Boxing thread

[Bahnz]

Yep, mopped the floor with the two dominant heavyweights of his generation 4 zip. Undisputed champ in two weight divisions. Definitely a Lewis-tier fighter at the least. Deserves to be in the conversation for the greatest ever. Wish he'd walk off into the sunset, but I can understand why he'd want to keep going.

 

[Burgey]

Didn’t see the fight today but saw short highlights including Fury shaking his head at the scorecards. I gather Usyk schooled him?

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Didn’t see the fight today but saw short highlights including Fury shaking his head at the scorecards. I gather Usyk schooled him?

No. Much closer than the previous fight I thought. 4 rounds seemed steep but the British press/ex fighters saying he was robbed was way over the top.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Yep, mopped the floor with the two dominant heavyweights of his generation 4 zip. Undisputed champ in two weight divisions. Definitely a Lewis-tier fighter at the least. Deserves to be in the conversation for the greatest ever. Wish he'd walk off into the sunset, but I can understand why he'd want to keep going.

Best since Lewis and arguably better given his unbeaten record. Fighting in a better era than Klitschko brothers did and he's taken on everyone and beaten them all.

 

[Bahnz]

Also, Dubois is so cringey he almost manages to be endearingly cute. Almost.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Think we can definitely now start carving the tablet that says "All Time Great" for Usyk.

He's beaten everyone in a weight that's likely well above his natural one (in the process giving a resounding answer to every pundit who suggested the Marcianos and Dempseys of yesteryear couldn't live with today's XL heavyweights) and done it at an age where most fighters are likely on the down slope.

I wouldn't be surprised if he walks away, but, in all seriousness, I reckon the most interesting fight out there for him is Opetaia, whether it's at cruiserweight or heavyweight.

 

[social]

Think we can definitely now start carving the tablet that says "All Time Great" for Usyk.

He's beaten everyone in a weight that's likely well above his natural one (in the process giving a resounding answer to every pundit who suggested the Marcianos and Dempseys of yesteryear couldn't live with today's XL heavyweights) and done it at an age where most fighters are likely on the down slope.

I wouldn't be surprised if he walks away, but, in all seriousness, I reckon the most interesting fight out there for him is Opetaia, whether it's at cruiserweight or heavyweight.

Usyk is a much bigger guy than Marciano

He’s 6’3” & 220lbs whereas Rocky was 5’10”, 190 and basically a small cruiser

 

[hendrix]

Didn’t see the fight today but saw short highlights including Fury shaking his head at the scorecards. I gather Usyk schooled him?

Was far less competitive than the first fight. The first fight by round 6 it actually felt like Fury had control of the fight. That was never the case in this fight: I don't think Fury every won more than a round in a row and never had any momentum.

Usyk didn't really have to get out of 4th gear IMO. I think I gave Fury about 2 rounds clearly - the 5th and one other. He nicked a couple of others, but definitely didn't win more than 4 IMO. After round 6 this fight was over and Fury was struggling to stay competitive. Fighting negatively/defensively and not really trying to win.

 

[hendrix]

Yep, mopped the floor with the two dominant heavyweights of his generation 4 zip. Undisputed champ in two weight divisions. Definitely a Lewis-tier fighter at the least. Deserves to be in the conversation for the greatest ever. Wish he'd walk off into the sunset, but I can understand why he'd want to keep going.

Peak Usyk is about 8 years ago. His cruiserweight run is quite outrageous in what was possibly the strongest cruiserweight division in history. Went to every champ's backyard and took their belt.

Even a very old Briedis still gave Opetaia the toughest fights of his career: that goes to show just how strong the cruiserweight division when Usyk, Briedis, Dorticos, Gassiev, Huck, Glowacki, Hunter et al were at the time. Remembering that Michael Hunter has a win over Martin Bakole.

 

[hendrix]

BTW, this is still the most competitive fight of Usyk's career and IMO the most underrated fight of the modern era.

