Is Oleksandr Usyk an all-time great boxer on the same line as Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, and others? Former WBO welterweight champion and the current analyst for ESPN Timothy Bradley doesn’t think so. ‘The Cat’ is coming off his unanimous decision win over former WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

The pair initially fought back in May, which saw the Ukrainian emerge as the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999. Usyk’s path to undisputed was one of legends, he defeated Anthony Joshua twice before handing Daniel Dubois a loss. However, that’s not the end of his accolades. 

Having built a name for himself in the amateur circuit with 335 wins and 15 losses, Usyk made his pro debut in the cruiserweight division back in November 2013. Only nine fights later, Usyk defeated Krzysztof Glowacki to get his first major world title belt. He went on to defeat the champions to collect all the straps in the division.

This makes him an undisputed champion in two of the most difficult weight classes in boxing. Moreover, no one has been able to break down Usyk or truly challenge the Ukrainian in the current era of boxing. Time and time again, Usyk has shown supernatural adaptability and resilience to come out on top no matter the challenge. 

However, Bradley believes that’s not enough. Speaking on his YouTube channel recently, he attributed the praise of Usyk as one of the all-time greats to “recency bias.” “All this, all-time great s**t that’s going on, are you kidding me?” he said. “Look, recency bias. Just because he beat two best heavyweights of this era does not make him an all-time great.”

Reminding everyone that ‘The Cat’ has just had seven fights against five heavyweight opponents, Bradley acknowledged that Usyk does have accolades. However, in the heavyweight division, Bradley shared a blunt four-word judgment, stating, “He didn’t clean out.” Bradley added, “He beat the two best guys. Now you are saying he is an all-time great with 22 fights. Wow.”

However, not everyone shares Bradley’s take!

Boxing pundit counts Oleksandr Usyk as top five of the greatest heavyweights

According to a report from talkSport, boxing pundit Spencer Oliver has hailed Oleksandr Usyk as one of the top five greatest heavyweights of all time, following his impressive victory over Tyson Fury. Usyk’s unbeaten record of 23-0 and his triumphs over top fighters like Daniel Dubois, Fury, and Anthony Joshua have solidified his place in boxing history. 

“Without a doubt, Usyk’s in the top five of the greatest heavyweights for what he’s achieved,” Oliver said, highlighting Usyk’s undisputed cruiserweight and heavyweight titles. Usyk’s accomplishments extend beyond the professional ring, with an Olympic gold medal in 2012. 

Fellow pundit Gareth A Davies also praised Usyk, comparing him to Evander Holyfield for his achievements at both cruiserweight and heavyweight. “For me, he belongs alongside the likes of Evander Holyfield,” Davies remarked.

Having said that, Tim Bradley might be alone in his crusade to chip away at Oleksandr Usyk’s deserved status as an all-time great heavyweight champion. But what do you think? Do you agree with Bradley?