By Jim Maltzman: Oleksander Usyk didn’t impress WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, with his recent 12 round decision victory over Dereck Chisora last month on October 31st. Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) says he scored the fight a draw and that the top heavyweights aren’t afraid after seeing Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs) struggle against Chisora.
Usyk, 33, won he fight against Dereck by the scores 115-113, 115-113, and 117-112. Watching the former undisputed cruiserweight champion Usyk struggle to defeat the past his prime 36-year-old Chisora showed that he doesn’t possess the size to beat the top heavyweights.
Oleksander weighed in at a slim 217 lbs, a little more than the 215 lbs he weighed for his debut at heavyweight against Chazz Witherspoon in October 2019. Boxing fans thought Usyk would bulk up after his less than a spectacular win over the 38=-year-old Witherspoon, but he failed to do so.
Fury: Top 15 heavyweights aren’t worried about Usyk
“Obviously, the style for Usyk wasn’t what he was looking for on the night,” said Fury to Gareth A Davies. But I’m sure he’ll learn from that and take it back to the gym and regroup because did we see the best Oleksandr Usyk?
“I’m not sure. Did we see the best Oleksandr Usyk at heavyweight? I don’t know. On that performance, none of the top 15 heavyweights out there are sweating Oleksandr Usyk at the moment.
“Unfortunately, none of us are quaking. Everyone is like, ‘Okay, is that what all the hype was about?’ This the heavyweight game, and heavyweights aren’t like they were years ago. Chisora is probably the smallest heavyweight out there.
You hate to say it, but this is as good as it gets for Usyk, as he’s not going to bulk up to the 230s, and he’s not destined to be the second coming of Evander Holyfield.
When former IBF/WBA/WBC cruiserweight champion Holyfield moved up to heavyweight in 1988, he brought respectable power. Also, to have superb power, Holyfield was a combination puncher, and he was able to wear down his opponents with his attacking style.
Usyk isn’t a combination puncher, and his power is arguably at the light-heavyweight level. The 2012 Olympic gold medalist Usyk doesn’t have the power that Holyfield possessed, and he’ll never be a combination puncher like he was.
Big heavyweights will slaughter Usyk
“To be brutally honest, when he [Usyk] fights a big heavyweight that can punch a bit, I think he’ll be a lamb to slaughter. Maybe,” Fury said when Davies told him that he thinks Usyk can ‘survive’ against the big heavyweights.
We’ll soon find out if Usyk can handle the big heavyweights when he gets his title shot, possibly in 2021. But he might not get that big payday that he was hoping for against IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua or Fury, as there’s a good chance AJ will vacate his WBO title.
As the WBO mandatory, Usyk can force his way to a world title shot in 2021, and that’s what he intends on doing. But Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn have made it clear their focus is on facing Fury twice next year.
If Usyk does make a nuisance of himself by attempting to force WBO champion, Joshua, to face him in 2021, the title will likely be vacated. So instead of Usyk facing Joshua for a payday that would give him retirement money, he’ll wind up facing #2 Daniel Dubois or #3 Joseph Parker for the vacant WBO title.
Based on how Usyk looked against Chisora and Witherspoon, he’d be the underdog against Dubois and Parker. The fact that Usyk barely beat Chisora, it suggests that he would be out of his league against Parker or Dubois.
Also, the money that Usyk makes fighting those guys would likely be considerably less than what he’ll get facing the winner of the Joshua-Fury fight.