By Max Seitelman: Tony Bellew is giving his former conqueror a great deal of respect and credit by saying that he beats everyone in the heavyweight division apart from the two goliaths Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.
Bellew knows full well what the former undisputed cruiserweight champion Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs) can do, having lost to him by an eighth-round knockout in 2018.
The defeat was such a crushing one for Bellew, and he retired soon after the fight, and he hasn’t shown the desire to come out of retirement despite the possibility of making big money.
Bellew’s vote of support for Usyk, 33, is important, as he’s about to take a big step forward with his career in taking on Joe Joyce (12-0, 11 KOs) in April for the vacant WBO interim heavyweight title.
The Usyk vs. Joyce fight winner will be in the driver’s seat to face the Joshua vs. Fury winner after those two complete their two contests in 2021. There are riches to be made for Usyk if he can beat Joyce to face Joshua or Fury.
Bellew: Usyk beats everyone but Joshua and Fury
“Of course, he can challenge them and cause them a lot of problems, but the only thing that’s going to beat Oleksandr Usyk is size,” said Tony Bellew to MHM Social.
“I don’t think anyone is going to be able to out-box him, and I don’t think anyone is going to be able to be a better fighter than him. I just think size will determine how he does in the heavyweight division.
“So I think he beats everyone besides the two monsters [Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury], I really do. To fight someone like Tyson Fury, he would literally make it so awkward for Oleksandr Usyk.
“He would bring him to a place where he’s not comfortable, and he cannot perform. Someone with that size and frame of Tyson Fury, he can make it so difficult just by taking the center ring and bringing Oleksandr Usyk to him, which he would do.
“I wouldn’t be so stupid and naive to think that he would start chasing Oleksandr Usyk around the ring because he could be led a merry dance and look stupid,” said Bellew.
Tony may be overlooking the wily southpaw Usyk’s ability to outsmart Joshua and Usyk using his boxing ability.
What we aw from Usyk in his last fight against Dereck Chisora doesn’t tell the whole story of what he’s capable of doing against bigger heavyweights like Joshua and Fury.
Those guys are a better style match-up for Usyk, who fights at a fast pace, and he’s outstanding when fighting lumbering big guys.
We saw that with Usyk’s domination of Joyce in the World Series of Boxing in 2013. Usyk used his mobility and his tricky fighting style to befuddle Joyce for five rounds totally. The fight wasn’t even close.
Joshua would use his athleticism to beat Usyk
“On the other hand, Anthony Joshua would chase him [Usyk] around the ring, but Anthony Joshua has the size and the athletic ability to make up the space that he would need to make up for someone like Oleksandr Usyk,” Bellew said.
“With Fury being so much bigger and so much heavier, I believe he would bring Oleksandr Usyk to him.
“Styles do make fights, and I believe those are the only two guys that can beat him. The other guys in the division, he’s just too good of a boxer, and he’s too good.
“People say that I was ahead [against Usyk], but I was exhausted after seven rounds, and I got stopped. He’s the best fighter I’ve ever faced.
“He’s exceptional at what he does. There are no excuses on my behalf. I rate him unbelievably.
“What makes it even worse is he’s a great fellow as well. I’d like to see him capture a version of the heavyweight title, but I just think the guys [Joshua and Fury] that are reigning supreme at the moment are just too big and too powerful.
“That is Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. If you stuck him in with Deontay Wilder, believe you me, Deontay Wilder would not touch him. He would not catch him.
“People say that Deontay Wilder is massive. Yes, he is massive, but he’s clueless. Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are two totally different specimens and two totally different guys who would approach it differently.
“Anthony Joshua is a former Olympic gold medalist. His boxing pedigree is there for anyone to see, Bellew said.
Joshua is a good fighter, but he’s never faced anyone with the kind of talent that Usyk possesses.