Oleksandr Usyk has confirmed which Klitschko brother, between Wladimir and Vitali, he would prefer to face in a prime-for-prime fantasy fight.
Of the two, Wladimir was perhaps the more decorated heavyweight champion, having made 18 consecutive world title defences over the span of nearly a decade.
During that remarkable reign, ‘Dr Steelhammer’ fought predominantly in Germany and defeated the likes of David Haye, Alexander Povetkin and Kubrat Pulev, before decisively losing his belts to Tyson Fury in 2015.
Known for his somewhat unappealing but successful jab-and-grab style, Wladimir boasted one of the most effective lead hands in boxing history, which he consistently used to dismantle his more technically limited opponents.
Vitali, on the other hand, adopted more of a seek-and-destroy approach, always looking to impose his size and strength while, at the same time, knowing exactly when to capitalise on his opponents’ mistakes.
Most notably, the Ukrainian lost to Lennox Lewis in a six-round fire fight that saw him show tremendous gallantry, before getting stopped due to a cut, in 2003.
After that, the Ukrainian became a two-time world champion, securing an eighth-round finish over Corrie Sanders, and ended his career following a 13-fight unbeaten run.
It is Vitali’s ‘awkward’ and ‘clunky’ style, though, which has urged Usyk, a three-time undisputed champion, to select Wladimir as the more beatable opponent.
Speaking with Ready To Fight, Usyk insisted it is not just the power of a prime Vitali, but also his ability to punch from different angles, that would make him a particularly difficult puzzle to solve.
“I would choose Wladimir. He is a more classical athlete; it would be a bit more comfortable for me with him.
“Vitali is very awkward; in boxing, such people are called ‘clunky’. He can hit from positions that physics hasn’t even heard of.”
With Usyk having reigned supreme across two weight divisions, he now looks to return against Deontay Wilder this year.
