Who of the following would you favor to beat Usyk?

Guys he beat Anthony Joshua ... Don't jump the gun ...

 

Many of the Cruiserweights Usyk beat woulsd be considered classic elite heavyweights back in the day.

 

Many of the Cruiserweights he beat would be considered classic elite heavyweights.

 

Many of the Cruiserweights Usyk beat would be considered classic elite heavyweights.

 

Many ? Lol i don't see it. Briedis, Hunter and Gassiev yeah i can see them being top operators in the 70s but to be honest someone like Jimmy Young is a whole level above Hunter and Gassiev. Briedis is definitely more skilled than Quarry but doesn't infight as good. I'd definitely say Norton beats all of them bar Gassiev. And Lyle and Foreman would wreck Gassiev

 

Bro pretty much most of the HW of the past would have been at CW at best. And they would eat plenty of slaps with their wide open stance and terrible defense, cause boxers of the past(most) have terrible defense compare to nowadays fighters.
Compare any of the tennis player 50 -60 years ago to Nadal, Federer and Djokovic in terms of physicality, and pretty much everything and they will look silly. Even the very best most probably won't be in the top 20(most probably won't end up in the top 100 to be fair). It was totally, totally different game.
Compare any strongmen or swimmers or sprinter in the 1970 to nowadays and it's just look silly. Compare any of the early BB and Arnold era to Ronnie Coleman for example and they will look like a kids.
It's so naïve to think that somehow Boxing stop progressing, while every other sport do.
Just looking at the overall height/reach and KG at the HW is making your argument laughable.
But you so bias that is unreal. You cannot clearly see facts.
And I'm not talking about x or y individuals but in average or in other terms as a whole.

Yeah there is always years with a stale and i think we are entering such in most sports, but the potential and let's say it current maximum has been reached.

Even the 90 athletes was better than the 60-70. It was a constant progress.

Like it or not, Lewis in my mind is the best H2H fighter in the history and would have annihilate probably all of the 60-70-80s great.

And btw Gassiev is one of the hardest punchers in the business and has a granite chin, so he will be a monster in any era, especially in the 60-70, when they will be smaller or same size with him.

 

I agree that Frazier gives him major problems. Possibly Marciano if the speed differential doesn't totally screw him up. I'd also argue that some other lesser regarded pressure fighters would do well against Usyk, better than many ATGs who fight at range and therefore play into his hands. Someone like Ray Mercer might do better than Holyfield or Louis based on styles alone, same way the lesser fighter in Chisora did better than Joshua.

Whether Frazier beats him is up for debate, but he's in with a much better chance than some of the others.

 

Agreed, out of everyone on the list i just think Frazier has the best chance. Whoever wins it would be a highly competitive fight. But Usyk has impressed me a lot. Usyk beating Frazier in a hypothetical match up wouldn't suprise me

 

Not by me

 

IMO he would get his behind whupped by a Lot of them.
And i'm not kidding.
Young 1973-1974 seek and destroy Foreman proved against Ali that he could and would cut the ring off on any boxer, and force a war.
If Ali couldn't run away from Goerge, Uysk certainely couldn't either.
Same thing should be said about rocky Marciano and Joe frazier.
Usyk simply would not keep either one off of him. He lacks the power to stop them, or keep them out. Frazier and Rocky would both wear Usyk down and stop him mid round.
But Marciano could be cut so writing Usyk completely off would be dumb.
Louis also mastered cutting the ring off and would get inside, and use those short, deadly, right hands, to beat Usyk up and stop him.
Sonny Liston did not have a great ability at cutting the ring off, but his crucial 6 inches of reach would allow him to outjab Usyk on the outside.
I think Oleksander with his fast feet, could run for his life, survives and lose by decision with Sonny keeping him on the denfensive the whole fight
If Uysk got inside and slug it out with the big bear, he would be dead meat!
Ali was just a better fighter in almost everything, faster, tougher with a stronger chin.
He would possibly have a chance against Patterson, Walcott and MAYBE Charles due to the size advantage (though i doubt it). But he wouldn't be strongly favored.

 

No, they would simply be HW's back in the day. There's nothing to suggest they would be 'elite HWs'.

 

Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali are the only two I am confident on.

 

Louis = Would get outboxed badly.
Charles = Would get outboxed badly.
Walcott = Would get outboxed badly.
Marciano = Would get outboxed badly.
Patterson = Would get outboxed badly.
Liston = Would get outboxed badly.
Ali = Probably could get outboxed but I am not sure. Ali had handspeed like Patterson but "much" better fighter than Patterson.
Frazier = Had a good chance. Styles make fights. He could outwork Usyk.
Foreman = Would get outboxed and schooled badly just like Young's beating on him.

None of the above except Ali and Frazier.