Teddy Atlas, a boxing expert with a long history in the sport, has named Oleksandr Usyk as the top pound-for-pound boxer right now. Atlas made this call after Usyk's recent fight against Tyson Fury.
Atlas knows his stuff. He's been an amateur boxer, a trainer, and an analyst. The legendary Cus D'Amato took Atlas under his wing early on. Atlas went on to train big names like Mike Tyson, Barry McGuigan, and Michael Moorer. He even helped Moorer win a world heavyweight title.
When it comes to the best boxers today, Atlas puts Usyk at the top. Naoya Inoue and Terence Crawford come in second and third. What's special about these three? They're the only fighters to become undisputed champions in two weight classes in the four-belt era.
But Usyk stands out to Atlas. Speaking on a recent podcast, Atlas explained why:
"Actually yeah, after that incredible fight that he unified all the titles against Fury, I came out and I made Usyk number one. And Crawford agreed. Crawford even said it himself on his own. So I had [Usyk] number one. Inoue and Crawford are right up there fighting to see who's right behind Usyk. To me, the three of them are so close."
Usyk's climb to the top has been impressive. He cleaned out the cruiserweight division before moving up to heavyweight. In just six fights, he became the undisputed champion in the bigger weight class. His wins include two big victories over Anthony Joshua and his recent triumph against Tyson Fury.
Atlas sees something special in Usyk - he always finds a way to win. And Usyk's not done yet. He's set for a rematch with Tyson Fury on December 21. It's a chance for Usyk to prove once again why he's at the top of Atlas's list.
