Tag: Lennox Lewis

Weekend Review: Oleksandr Usyk made history with transcendent performance

Weekend Review: Oleksandr Usyk made history with a transcendent performance against Tyson Fury on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER
Oleksandr Usyk

Oleksandr Usyk (right) did a lot of damage with his left hand. Richard Pelham / Getty Images

I used to roll my eyes when anyone compared Usyk to another cruiserweight titleholder who became heavyweight champion, Evander Holyfield, who I believe is among the two or three best fighters pound-for-pound over the past 40 years.

I can’t do that anymore, not after what Usyk did on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

Usyk overcame a slow start and a spirited effort from Tyson Fury to score a pivotal ninth-round knockdown and go on to win a split decision in an epic battle between the two best fighters in the division, thus becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champ since Lennox Lewis a quarter century ago.

And he relied as much on grit as his boxing wizardry to do it. He appeared to be in trouble in the first half of the fight, as Fury was able to land heavy punches – many to the body – surprisingly consistently given Usyk’s technical ability.

Usyk not only survived the rough stretch but managed to turn the tables in the second half of the fight, highlighted by a monstrous left to the head that resulted in a standing knockdown and nearly ended Fury’s night in Round 9. Usyk went on to outwork Fury down the stretch, which was enough to have his hand raised.

One could argue that Fury did enough to get the nod – Fury himself pleaded his case afterward – but few outside the loser’s camp is crying robbery. Usyk earned the greatest victory of his career.

The 37-year-old Ukrainian has defeated former heavyweight king Anthony Joshua in back-to-back fights and now Fury in a four-fight span even though he was dwarfed by both of them, leaving little doubt that he’s the top heavyweight at least until an anticipated rematch with Fury and an all-time great.

I still have trouble comparing Usyk to Holyfield, who was a dominating 190-pounder (the cruiserweight limit at the time) and went on to become a four-time heavyweight champion. I believe he would’ve been the greatest heavyweight ever if he were naturally bigger.

I now have similar thoughts about Usyk. He defeated the gifted Fury even though he was outweighed by 38½ pounds. What he would’ve done if they were the same size? Fury, as well as Joshua, wouldn’t want to know the answer to the question.

The fact he is 3-0 against them as a blown-up cruiserweight is nothing short of remarkable, just as Holyfield’s success against bigger men was in his generation.

We’re privileged to be witnessing something so special.

 

BIGGEST LOSER
Tyson Fury

Tyson Fury (left) gave a strong performance in defeat  Richard Pelham / Getty Images

The “0” in Fury’s record is gone but he certainly has nothing to be ashamed of.

In fact, he gave one of the better performances of his career given Usyk’s ability and determination. He seemed to be in control of the fight by the middle rounds, using his combination of skills and athleticism to land eye-catching shots consistently.

And his recuperative powers were on full display in Round 9, when Usyk’s left hand staggered him and a follow-up barrage of power shots almost put him away. His ability to not only survive the harrowing moment but come back to fight hard down the stretch is a testament to his conditioning and will power.

However, the 10-8 round proved costly for Fury. Had it been a 10-9 round for Usyk, the two 114-113 scores would’ve been 114-114 and the fight would’ve ended in a draw.

Alas, Fury must now accept the fact that he has lost for the first time. And we must reevaluate the way we look at him, at least to some degree. He had a chance to confirm what many believed going into the fight, that he was the premier big man in the sport.

Instead, he can only claim to be second best at the moment. That’s not bad but Fury won’t embrace that designation, particularly because he feels he did enough to get the decision.

Fortunately for him, it appears that he’s going to get a second chance. He indicated after the fight that he would exercise the rematch clause in the contract signed by the fighters, and Usyk made it clear he has no problem with that.

If Fury wins, particularly if he can do it convincingly, he can reclaim his spot atop the division and much of what he lost. If he loses again, he’ll be remembered as a guy who came up short.

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10 greatest British heavyweights of all time. Is Tyson Fury on list?

10 greatest British heavyweights of all time. Is Tyson Fury on list?

Tyson Fury is still building his resume.

The two-time heavyweight champ, who will defend his WBC title against Dillian Whyte on pay-per-view Saturday at Wembley Stadium in London, is only 33, after all.

For example, he could still face the winner of a tentative rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua, which would enhance his legacy considerably.

As it is, however, Fury must be considered one of the more accomplished heavyweights in British boxing history.

Where does he rank? Here are the 10 greatest heavyweights from the U.K. of all time.

10 greatest British heavyweights of all time. Is Tyson Fury on list?

10 greatest British heavyweights of all time. Is Tyson Fury on list?

Tyson Fury is still building his resume.

The two-time heavyweight champ, who will defend his WBC title against Dillian Whyte on pay-per-view Saturday at Wembley Stadium in London, is only 33, after all.

For example, he could still face the winner of a tentative rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua, which would enhance his legacy considerably.

As it is, however, Fury must be considered one of the more accomplished heavyweights in British boxing history.

Where does he rank? Here are the 10 greatest heavyweights from the U.K. of all time.

10 greatest living heavyweights: Is Tyson Fury on the list?

10 greatest living heavyweights: Is Tyson Fury on the list?

When three-time heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali died at 74 in 2016, boxing lost arguably its greatest heavyweight of all time.

Who is currently the No. 1 living heavyweight?

Well, that’s up for debate, which is the point of this special report. Boxing Junkie gives you the 10 greatest living members of the sport’s glamour division.

Here’s the list, in reverse order.

10 greatest living heavyweights: Is Tyson Fury on the list?

10 greatest living heavyweights: Is Tyson Fury on the list?

When three-time heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali died at 74 in 2016, boxing lost arguably its greatest heavyweight of all time.

Who is currently the No. 1 living heavyweight?

