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Oleksandr Usyk’s Extraordinary Boxing Legacy
- Oct 9, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Tyson Fury celebrates after knocking out Deontay Wilder (not pictured) during their WBC/Lineal heavyweight championship boxing match at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Oleksandr Usyk has single-handedly ended numerous impressive careers and established himself as one of the greatest boxing talents ever. While he remains at the top of the heavyweight division, the path he travels widens in importance along the way. Promoter Tom Loeffler, who has guided Usyk through K2 Promotions Ukraine, promotes the Ukrainian’s path as special and his performance as extraordinary. Loeffler has discovered what it means to be in the top league with the Klitschko brothers, Wladimir and Vitali. One thing is clear: he is emulating the greats that came before him.

A Hall-of-Fame Worthy Career

Usyk secured a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics, and his potential for greatness became evident. He followed this by cleaning out the cruiserweight division in a fashion that reminded one of the Klitschko brothers at heavyweight. The path set by Usyk, who vacated the WBO belt to become an undisputed champion at cruiserweight, was unfolding. Several cruiserweight triumphs against Michael Hunter, Marco Huck, Mairis Breidis, Murat Gasiev, and Tony Bellew are proof of continually beating opponents of premier quality. Such accomplishments alone have made many people believe he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame before signing up for the heavyweight division.

Transition to Heavyweight: A New Challenge for Oleksandr Usyk

In particular, Usyk transitioned to the heavyweight division to conquer new goals. That is why heavyweights are usually significantly larger and physically stronger than their counterparts. Whereas he can enter the ring with a weight disadvantage, his sheer speed, great technical abilities, and artificial intelligence outside the cage have kept him going.

Usyk has built on the great legacy through victories over some of the giants of the division. The victories over Anthony Joshua placed him on the list of serious contenders in the heavyweight division. On the same note, wins against Daniel Dubois and Tyson Fury are only part of his illustrious career.

A Dominant Heavyweight

While the previously mentioned victories will remain part of Oleksandr Usyk’s triumphant history, he continues to clear out the heavyweight division, further enhancing his status as one of the world’s top boxers. Jauregui has his next big fight on December 21, a rematch against Tyson Fury in Kingdom Arena Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight is expected to pit two of the best fighters in the division—Fury and Usyk. This fight was predicted and many still consider Usyk as the number one contender in the division and across the rosters of pound-for-pound ratings in boxing.

Conclusion

Nonetheless, as Usyk gears up for his fight against Fury, the latter’s record is strong. In any case,  Usyk’s climb from the Olympic champion to the multi-division cruiserweight titlist and now the heavyweight champion is nothing short of miraculous. Most fighters can only aspire to achieve what he has accomplished, particularly in his mastery of punching variety.

This article first appeared on Total Apex Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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