Former WBO world champion in the first heavyweight Johnny Nelson (45-12, 29 KOs) is confident that the WBC, WBO, WBA and IBO champion Alexander Usik (23-0, 14 KOs) would conditionally lose today to Evander Holyfield, who is at the peak of his. According to the expert, the legendary American had all the necessary qualities to defeat the Ukrainian heavyweight in a hypothetical fight.
" If we consider peak Evander Holyfield, who rose to heavyweight, and peak Oleksandr Usik, I will choose Holyfield. Holyfield was destructive, had knockout power and was able to adapt until the very last moment of each round.. He always put pressure on him, didn’t let his opponent relax, and his variety of shots was amazing,” Nelson, 58, told talkSPORT. com, answering a question about a potential meeting between the two boxers..
According to the British ex-champion, even in fights with Mike Tyson, Evander demonstrated how to effectively strike from different angles - there was no way to simply dodge, you had to think one step ahead.
" However, this does not detract from Usik’s merits, because he defeated the best fighters of his time. But if you look at the list of opponents that Holyfield defeated, it is by this criterion that I make my choice,” Nelson concluded.
Usyk recently cemented his name among the greatest in boxing history by defeating Tyson Fury in a rematch and confirming his status as the undefeated king of the heavyweight division.. Before this, the Ukrainian had already written his name in history, becoming the absolute world champion in the first heavyweight division and dominating in two weight categories.
Evander Holyfield is considered a boxing legend.
His path was similar - he became the first absolute champion in the first heavyweight division, and then rose to heavyweight, where from 1990 to 1992 he held the title of absolute champion and became the world champion in this category four times.
Evander Holyfield retired in 2011, leaving a significant contribution to the world of boxing, including victories over such stars as Mike Tyson, Larry Holmes and George Foreman.
Oleksandr Usyk, on the other hand, is poised to leave an even more dominant legacy while remaining undefeated at the professional level..