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Oleksandr Usyk Undefeated Record: Has He Faced Quality Competition?

Published 09/25/2021, 5:11 AM EDT

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18-0 as a professional boxer, Oleksandr Usyk is an elite of modern-age combat. Having held the undisputed cruiserweight championship, the Ukrainian star might have done enough to go down in the books as an all-time great. However, Usyk doesn’t seem to relish similar stardom that many of his other contemporaries like Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury do.

As a former Olympic gold medalist, Usyk’s entry into the professional chain was quite alarming. He grabbed sheer attention on his pro debut and remained unbeaten over the next 8 years.

This leads to the question- why doesn’t he receive enough credit for what he has done? Maybe because Usyk’s resume doesn’t reflect many top-level contenders.

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Well, it will be unfair to say so. The Ukrainian boxer has been with several punchers who can dethrone the best. Here’s a look at Oleksandr Usyk’s professional resume, which has some great pugilists on it.

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Oleksandr Usyk and his professional resume

In the list of 18 opponents, Usyk has faced just a few household names. A showdown against Anthony Joshua will be the biggest in his career. That said, as the cruiserweight division doesn’t tout many superstars, Usyk can be considered the best cruiserweight of the time. Although his opponents didn’t have a superstar aura, they clearly had stellar records.

Oleksandr Usyk has beaten commendable pugilists, with the likes of Marco Huck, Chazz Witherspoon, Derek Chisora, Tony Bellew, and Michael Hunter on his list.

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Hence, while he hasn’t gone against big names, Oleksandr Usyk has certainly shared the ring with names that are familiar to boxing purists. The Ukrainian boxing star has overcome everyone put in front of him and has conquered a division, becoming undisputed. Hence, fans cannot question the quality of his opponents.

Watch This Story: Oleksandr Usyk’s Achievements As An Amateur 

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However, at heavyweight, Oleksandr Usyk will face even more quality opponents. If he retains his undefeated streak and mirrors his cruiserweight dominance, it will give him the perfect chance to silence all his doubters.

Is Oleksandr Usyk a P4P great? What do you make of his unbeaten record until now?

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Written by:

Raj Sarkar

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A senior boxing writer at EssentiallySports, Raj Sarkar is a mass media graduate who is currently pursuing his master’s degree in broadcast journalism. In addition to his current role, he has worked with the MMA team at EssentiallySports and has interviewed prominent fighters such as Ritu Phogat and 'The Red King' Rory MacDonald. He combined his bachelor's degree with his adoration for combat sports and has a combined 2000 plus bylines in MMA and boxing over the last two years.
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