OLEKSANDR Usyk’s claims to greatness have received yet another glowing endorsement, from a legend who knows what it’s like to dominate opponents and divisions. Even though he has now completed two divisions, wiping out all of his main challengers twice over, some still sniff at the idea of Usyk as an all-time great fighter.
However, Roy Jones Jr, the imperious king of the 90s, was in Bournemouth with his young fighter, Tony Curtis, over the weekend, and the Florida ex-fighter took a moment to consider a question from the DAZN broadcast team concerning Usyk’s standing.
“I think he’s a great as well. To be able to clean out two divisions the way he’s cleaned them out. He cleaned out the cruiserweight division. Now he’s cleaned out the heavyweight division,” mused Jones Jr.
“I mean, how can you not say he’s one of the greatest? Undisputed cruiserweight champ. Undisputed heavyweight champ. What more could you ask for? And still undefeated, by the way. Nobody’s still beaten him.
“And not just going around cherry picking, fighting whoever they put in front of him. In their hometown. He’s in the UK, in Dubois’ country. So you can’t take away from Usyk what Usyk is doing.”
Standing alongside Jones Jr on the platform as the dust settled following Ryan Garner’s impressive win over Reece Bellotti in the Queensberry main event, former two-weight world champion Carl Frampton discussed the possibility of Joseph Parker being next in line for the Ukrainian master.
“I have a feeling, no, that isn’t the fight [Usyk vs. Parker]. I don’t know what’s going to happen with the belts. Maybe the governing bodies, or the belts will be dispersed and other people will get the chance to fight for them,” questioned Frampton.
“I would love to see Joe Parker get the opportunity to fight Usyk. But I have a feeling it’s going to be someone else. And that’s a shame to say, to be honest. Joe deserves it.”
That “someone else” could be Agit Kabayel, or, more likely a money-spinning third clash with Tyson Fury, or even Anthony Joshua. Usyk has beaten each man handily over 48 rounds, so you’d think all of that had been put to bed. Cash is king and a trilogy with either cannot be ruled out.
In 2003, when at his absolute peak, Roy Jones Jr stepped up to heavyweight to outbox John Ruiz across 12 rounds in a historical feat. It was Roy’s crowning moment and the unmistakable summit of his career.
Mainly because everything slid downhill from that point. All of that has not stopped Jones Jr from considering how he would’ve fared against Usyk, had alternative timelines pushed them together.
“I would have found a way to beat him. That’s who I was. I was not losing to nobody in my prime. I would have found a way to beat him. I mean, I kind of know what I would have did, but I’m not going to express that because that’s for them to figure out, not me!” he chuckled.
