Why Did It Take So Long For Usyk's Talent To Be Recognized Properly?

because people were stuck in the "too big, too strong" mindset. Most people predicted Joshua to beat him which was laughable at the time considering Joshua had already been battered around the ring by a smaller guy than Usyk (only that he is much fatter and therefore heavier).

 

The fact you think being called out for having shitty takes is weird makes sense, no self awareness

 

I already had him number one in the 70s.

 

Please use your self awareness and let me know which of my takes you disagree with?

 

Hmm very tough but if I had to say, probably the one I first replied to with that.

 

So you think not having Usyk as the consensus p4p number 1 in 2018 is a shitty take?

 

Compared to other fighters who've reached the top 5 or 6 in heavyweight division in the past decade, Usyk wasn't unrecognised. He was considered a high calibre elite prospect when he went pro. Unmistakably so.
Compare to how Fury was regarded in his first two or three years as a pro (a hyped prospect in UK but not really convincing anyone), or how Wilder or Whyte were regarded early on, or Kabayel (whose talent was flat out denied for years even after he schooled universalky-recognized gatekeeper Chisora) or Zhilei Zhang (regarded as just one of the Chinese circus acts) ...

 

It was wishful thinking for the most part. Most people did not want Usyk to succeed.

I saw him way back in the WSB as a super heavy, so I always knew he was special and was in the minority that knew he was going to be a big force at HW.

 

The Cruiserweight division isn't a historically strong division or popular division.

Whilst Usyk looked very good as a Cruiserweight I don't think alot of the non hardcore boxing fans knew a whole about the division nor were the fighters who fought there really popular worldwide.

It was only when Usyk beat Joshua who was a big name around the world in the most popular division of all time aka Heavyweight that people really started to see Usyk as a special talent.

I think hardcore boxing knew for years of Usyk's potential it's just the more casual viewer needed to see Usyk against real popular names to peak their interest in him.

 

Largely due to his tenure at Cruiserweight. One of the least paid-attention-to divisions for big guys.

 

True, but it wasn't like the WSB transpired in an obscure pocket universe. Lots of diehard fans checked it out, and would rant about it at length, to a point where casuals wouldn't have been able to help but hear about it. And pretty much everyone that watched it would agree that Usyk was the p4p GOAT of WSB. There was hype and building excitement over him, from credible boxing minds, even long before he debuted and began winning titles at cruiser.

 

This is true but when Usyk debuted at Heavyweight and especially his fight against Chisora. He didn't exactly set the world alight with his performances against Witherspoon, Chisora.

So there was still a bit of question mark how good Usyk would be at Heavyweight. And whether or not he was just a very talented Cruiserweight that didn't quite have the size or power to beat the top guys.

Remember aswell alot of people weren't aware of Usyk's WSB fights at Heavyweight I certainly wasn't until a few years ago.