Veteran coach and broadcaster Teddy Atlas believes Oleksandr Usyk might have held his personal with any heavyweight in historical past.
Atlas was ringside in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to see Usyk as soon as extra defeat Tyson Fury through choice, and when requested by Professional Boxing Followers whether or not Usyk deserved to be ranked alongside the division’s immortals, Atlas stated: “He’s earned the suitable to be talked about with all the highest guys. He’s one of many nice winners of our period and the humorous factor is, there’s not one factor about him the place you’ll be able to say, ‘Oh my God, he’s so nice, he’s the best puncher, he’s quick like Ali…’ No. However there’s not one factor he doesn’t do actual properly. He does all the pieces actual properly.
“He doesn’t have one weak point. And an important factor is on the finish of the day, the strongest a part of him is the psychological half. He’s all the time in control of himself. At all times.”
Atlas additionally stated the potential Fury-Anthony Joshua has “misplaced its zing, it’s misplaced its lustre” if it have been to be made subsequent yr, with each coming off defeats. Atlas believed the 36-year-old Fury was higher final night time than he had been when he confronted Usyk in Could, however it nonetheless was not sufficient.
“I assumed Tyson can be higher, and he was higher, give him credit score for that,” Atlas stated. “As a substitute of simply transferring across the ring and letting Usyk boil him down with the strain like he did the primary time, he used the wingspan, he set himself, he made Usyk earn his manner in. He wasn’t pushed everywhere in the ring, and that’s what wears you down. Fury, to his credit score, did a a lot better job. However Usyk does what he does. He finds a option to win.”
