Could Usyk Be The Next Holyfield?

In becoming the first undisputed cruiserweight champion since Evander Holyfield achieved the feat in 1988, Oleksandr Usyk 15-0 (11) put on the best boxing exhibition seen so far this year by any fighter regardless of division. In a sublime performance at the Olimpiyskiy in Moscow this past weekend, Usyk put on a clinic, winning every round and quite possibly every minute against Murat Gassiev 26-1 (19), a performance that will be remembered for a long time.

In overwhelming Gassiev, Usyk wins the WBSS cruiserweight tournament and earns the first Muhammad Ali trophy. Had Muhammad been watching, he would’ve been smiling proudly because Oleksandr boxed and fought that terrifically. Like Ali, Usyk showed he has strong legs that can carry him effortlessly anywhere he needs to go, and on call. And like Ali, everything Usyk does offensively and defensively starts with his jab, only from his southpaw stance. His movement, punch assortment and lead left hands had Gassiev totally befuddled and never quite sure of what punch may be coming next or when.

To grasp how good Usyk fought against Gassiev who entered the fight only a 6-5 underdog, think about this – Usyk’s foot movement, pivoting and legs looked to be on par with Vasyl Lomachenko, one of the top three pound-for-pound fighters in boxing. But there’s more to it than that, because Usyk’s offense is more creative than Lomachenko’s. Usyk is more active and takes the initiative more with his back hand than Vasyl does and that really stymied Gassiev. In addition, Usyk out-boxed Gassiev more completely, suffering fewer close calls, than Terence Crawford did during his dismantling of Jeff Horn last month, and Gassiev is a higher caliber fighter than Horn.

In thoroughly outclassing Gassiev at every turn, Usyk was seldom cornered, pinned against the ropes or blasted with many big shots. Gassiev can really punch but the few big shots he landed to the chin and body didn’t make Usyk blink. For 12 rounds he took the bullets out of Gassiev’s guns, used the entire ring and picked his spots when he wanted to go in and score to the body and head, mixing short uppercuts and hooks from both sides after setting him up with his jabs and back hand leads. Usyk was also incredibly accurate with his shots and just seemed to be a step ahead during the entire bout.

The only somewhat negative that was evidenced during the bout was Usyk’s lack of one punch fight altering power. And with the likelihood of him moving up to heavyweight, some see that as a cause for concern as was the case with Holyfield when he moved up to heavyweight. But as it turned out, that wasn’t an issue for Holyfield who became the undisputed heavyweight champ two years after unifying the cruiserweight title. And my instincts tell me Usyk’s power won’t hold him back campaigning as a heavyweight.

Usyk is clearly one of the top three or four “most complete boxers” in the sport right now. History tells us good boxers who are well conditioned and have a sturdy chin usually excel in the heavyweight division with Holyfield, Chris Byrd and James Toney being exhibits A, B, and C. When Holyfield, and to a lesser degree Byrd and Toney, competed as heavyweights, the track was faster than it is now. So realistically, Usyk doesn’t have to be as good as they were and his potential as a heavyweight is no less than on par with Byrd and Toney. As far as Holyfield, Evander was an all-time great heavyweight and I’m not ready to put that pressure on Usyk and declare him as having the same upside. In time we’ll find out.

Based on his showing against Gassiev, it’s not a reach justifying Usyk as being a better boxer and mover than any of the active heavyweights today who make up the top 10. Anthony Joshua, Joseph Parker, Luis Ortiz and Tyson Fury are probably the top four “best boxers,” with AJ and Ortiz boxing as they press forward and Parker and Fury being more on their back foot while using the ring. However, Usyk can be effective fighting as he moves in or he can fight and box on the move and use the ring geography for defense in eluding his opponent’s aggression.

