Boxing Junkie staffers are trying to have some fun while the sport is on hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic.
One of the questions fans love to ask even amid a busy schedule is, “Who would win if …?” With that in mind, we decided to create our own “Who Wins?” feature, in which we pit a single fighter against each of five potential opponents and indicate who we believe would win the fights.
We started the series Sunday with our No. 1 boxer pound-for-pound, Vasiliy Lomachenko, and moved down the list to No. 2 Terence Crawford, No. 3 Canelo Alvarez and No. 4 Naoya Inoue.
Now it’s the turn of No. 5 Oleksandr Usyk.
The former unified cruiserweight champion and 2018 Fighter of the Year is now in the land of the big boys, the heavyweights. He passed his first test by stopping journeyman Chazz Witherspoon in October but we don’t know how he’ll fare against elite heavyweights.
Usyk weighed in at only 215 pounds for the Witherspoon fight, meaning he’d be at a distinct size disadvantage against all the top big men except the lean Wilder. He could compensate with his superior skill set and relative athleticism.
In this installment of Who Wins?, you get our staffers’ takes on how he would do against Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder, Dillian Whyte and Andy Ruiz Jr.. We then tally Usyk’s record in those fights and present our standings.
We want to acknowledge that the choice of possible opponents is subjective. We’re looking for the best possible but also realistic foes for our featured boxers. One caveat: We won’t consider promotional and managerial rivalries that often stand in the way of the best matchups. And we’re operating under the assumption that none of our featured boxers will fight with ring rust as result of their forced coronavirus-related layoff.
The plan is to work our way down our pound-for-pound list each day. That means our featured fighter tomorrow will be No. 5 Oleksandr Usyk.
So here goes: Inoue vs. his five potential opponents.
USYK (17-0, 13 KOs) VS. FURY (30-0-1, 21 KOs)
Rosenthal: This is the worst style matchup for Usyk. The 6-foot-3 Ukrainian’s advantage over most heavyweights is his unusual skill set, quickness and relative athleticism. Fury is a towering 6-9, would have about a 50-pound weight advantage and can box and move about as well as Usyk. How could the smaller man win? He couldn’t. Fury would pick Usyk apart, break him down and likely stop him in the second half of the fight.
Frauenheim: Fury has a six-inch advantage in height. Usyk will have to look up at an angle severe enough to suffer a strained neck. He’ll be lucky if that’s all he suffers. Ever since his jump to heavyweight, there are questions about whether Usyk is big enough. Against some, maybe. Against Fury, no way. Fury, mid-round stoppage.
Nam: This is Usyk’s toughest fight in a tactical sense. Fury’s also taller and bigger, meaning Usyk will have to work extra hard just to get close enough to do some damage. Many of the things Usyk excels at – circling to his right, jabbing – may be rendered moot because of Fury’s herky-jerky mobility. But that’s assuming that Fury decides to play cute in the ring. Should Fury employ a more aggressive approach a la Wilder, he’ll find Usyk hard to find. Usyk by close decision.
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USYK VS. JOSHUA (23-1, 21 KOs)
Rosenthal: Joshua’s heart is a question mark after his knockout loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. and a careful performance in the rematch but he reminded us in the second fight that he knows how to box. That could neutralize Usyk until the moment of truth, the moment Joshua, a big puncher, lands a bomb on Usyk’s chin. Will the former 200-pounder be able to take it? The guess here is “no.” Joshua by mid-fight knockout.
Frauenheim: Joshua has a height advantage, too. But it’s half of what Fury has against Usyk. More significant, Joshua lacks Fury’s fearlessness. Jump on Joshua early and he can be beaten. Example: Andy Ruiz Jr. in his upset of Joshua in June. Trouble is, Usyk is a slow starter. He’s smart enough to adjust. Usyk, unanimous decision.
Nam: This is a nightmare matchup for Joshua, who has not been the same since he was knocked down by Wladimir Klitschko. This was confirmed in his last bout against Andy Ruiz, in which Joshua fought like a scared man. This seemingly anesthetized version of Joshua won’t cut it against Usyk. Joshua will fight off the back foot while Usyk works behind an intelligent pressure attack, circling away from Joshua’s right hands. Usyk by unanimous decision.
