Oleksandr Usyk doesn’t just beat everyone he fights, he does it
on their terms, and in their back yard. Here are 10 of his best wins
on their terms, and in their back yard. Here are 10 of his best wins
- ANTHONY JOSHUA
Usyk, the ultimate road warrior, had no qualms going to London and challenging Joshua, the darling of British boxing, in front of 66,000 fans last weekend. He made the fight look easy and left with all Joshua had spent years collecting. - MURAT GASSIEV
Usyk and Gassiev met in the final of the World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight tournament in July 2018 and it didn’t take long for Usyk to assert his dominance and prove brains will always beat brawn when the battle occurs inside the ring. - MAIRIS BRIEDIS
Arguably Usyk’s toughest fight to date, Briedis matched the great Ukrainian every step of the way in January 2018, trading with him toe-to-toe and narrowly falling short on the scorecards after 12 enthralling rounds. - KRZYSZTOF GLOWACKI
Usyk met the undefeated Glowacki in September 2016 and had to travel to Poland, Glowacki’s homeland, in order to outpoint the cruiserweight and leave with his belt. - TONY BELLEW
In what was Usyk’s final fight as a cruiserweight, he spent the first few rounds of a November 2018 encounter figuring out Bellew’s style before then dramatically stopping the Briton in the eighth. - MARCO HUCK
Though Huck had seen better days, and had just been beaten by Mairis Briedis, that should take nothing away from the job Usyk did on the German in September 2017, when stopping him in the 10th round. - MICHAEL HUNTER
Now a heavyweight contender, Hunter was a 12-0 cruiserweight prospect at the time he met Usyk in April 2017 and gave a decent account of himself, too, despite losing a 12-round decision. - DEREK CHISORA
For Usyk’s second fight at heavyweight in October 2020, he came up against the rough and ready Chisora, who gave him all he could handle for four rounds before being outclassed and outpointed over 12. - THABISO MCHUNU
Usyk’s first appearance in the USA ended with him cutting South African Thabiso Mchunu down to size in nine rounds in December 2016.
10. CHAZZ WITHERSPOON
Usyk’s first fight as a heavyweight in October 2019 saw him go through the motions against Chazz Witherspoon, eventually stopping the American inside seven rounds.
Inside Usyk’s victory over Joshua – read on here