Oleksandr Usyk has proven himself to be the standout heavyweight of this generation, and now Muhammad Ali vanquisher Larry Holmes has revealed how he believes Usyk would have fared against ‘The Greatest’.
Usyk is one of just two fighters to have reigned as an undisputed champion at both cruiserweight and heavyweight – joined only by Evander Holyfield – but the 39-year-old is now pondering his future in the sport, keen to leave with both his undefeated record and legacy intact.
Consequently, fans are questioning where the Ukrainian sits amongst the greats and whether multiple wins over the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois are enough to warrant recognition as one of the best to have graced the heavyweight scene.
Speaking to CanadaCasino, another heavyweight legend in Holmes, who famously halted a faded Ali when they collided in 1980, declared that Usyk would lose every round to Ali, unable to handle the style of the beloved three-time lineal heavyweight ruler.
“Why does Ali win? The styles of the two fighters are different. Ali would come in there and do what he had trained to do, so I’m not sure Oleksandr would be able to handle him. He would lose from round one on.”
An announcement on Usyk’s future plans following his latest outing is expected to come in the near future, with a rematch against latest rival Rico Verhoeven potentially the frontrunner if he continues to fight, due to a recent statement from Usyk’s manager which dimmed hope of seeing him take on Agit Kabayel.