USYK VS. WILDER (42-1-1, 41 KOs)
Rosenthal: Usyk is a much better boxer than the notoriously limited Wilder, which would give him a chance to win a decision or even score a knockout if he can land enough punches. Don’t write off Wilder, though. He has more power that Joshua has. All he has to is connect with the right punch and Usyk will probably go down. The question is: Will he? If he does, Wilder wins by stoppage. If he doesn’t, Usyk wins by decision. Final verdict: Wilder by KO.
Frauenheim: Usyk can’t beat Fury, but he can thank him for deomonstrating how to beat Wilder. Attack Wilder early, eliminate the distance he needs for leverage on his powerful right, his singular weapon. Without that right, there’s not much Wilder can do. But there’s a lot Usyk, a multi-skilled Olympic medalist, can do. Usyk, unanimous decision.
Nam: As Fury showed, Wilder is a mess when opponents put him on the backfoot. Wilder has the equalizer that can end a fight at any moment, but Usyk’s unusual combination of aggression and guile will have Wilder feeling bamboozled for the majority of the fight. Usyk’s jab will be key, as he closes the gap and unloads combinations. Wilder won’t have an answer. Usyk by decision.
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USYK VS. WHYTE ()
Rosenthal: This is the most winnable fight for Usyk even though he’d face the same size disadvantage of the other matchups. Usyk, with his superior ability, would outbox Whyte and land hard shots with increasing regularity as the fight goes on. And while Whyte has decent power, he can’t crack like Joshua and Wilder can. Usyk might be able to handle Whyte’s biggest shots, although the Englishman would have trouble landing them. Usyk by clear decision.
Frauenheim: Only an inch in height separates the 6-4 Whyte from the 6-3 Usyk. One the scale, more than 50 pounds could separate them. Whyte was 271 in his last fight. Usyk figures to be between 215 and 220. Look for Usyk to use his boxing skill to elude Whyte’s powerful left, then wear him out for a late stoppage.
Nam: If only Whyte was as good as his gab. Whyte is a decent heavyweight, nothing more. He has respectable power, but he is slow and is at his best when his opponents are stationary. He’ll have trouble locating Usyk, who will box Whyte’s ears off to an eventual late-round stoppage.
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USYK VS. RUIZ (33-2, 22 KOs)
Rosenthal: The Andy Ruiz Jr. who stopped Anthony Joshua in June of last year would fight Usyk on even terms. He’s that good at his best. The Ruiz who was ill-prepared in the rematch with Joshua would have little chance against any top heavyweight. Has he learned his lesson? If so, I like his chances against Usyk. His quick hands, solid boxing ability and power would lead him to a clear decision victory over the cruiserweight-turned-heavyweight.
Frauenheim: Ruiz has fast hands and not much else. His stunner over Joshua said more about Joshua than him. His lack of discipline in the rematch and a lack of loyalty to trainer Manny Robles in the aftermath are damning. He fired Robles. He’ll regret that decision. Usyk, unanimous decision.
Nam: Ruiz has neither the devastating punching power of a Wilder nor the dexterity of a Fury. Plus, he’s not as tall as those heavyweights, though he is much wider, which means he’s a bigger target. This will be competitive in the early going, but Usyk will eventually start to pick Ruiz apart from pillar to post in the second half of the fight. Usyk will frustrate Ruiz en route to a clear points win.
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THE FINAL TALLY
Oleksandr Usyk: 10-5 (2 KOs)
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THE STANDINGS
Canelo Alvarez: 15-0 (6 KOs)
Naoya Inoue: 14-0-1 (5 KOs)
Vassiliy Lomachenko: 14-0-1 (4 KOs)
Terence Crawford: 14-1 (3 KOs)
Oleksandr Usyk: 10-5 (2 KOs)
Read more:
Who wins? Vassiliy Lomachenko vs. five potential opponents
Who wins? Terence Crawford vs. five potential opponents
Who wins? Canelo Alvarez vs. five potential opponents
Who wins? Naoya Inoue vs. five potential opponents