To many, it might appear the Mike Tyson–Jake Paul hailstorm has somewhat fogged over a bona fide fight with historical ramifications. It’s a clash that should finally unravel a 25-year-old conundrum hogging the boxing world in general and the sport’s heavyweight division in particular. Just a little over a month remains for the Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk epic. At this juncture, it might be challenging for most to discern which champion—whether the WBC belt holder or the unified titlist—has the upper hand. Nevertheless, a blast from the past seems to have convinced Shakur Stevenson of the direction the undisputed argument on May 18 will take.

The face-off at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, comes off an earlier cancellation. It was initially scheduled for February 17. But the fight was quashed and then postponed on account of Tyson Fury receiving a sparring injury. The fight Stevenson took for reference is now almost seven years old. However, it seems to have revved up the Newark, New Jersey-born three-division champion. So much so that he immediately took to his X/Twitter handle to share what he felt about one of the belligerents.

The Past is Prologue: Shakur Stevenson

“Watching Usyk vs. Michael Hunter not gone lie. Usyk is so cold; this dude is gone be hard to beat,” said Shakur Stevenson. Quite a few of his followers agreed with him. One stated, “Cleaned out the cruiserweight division & is about to do the same to the heavyweight division; also won Gold at the 2012 Olympics; and is about to be undisputed in two weight classes; true GOAT.”

But then another user pointed out a disparity. Despite all his skills and talent, the 37-year-old Ukrainian champion seems to have an Achilles heel. As the Anthony Joshua rematch showcased, Usyk often finds himself a sitting duck when it comes to body shots.

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Even last year’s Daniel Dubois fight revealed how a clean punch on the body has the potency to stop the unified heavyweight champion.

The Title Defense As It Happened

The fight Shakur Stevenson talks about took place on April 8, 2017. Six months before the bout, Oleksandr Usyk finally succeeded in becoming a world title holder for the first time. He defeated Krzysztof Głowacki on September 17, 2016, to become the WBO cruiserweight champion. On December 17, he fought his first title defense. The Michael Hunter fight followed four months later at the MGM National Harbor in Maryland, United States.

In front of a packed house, the match began with the American boxer taking control. However, it fizzled out by the fourth round, when Usyk started establishing his dominance with shots to the body. So overwhelming was his control that, reportedly, many experts felt that the fight deserved an early stoppage. Especially during the last round, Hunter came under relentless attack from the champion. He found himself standing helpless, taking support from the ropes. Perhaps the final bell came to his rescue, negating a knockout. All three judges scored unanimously 117-110 in Usyk’s favor.

Have you seen the Usyk-Hunter fight? If so, do you think Shakur Stevenson’s evaluation is on target? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

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