Former world champion Tony Bellew has named who he thinks is the greatest cruiserweight of all time.
Bellew, who also won British and Commonwealth Light-heavyweight titles and the European Cruiserweight belt, has always been a boxing historian and, since retiring in 2018, has worked as a pundit for DAZN. However, he revealed recently that he was in training for a comeback fight with Lukasz Rozanski for his WBC Bridgerweight title until Rozanski chose another route.
The Liverpudlian has already lifted a WBC belt of course, in the cruiserweight division, following a career-defining win over Ilunga Makabu at Goodison Park, the home of his beloved Everton FC, in 2016. His third-round knockout win came despite being down himself in the first and opened doors to big fights with the likes of David Haye and then an ultimately unsuccessful tilt at the undisputed cruiserweight crown against Oleksandr Usyk.
Now, speaking to The Matchroom Boxing Podcast, he has called Ukrainian southpaw Usyk the greatest cruiserweight of all time.
“That kid’s the greatest cruiserweight that’s ever lived. There’s not a cruiserweight that would beat Oleksandr Usyk in the history of the sport, I don’t care who you are. Evander Holyfield, he would have figured him out and he wouldn’t have caught him.”
Since that win, Usyk has moved up to heavyweight and claimed three of the four major world titles by beating Anthony Joshua twice, then defending a second time against Daniel Dubois. The only one left is the WBC title that belongs to Tyson Fury who he is scheduled to fight in February next year.