Unified heavyweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk has made his pick for the sport’s number one pound-for-pound fighter after two stellar performances from both Naoya Inoue and Terence Crawford last month.
Inoue knocked out Stephen Fulton in the eighth-round of his super-bantamweight debut, subsequently becoming the unified champion of the division and claiming world honours in his fourth weight-class to date.
The performance left fans in awe as he picked apart the previously undefeated American, before agreeing to a deal to fight Marlon Tapales, the other unified champion at 122lbs, in a bid to become the undisputed champion.
Meanwhile, Crawford finally fought long-term rival, Errol Spence Jr, stopping him in the ninth-round of one of the most dominant ‘big-stage’ performances in recent memory.
In the wake of the performance, many fans are crowning ‘Bud the fighter of this generation and some even suggesting that he could have defeated Floyd Mayweather if they were both in their primes.
In a clip shared by Boxing Physique, Usyk – who is considered high up the list himself by most – names the American as the pound-for-pound king over Inoue.
“First it’s Terence Crawford, second is [Naoya] Inoue.”
Whilst Inoue is poised to face Tapales, Crawford has announced his desire to face undisputed super-welterweight champion, Jermell Charlo.
However, Charlo’s upcoming bout with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez at super-middleweight means he will be stripped of at least on of those belts, and may not even return to that division depending on the result.
As for Usyk, he makes his second defence of the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles at the end of this month, taking on Daniel Dubois in Poland in an event that can be watched live on TNT Sports PPV.
It’s another step on his quest to become undisputed at heavyweight after doing the same at cruiser – a feat that would no doubt have him challenging Crawford and Inoue for the top spot.