There are a multitude of reasons why Usyk shouldn’t have any trouble transitioning to heavyweight, with the first and foremost being that the overall grade of fighter in the heavyweight division is demonstrably lower than in the lighter weight divisions. During his prime fighting as a heavyweight (1988-93) Holyfield was only out-boxed by Riddick Bowe during their first fight and in reality that had more to do with Bowe’s size and physicality than Bowe’s skill as a fundamental boxer. And it’s no coincidence that during his declining years only Byrd and Toney, smaller fighters who moved up, out-boxed him. Fighting as a heavyweight Holyfield sometimes let his desire and toughness get ahead of him and he would trade with fighters when it wasn’t to his advantage. Having watched Usyk, it’s a safe bet he has more Byrd and Toney in him than he does Holyfield when it comes to a fighting mindset. Also, Usyk will go into his heavyweight bouts assuming that he’s the quicker fighter of both hand and foot and will use that to his advantage as he looks to box more so than to trade or exchange power shots.

Usyk is a physically strong guy with a solid heavyweight frame. At 6-3 he’s as tall as Ali and Larry Holmes and his 78-inch reach is in the ball park with theirs as well. Nearly all the opponents he’ll face as a heavyweight will assume they’re stronger and punch harder than he does, so they’ll no doubt carry the fight to him. And that will serve him well as there are no good attackers in the heavyweight division.

Cutting off the ring and preventing an escape route for a good boxer is a lost art today. Luckily for Usyk there isn’t anyone close to a “Smokin” Joe Frazier in the division today, a fighter who could get under him and his jab while cutting off the ring and forcing him to the ropes as Joe did in all but a few of the 41 rounds he fought with Ali. A majority of the heavyweights Usyk will meet will be predictable offensively while presenting a vanilla offense which he’ll see and have time to react to.

Conversely, with his bigger opponents in pursuit, he’ll be able to hit them on the way in with shots they don’t see or have time to react to. Some of the best shots he nailed Gassiev with were during the times Murat was trying to push the action and close the distance. Although Usyk isn’t a big puncher, his form and technique are outstanding. Couple that with him being well over 200 pounds fighting as a heavyweight and hitting his opponents on the way in with shots they’ll often not see and his power won’t be an issue versus the big guys at all.

Right now, as is the case with the other contenders, Joshua, Wilder and Tyson Fury would present Usyk with his biggest challenges. Joshua’s straight punching, power and reach could keep Usyk on the defense and there’s no way Oleksandr could take the same risks trying to hit AJ that he did with Gassiev. Wilder’s awkwardness would be an issue for a fundamental boxer like Usyk, and it’s doubtful he’d have smooth sailing against him despite being a much better technician. And then there’s Fury’s reach and size along with his unpredictable style and moves that would also make things difficult for Usyk. But of three, Fury is probably the least dangerous.

The issue fighting in the heavyweight division for Usyk will not be his supposed lack of power, it’ll be how sturdy his chin is, something no one knows yet. Holyfield’s was all-world and that enabled him to go on the attack and take more risks than he probably should have. Toney’s was also first tier and that kept him in fights in which he was nailed by big punchers, keeping him around long enough to out-box them – and Byrd also took a great shot and was only stopped by a bruiser like Ike Ibeabuchi until he was on the decline. But in a nutshell, all three had a strong enough beard to compete and win a version of the title as heavyweights.

Usyk is physically bigger than Holyfield who won the heavyweight title weighing just 10 pounds more than Usyk weighed against Gassiev. And Usyk has better legs and is capable of boxing on the move more so than Holyfield, so he’ll not be forced to trade and slug it out as much as Evander was. It’s doubtful any active heavyweight can out-maneuver or out- think Usyk over the course of 12 rounds. What they can do (and that may really only apply to Joshua and Wilder) is impose their physicality and power on him. It’s not hard to envision Usyk boxing circles around Wilder for nine rounds and then getting caught with a big right hand in the 10th and being stopped. And if Joshua fought Usyk with the same complacency he did Joseph Parker, it’s not a reach seeing Usyk living with him unless he gets caught.

To those who believe Usyk’s size and lack of power will prevent him from winning a piece of the heavyweight title, I wouldn’t count on it. Usyk has the skills and more than adequate size to be a major factor in the division. And if his chin is close to 90 percent of what Holyfield’s was, then his chances improve profoundly because today’s heavyweight division is only two deep and maybe soon to be only one deep…..unlike the field Holyfield competed against during the Tyson, Bowe and Lewis era.

In order to win the heavyweight title circa 2019-2020, Usyk doesn’t need to be as great as Holyfield was. And who knows, maybe in five years we’ll be having that conversation. Just not before or until then.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

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