Oleksandr Usyk is one fight away from making yet more history in the sport of boxing, with Tyson Fury being the final puzzle piece needed to become a two-weight undisputed champion.
The Ukrainian picked up all four belts at 200lbs in a stacked division before moving up to join the big men. In his third heavyweight fight, he dethroned unified champion Anthony Joshua and beat him again in a rematch for good measure.
With one defence under his belt against Daniel Dubois, Usyk has now signed to fight Tyson Fury to become the division’s sole champion.
When it was put to Roy Jones Jr – himself a heavyweight champion with a victory over John Ruiz in 2003 – who would come out as the best in the ‘top four’ of Fury, Usyk, Joshua and Deontay Wilder, the Hall of Famer didn’t hesitate.
“I think Usyk emerges.”
Like Usyk, Jones was no stranger to a move up in weight. In fact, the Florida-born fighter is the only man in history to win a heavyweight title after starting his career at super-welterweight.
His backing comes ahead of the historic bout with Fury, which has been signed but not yet given an official date.
The Brit faces Francis Ngannou in a crossover bout, and it’s believed that if he comes through without injury or cuts that the date will be cemented as December 23 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Usyk will step through the ropes an underdog against the bigger man in Fury, but fans of the elite operator will remember well that it was the same when he faced Joshua.