Oleksandr Usyk has solidified his status as the best heavyweight of this era but there is one former champion that is confident he would have ‘figured out’ the Ukrainian mastermind.
Usyk became the second fighter in boxing history to become an undisputed champion at both cruiserweight and heavyweight, joining Evander Holyfield in that elite club by handing Tyson Fury a first career defeat back in May 2024.
Since then, Usyk secured another win over ‘The Gypsy King’ and he then became a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion by halting Daniel Dubois for a second time, before revealing plans to fight for another two years.
However, whilst full of praise for Usyk, three-time heavyweight ruler Lennox Lewis told iFL TV that he believes that he would have figured the now 39-year-old out, if he had been competing in this era rather than in the talent-littered 1990’s.
“I wish that I was in this era to box, because I would have loved to box him. I can’t see why nobody can’t figure him out, I would have been able to figure him out.
“Usyk is the best of this era and he does the right things. He moves well, he doesn’t get hit and he is elusive and he is hard to beat.”
Lewis defeated every opponent he ever faced, avenging his two career defeats to both Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman to become boxing’s second three-time heavyweight champion, after Muhammad Ali – a feat which has since been replicated by Vitali Klitschko and Evander Holyfield.
