rematch, losing 7-5 officially. Joshua applied more pressure, threw more power punches and more body shots (arguably scoring a knockdown) but gassed while looking for the finish after 9 rounds and didn't make much use of his size up close: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIe-xGb1y14
This content is protected 2010 - John McDermott - This content is protected Should have been a decision win for McDermott but was scored and refereed by an ex-fighter that McDermott himself had beaten. 2013 - Steve Cunningham - This content is protected Fury had to get up off the canvas after being dropped heavily by a relatively light-punching cruiserweight. Fury went on to win by stoppage via fouling, head holding and grappling. 2018 - Deontay Wilder - This content is protected Many concluded it could have been a KO stoppage (personally I don't think so). 2019 - Otto Wallin - This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected
Part of the UKAD agreement was that the Hammer fight was supposed to have been converted to no contest, and though it didn't happen for some reason, PEDs fights have even been altered to disqualifications.
Hunter had a good start, arguably won three of the first four but lost every round after that and would have been stopped anywhere else in the world in the 12th. Even in the 1st Usyk fight Joshua did better.
