Former world champion suggests that Oleksandr Usyk would face challenges against the gatekeepers of past eras, as he currently ranks only in the top 20 all-time.
In a recent commentary, boxing analyst Duke McKenzie has expressed his views on the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. While McKenzie has not publicly listed a top 20 ranking, he has acknowledged some of the sport's legends such as Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, and Evander Holyfield as all-time greats.
McKenzie emphasizes the importance of heavyweights who dominated their era by defending titles multiple times and fighting at a high pace. He believes that these factors are key indicators of greatness in the division.
However, when it comes to modern champions like Oleksandr Usyk, McKenzie expresses some skepticism about Usyk's place among the all-time greats compared to legendary fighters like Ali and Tyson. McKenzie believes that there are 19 heavyweights better than Usyk when considering fighters from the 70s, 80s, and 90s.
Despite this, McKenzie does consider Usyk to be just about in boxing's top 20 greatest heavyweights of all-time. Usyk has had an impressive career, with notable wins over Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury twice in his career. He also recently became a three-time undisputed world champion.
Usyk's opponents from the past, such as Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Muhammad Ali, Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe, and Evander Holyfield, were combination punchers and huge athletes, according to McKenzie. He believes that these fighters would have given Usyk a run for his money.
In a surprising turn of events, Usyk has been ordered to defend his undisputed crown against Joseph Parker. If Usyk decides to fight someone other than Parker, he would be forced to vacate his red and gold WBO strap.
The talkSPORT pundits have placed Usyk in the ranks with names like Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, but McKenzie believes that Usyk would struggle to stand toe-to-toe with a name like Lennox Lewis.
Ade Oladipo and Spencer Oliver were gobsmacked by McKenzie's statement that Usyk is in the top 20, while Simon Jordan shares McKenzie's sentiment that Usyk would struggle against a heavyweight like Lewis.
Usyk has had a successful career so far, but it remains to be seen whether he can cement his place among the all-time greats. His upcoming fight against Joseph Parker will be a significant test of his skills and a step towards achieving that goal.
Meanwhile, Fury has called out Usyk for a trilogy bout after their previous two meetings. If Usyk accepts the challenge, it will be another opportunity for him to prove himself against one of the sport's current heavyweight champions.
David Tua and Ray Mercer are two other boxers who would give Usyk problems, according to McKenzie. If Usyk can overcome these challenges, he may just find himself in the upper echelons of the heavyweight division.
However, for now, McKenzie maintains that Usyk is just about in boxing's top 20 greatest heavyweights of all-time, but not among the legends like Ali and Tyson. Only time will tell if Usyk can rise to the level of these all-time greats.
While Usyk has been noted for his impressive career, Duke McKenzie, a boxing analyst, believes that he is currently just about in boxing's top 20 greatest heavyweights of all-time, falling short of legends like Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson. Additionally, McKenzie suggests that if Usyk were to face off against athletes from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, such as Joe Frazier, George Foreman, or Lennox Lewis, he may find himself at a disadvantage. Sports enthusiasts might argue about Usyk's place among the all-time greats, as Fury, Parker, Tua, and Mercer are all competitors who could potentially challenge Usyk's standing in the division.