 

[social]

Given that he’s Australian, I want to see Opetaia do well but he’s a heavily protected fighter

His only 2 decent wins have come against an old, inactive Briedis who had problems outside the ring and still broke his jaw in the first fight and nearly ko’d him in the 2nd

 

[hendrix]

Given that he’s Australian, I want to see Opetaia do well but he’s a heavily protected fighter

His only 2 decent wins have come against an old, inactive Briedis who had problems outside the ring and still broke his jaw in the first fight and nearly ko’d him in the 2nd

I wouldn't say he's protected. None of the UK cruiserweights will get in the ring with him.

Taking on an unheralded guy like Nyika in January is 100% risk, 0% reward. So I cannot see how that's protectionism.

 

[Hungry Llama]

I didnt see fury fight live only hilites, but fury looked terribly out of shape, even though he had his shorts pulled
nearly to his chest the rolls of fat were visible. he got caught a lot by the faster Usyk. At 36 Fury either starts training
seriously or he better call it a day.

 

[Niall]

Given that he’s Australian, I want to see Opetaia do well but he’s a heavily protected fighter

His only 2 decent wins have come against an old, inactive Briedis who had problems outside the ring and still broke his jaw in the first fight and nearly ko’d him in the 2nd

His win against Massey was very nice tbf.

 

[social]

I wouldn't say he's protected. None of the UK cruiserweights will get in the ring with him.

Taking on an unheralded guy like Nyika in January is 100% risk, 0% reward. So I cannot see how that's protectionism.

Zurdo is the WBA/WBO champion and ain’t no Brit

He also just beat highly ranked Brit Billam-Smith for the WBO title

I want to see him do well but it sure looks to me like he’s being protected because there’s rarely talk of him fighting the top cruisers

 

[hendrix]

Zurdo is the WBA/WBO champion and ain’t no Brit

He also just beat highly ranked Brit Billam-Smith for the WBO title

I want to see him do well but it sure looks to me like he’s being protected because there’s rarely talk of him fighting the top cruisers

Zurdo wants absolutely nothing to do with Opetaia.

 

[social]

Zurdo wants absolutely nothing to do with Opetaia.

Called him out 2 days ago and Opetaia’s manager ran away

Badou Jack is done but imagine him against Opetaia - beat down

Talk of him fighting Usyk is nonsense

I want to see him do well but my gut feeling is that he’s being very carefully managed

 

[BoyBrumby]

Called him out 2 days ago and Opetaia’s manager ran away

Badou Jack is done but imagine him against Opetaia - beat down

Talk of him fighting Usyk is nonsense

I want to see him do well but my gut feeling is that he’s being very carefully managed

Wait, what? Opetaia has beaten Briedis twice (maybe not peak Briedis, but still a fighter who'd only ever lost to Usyk previously and who was the lineal & The Ring's Cruiser world champion at the time of their first fight) and he's both a) a career Cruiserweight not a blown up Super-Middle like Jack; & b) younger than Jack is full stop, never mind when Jai fought him.

Peak Jack wouldn't be fit to lace Briedis's gloves, so I'd take Opetaia to beat the 41 year old version every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

 

[hendrix]

Called him out 2 days ago and Opetaia’s manager ran away

Badou Jack is done but imagine him against Opetaia - beat down

Talk of him fighting Usyk is nonsense

I want to see him do well but my gut feeling is that he’s being very carefully managed

Zurdo is a good boxer who basically just outboxed Billem Smith. He will not handle people who can keep up with his boxing skills, particularly people who are fast and athletic. Evidence is the Bivol fight.

Opetaia's manager didn't respond because they're preparing for his upcoming fight.

I am 100% sure Opetaia would be fine with taking on Zurdo.

 

[Niall]

BTW, whoever is managing David Nyika's career deserves an uppercut. Spends the 4 years since the Tokyo Olympics matching him up against a couple of no-hopers per year, and then chucks him in with the World Champion at 3 weeks' notice.

He was game but it was a murder nonetheless.

Jai will fight Zurdo and likely beat him and then I dunno. Their is simply no more money fights for him unless he moves up to heavyweight and that's got a lot of obvious risks.