Well, that’s up for debate, which is the point of this special report. Boxing Junkie gives you the 10 greatest living members of the sport’s glamour division.

Here’s the list, in reverse order.

Is Mike Tyson planning to fight Logan Paul in February?

Is Mike Tyson planning to fight Logan Paul in February?

Next up for Mike Tyson: Logan Paul?

The former heavyweight champion, who fought Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition in November, told The Sun that he plans to return to the ring in February against what he called “a really stimulating opponent.”

That opponent is rumored to be Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer who took on Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition in June.

The social media outlet Drama Alert, citing “sources,” tweeted that Tyson would in fact face Paul but didn’t provide details.

“I am going to have a return fight in February, and we are pretty skeptical about the opponent, but it will be a really stimulating opponent,” Tyson told The Sun.

Tyson wouldn’t confirm that Paul will be his opponent but he was asked for an earlier interview whether he’d face Paul or his brother, Jake Paul. He was enthusiastic about the idea of fighting Logan Paul.

“Yeah, hell yeah,” he said, according to The Sun. He added: “That would be a lot of money.”

Tyson said he would not fight Jake Paul, another YouTube star who has become a boxer. He said the two have become too close as friends to do battle.

Another possible opponent for Tyson is former foe Lennox Lewis, he told ES News. Evander Holyfield was a leading candidate until he was stopped by Vitor Belfort last month.

“Evander f—-d up the money. We gotta do it with Lennox [Lewis] now,” Tyson said.

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Is Mike Tyson planning to fight Logan Paul in February?

Is Mike Tyson planning to fight Logan Paul in February?

Next up for Mike Tyson: Logan Paul?

The former heavyweight champion, who fought Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition in November, told The Sun that he plans to return to the ring in February against what he called “a really stimulating opponent.”

That opponent is rumored to be Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer who took on Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition in June.

The social media outlet Drama Alert, citing “sources,” tweeted that Tyson would in fact face Paul but didn’t provide details.

“I am going to have a return fight in February, and we are pretty skeptical about the opponent, but it will be a really stimulating opponent,” Tyson told The Sun.

Tyson wouldn’t confirm that Paul will be his opponent but he was asked for an earlier interview whether he’d face Paul or his brother, Jake Paul. He was enthusiastic about the idea of fighting Logan Paul.

“Yeah, hell yeah,” he said, according to The Sun. He added: “That would be a lot of money.”

Tyson said he would not fight Jake Paul, another YouTube star who has become a boxer. He said the two have become too close as friends to do battle.

Another possible opponent for Tyson is former foe Lennox Lewis, he told ES News. Evander Holyfield was a leading candidate until he was stopped by Vitor Belfort last month.

“Evander f—-d up the money. We gotta do it with Lennox [Lewis] now,” Tyson said.

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Supersized: The 10 heaviest heavyweight champions in history

Supersized: The 10 heaviest heavyweight champions in history.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published this past January.

 

The heavyweights of the current era are gargantuan, led by oversized titleholders Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, who outweigh many great champions of the past by 50 or more pounds.

However, we’ve seen unusually large heavyweights throughout the history of boxing, going as far back as the early part of the 20th century. And some of these bygone behemoths reached the pinnacle of the sport, becoming champions.

Here is a list of the 10 heaviest heavyweight titleholders ever.

A few guidelines:

  • The heavyweights are ranked according to their weight while they were titleholders.
  • We include their weight when they lost their titles if they were at their heaviest in that fight.
  • We also include their heaviest weights of their careers, even if they didn’t hold a title at the time.
  • The weights were found on Boxrec.com, the official record keeper of the sport.

Here we go:

Supersized: The 10 heaviest heavyweight champions in history

Supersized: The 10 heaviest heavyweight champions in history.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published this past January.

 

The heavyweights of the current era are gargantuan, led by oversized titleholders Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, who outweigh many great champions of the past by 50 or more pounds.

However, we’ve seen unusually large heavyweights throughout the history of boxing, going as far back as the early part of the 20th century. And some of these bygone behemoths reached the pinnacle of the sport, becoming champions.

Here is a list of the 10 heaviest heavyweight titleholders ever.

A few guidelines:

  • The heavyweights are ranked according to their weight while they were titleholders.
  • We include their weight when they lost their titles if they were at their heaviest in that fight.
  • We also include their heaviest weights of their careers, even if they didn’t hold a title at the time.
  • The weights were found on Boxrec.com, the official record keeper of the sport.

Here we go:

Mike Tyson vs. Lennox Lewis? We could see it before year’s end

Mike Tyson vs. Lennox Lewis? We could see the retired heavyweights in an exhibition before the end of the year.

Mike Tyson vs. Lennox Lewis in December?

That’s the word directly from the mouth of Lewis, who said on the “2worldchamps’ podcast that he will meet his former rival in an exhibition last this year.

Tyson said months ago that he planned to fight Lewis in September but not much has been heard about it since. However, Lewis was asked on the podcast whether he would meet Iron Mike.

“Yes, if he wants to dance, I can dance,” Lewis replied.

When? “December,” he said.

Has that been announced? “Soon.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJyGjpHNbuc

Of course, Lewis might’ve just been having a little fun or trying to will the fight into happening. Who knows? At the same time, the meeting certainly makes sense from a business standpoint.

The storyline is good. Lewis famously knocked out a past-his-prime Tyson in 2002. A rematch of sorts would be interesting. And both have remained in the public eye, Tyson as a worldwide icon and Lewis as a Fox commentator.

Tyson made his exhibition debut against Roy Jones Jr. in November. The pay-per-view event did well, motivating Tyson and his handlers to do it again.

Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) and Lewis (41-2-1, 32 KOs) are 55 years old. Lewis turns 56 on Sept. 2. Both of them are Hall of Famers.

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