Who would Usyk have to beat to be a top 1-5 HW Of All Time?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Journeyman92, Jul 20, 2025 at 5:34 AM.


  1. Journeyman92

    Journeyman92 Barrios is a bandit robber - Psalm 144:1 Full Member

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    In the coming years, let’s say he has 2.5 left so maybe 4-5 bouts tops. What does he have to do classic comrades?
     
  2. thistle

    thistle Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Joshua
    Fury
    Bubois
    Chisora

    7 Fights in 5 Years against none great stellar fighter, why does the years matter, well, even if he could have fought 2 times in each year that Is Not a big expectation among Fighters and Boxing, it is what they are 'supposed' to do after all.

    Bellew
    Huck
    Briedis
    Witherspoon
    Gassiev

    Better, sure, Elite, no, ATG's no... most of them Top Noted and even Very good fighters, himself included, some not.

    So how in the name of True Greats does he even beat many of them, nevermind better than them.

    Using even the absolutely rediculous Achievement Based listings, many, many L-HW and HW greats fought many more great fighters than him.

    Madness.
     
  3. Dynamicpuncher

    Dynamicpuncher Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    He will never be between 1-4 Ali, Louis, Lewis, Holmes, have way too much depth.

    He could maybe slot in at number 5 if he beat the likes of Parker, Kabayel, and Itauma assuming he has some notable wins and keeps winning.

    But realistically Usyk won't have enough time to achieve all that he's probably having 1 more fight and hopefully it's against Parker.
     
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  4. themaster458

    themaster458 Well-Known Member Full Member

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    I would say Parker, Kabayel, and maybe Itauma or Jai. Lot of his ranking will also depend how well they do after he retires but I think few more weeks and he's definitely top 5 with one of the best resume in Heavyweight history
     
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  5. META5

    META5 Active Member Full Member

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    Usyk will be one of the fighters that likely ranks higher H2H than he does in all-time rankings.

    As @Dynamicpuncher says, 1 - 4 have too much depth and then there's Rocco, Wlad Tyson, Frazier, Holyfield, Foreman, Liston etc. and others with either deeper résumés or much bigger signature wins.

    Unfortunately, the quality of the competition of today and the consideration of the fighters when he faced them, Usyk's chances of breaking in there are nigh on virtually impossible.
     
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  6. HistoryZero26

    HistoryZero26 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    There is nothing he can do. He is 38 with 8 HW fights against 5 opponents. He has 2 additional CW wins against ranked HWs. Usyk is 24-0 total. That is a short resume for someone coming into the home stretch of their career.

    With Beterbiev at 175 everyone seems to understand this concept just fine but with Usyk? Nope hes got nothing left to prove.
     
  7. guilalah

    guilalah Well-Known Member Full Member

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    You fight the people who are there to fight.

    Question is, does Usyk handle them as you feel a 1-5 AT heavyweight should handle them. Of course, different heavyweights have different assets which the parlay to success. Jack Johnsons way of being a great boxer isn't precisely isn't Dempsey's way, which isn't exactly LKouis's way, which isn't exactly Marciano's way, which isn't exactly Ali's way, ech ect. infinitum.
    So the more developed question is, if an Usyk-sort of fighter was a 1-5 ATG hvy, does he fight and treat the qualified competition of hius time in a way that supports the notion that he's ATG.
    Baseball player Henry Aaron once said, you ask if an athlete dominated, you ask how dominable were the athlete's time. Of as forum poster Ted Spoon once wrote, Performance in light of Opposition. But it's never just 'resume'. There's nothing strictly impossible in a greater fighter, in a markedly weaker era, having a less impressive resume -- if all the resume is 'names' -- than a (somewhat) weaker fighter in a stronger era. But 'resume' SHOULD NOT be only the names; it should include who a boxer performed against the names. The 'names' are the light that make the greatness more or less knowable; but the greatness of a fighter is most of all in their operation.
     
  8. TipNom

    TipNom Active Member Full Member

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    Unless he reigns for another 6 or so years and defends his titles twice a year for that time, then I don't see him ever having a case for being 1 or 2. If he beats Parker and Kabayel then I could see him as a 5 or 4. To get to 3 for me he'd need to basically clear out the top 10-15. Get wins over guys like Zhang, Hrgovic, Bakole, Ajagba, Wardley. Beat a future champion like Itauma on his way out aswell like Lewis.

    It's important to note that he is undefeated and would be retiring undefeated in these scenarios. That's a feat that gets Marciano high rankings in heavyweight lists, but Usyk would have done it against better opposition as a smaller man fighting super heavyweights.
     
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  9. thistle

    thistle Boxing Addict Full Member

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    he can't, he isn't, he never will be...

    Usyk vs PARKER is a 'must' though !
     
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  10. Gazelle Punch

    Gazelle Punch Boxing Addict Full Member

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    People act like he doesn’t have a case already. To secure it he could beat Wilder and Ruiz or Parker. I actually think Ruiz v Usyk would be a real fun fight. Although Ruiz didn’t look to good last time out. But he is a name for the ledger. Usyk is that good where he already has a better resume than Holmes and maybe Foreman. Little behind the Ali’s and Louis but right there w Marciano and Lewis