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Oleksandr Usyk: The Rise of a Superstar

When Oleksandr Usyk steps in to the ring tonight against Tony Bellew - we will be witnessing the ...
Newstalk
Newstalk

13.05 10 Nov 2018


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Oleksandr Usyk: The Rise of a...

Oleksandr Usyk: The Rise of a Superstar

Newstalk
Newstalk

13.05 10 Nov 2018


Share this article


When Oleksandr Usyk steps in to the ring tonight against Tony Bellew - we will be witnessing the beginning of a new era.

Usyk was a member of the successful Ukranian Olympic team in 2012 - which included current pound-for-pound no.1 Vasyl Lomachenko - winning gold in the heavyweight division. 

Lomachenko and Usyk took different paths to the pinnacle of the pro game with the former signed by Top Rank, and, with Bob Arum's promotional nous behind him, has quickly become a two-time World Champion.

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Usyk took a different route - slowly building his pro pedigree in both the World Series of Boxing and the World Boxing Super Series.

The Ukranian could well be the man to carry boxing forward globally, over the next decade. While Anthony Joshua currently rules in the heavyweight division, he appears to have little interest in fighting stateside and who could blame him - given he can sell out Wembley on his own on a whim. 

Of course, there's also Middleweight champion, 'Canelo' Alvarez as well, who favours fighting in Las Vegas around the Mexican national days of celebration of 'Cinco de Mayo' and their Independence Day but Usyk has the will to fight in all corners of the globe and his recent record proves that. 

He has travelled to Russia, Latvia, Germany, America and Poland to become the unified Cruiserweight World Champion and has faced undefeated fighters in three of his last four bouts. 

He has rarely been troubled and dominated all before him. He put on a technical display of brilliance in his last fight against Murrat Gassiev in Moscow to claim the Muhammad Ali Trophy in the World Boxing Super Series. Gassiev didn't even land a jab in the last four rounds.

He faces Tony Bellew in Manchester tonight in what he sees a stepping stone to the ultimate goal of a bout with Anthony Joshua.

He won't underestimate Bellew, who comes into the bout after two career-defining stoppage wins over David Haye. 

The Liverpudlian is an affable character and it's hard to root against him but he is facing a Bona Fide superstar in Usyk.

The Ukranian's superior movement alone will have Bellew struggling from the off and the Briton has had problems defending straight left-hand shots in the past. 

He was knocked down by Ilunga Makuba in their 2016 scrap before turning the fight around stopping his opponent. 

However in 2013, Bellew was totally out-classed by Adonis Stevenson at Light-Heavyweight - dropped by a straight left before being finished with the same punch in the sixth round. 

Usyk, like Stevenson, is a southpaw and will cause Bellew all manner of problems from the first bell. 

Usyk's clash with Joe Joyce at the WSB may provide an insight into what will happen in Manchester later tonight. 

Joyce is a heavy-footed boxer, who likes to plant his feet and trade. Usyk toyed with him for four rounds, dominating almost every second before over-whelming him in the fifth round. He won 50-45 on all three score cards. 

Bellew deserves tremendous credit for taking on arguably his biggest ever challenge in what appears to be his last fight.

He has that old cliché of a puncher's chance but realistically, it will be a lop-sided decision or late stoppage loss in favour of his opponent. 

As one career ends, an new era begins. 


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