Oleksandr Usyk has officially stepped into an aura of invincibility as an undoubted generational legend.
In delivering a scintillating fifth-round knockout of Daniel Dubois in their rematch Saturday night at Wembley Stadium in London, and live on DAZN PPV, Usyk became a two-time undisputed heavyweight king to add to his prior undisputed reign at cruiserweight.
The victory gives Usyk two wins apiece over British heavyweights Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and now Dubois, demonstrating how much the Ukrainian is operating in genius mode. In amassing this portfolio, Usyk has created great distance between himself and the rest of the current field.
Now, it is not a matter of the undefeated Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) belonging in the Top 10 of greatest heavyweights boxing has ever seen. He’s there.
It is more of a matter of how far up the list is he?
The 38-year-old's latest stroke of boxing brilliance came in the fifth round of his rematch with Dubois when he processed all the incoming punches being thrown in his direction and responded with a right hand chopping at the head of ‘Triple D’ to knock the Brit down.
Moments later, Usyk perfectly timed a moment when Dubois swung and missed on an overhand right by pinpointing a hellacious overhand counter left which swiveled Dubois’ jaw and kept him down for the count.
As Usyk gets older, his sweet science wisdom is only growing savvier.
“Thirty-eight is a young guy,” Usyk said live on DAZN PPV following his win. “Thirty-eight is only the start.”
He makes all the right reads, yet makes it extremely difficult for opponents to read him.
This is a pound-for-pound unique talent with skills that are this era's best.
That he is double-lapping opponents in rematches is proof.