Who's more skilled: Ali or Usyk?

Considering that Usyk has never been knocked down in his professional career, except for a controversial low blow, and Ali a few times - I think Usyk has more skill.
And I don't mean Frazier, but Sonny Banks and Henry Cooper.
P.S. Ali may have underestimated his opponents, but skill is also - not to underestimate your opponent.

 

You know what the biggest problem is? Usyk fans are becoming like Nolan Ryan fans in baseball. They think he’s the GOAT … which he isn’t, not even close … but it’s not enough to think it, they want you to think it, and they don’t just want you to think it, they want to grab you by the throat and scream it into your ear until you think it. And if you still don’t think it, then you are a moron who doesn’t know the sport and worst of all, “a hater.”

 

The question is who is more fundamentally sound. I reckon most folks would say Usyk. I rather have God given athleticism I can hone. I think of Lennox Lewis. He played football, soccer, and basketball in high school. He was destined to be really good at the sport he chose as a vocation

 

I have my issues with Stephen A. Smith but that's what he said about Max Kellerman. He said it wasn't enough for Max to make his argument. You had to agree with it.

 

Just cos most people can't do it doesn't mean it isn't right.

It certainly wasn't Floyd's main primary staple and Floyd has the greatest, most consistent defensive skillset on film. Ali's primary defensive skillset was the use of his legs and reflexive head movement and head placement. Pull counter was used more when subtly shifting from defensive towards the front foot, looking to time his man as he's throwing, use their momentum to increase his own power/snap of his punch.

I get what you're saying but a trainer looking to train a Foreman that way is a sh1te trainer. When you see that your fighter is superbly gifted in attributes you should train them in a way that maximises their skill in applying what they're naturally good at. Foreman was well skilled in controlling a man's leverage through pushing, framing and collar-tying them into the path of his onslaught. I'm not sure that Foreman isn't the best combination of offensive threat and ring cutting outside Mike Tyson in the division - that's what he was skilled at. Just cos others were better suited athletically to demonstrate specific skill sets that utilised their talents doesn't mean they weren't highly skilled. Talent/natural ability accentuates skill - they are not pulling those moves off with large success at the elite level without hours and hours of practice.

 

I guess they remind me of Trinidad fans back in the day!

 

Excellent points!

 

Foreman said when he first went into the gym he wanted to fight like Ali. His trainer immediately gave him a style that maximized his natural gifts.

 

I don't take anything Stephen A. says at face value. But Kellerman was a work, too. I think he intentionally took, bonkers troll stances to generate discussion. What I am not sure of is whether he did it on his own - or whether ESPN told him what to say.

 

Tyson bias aside, I've always been fond of Atlas' commentary/analysis. Even he, though, can sometimes be a bit too much.

Fights look so much different with the volume off - no bias of commentary, no steering of crowd reactions to ineffective punches thrown.

 

Atlas obviously know the sport more than Max, but he, too, as you note, has his biases!

Yes, when I am scoring fights, I have the audio off.

 

Tom Seaver>>>Nolan Ryan. It's all about the Ws.

 

Yes.

I can just see a young Ali totally neutralising Usyk by moving rapidly and outboxing Usyk easily over 15. Ali also has a right hand that would wreak and keep Oleksander under manners.

 

People are getting more carried away with there "hate" of Usyk then folks are with Usyk's all time ranking.