Oleksandr Usyk, the current heavyweight champion, thinks Evander Holyfield was better than Lennox Lewis when both were at their best.
Usyk's opinion carries weight. He's the king of the heavyweight division right now. In 2024, he beat Tyson Fury to become the undisputed heavyweight champion. That makes him the only boxer to do it in the four-belt era. It's been over 20 years since anyone held all the belts. The last guy to do it? Lennox Lewis.
Back in the early 1990s, Evander Holyfield ruled the heavyweight roost. Later in the decade and into the early 2000s, Lennox Lewis took over as the undisputed champ. The two fought twice in 1999. Their first match ended in a draw that many thought Lewis should've won. In the rematch, Lewis won by unanimous decision.
But when asked who was better in their prime, Usyk picked Holyfield. He shared his thoughts with Mail Sport. Usyk didn't stop there. He reckons Holyfield would've beaten George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Anthony Joshua, and Vitali Klitschko. The only name he thinks would've had Holyfield's number? Wladimir Klitschko.
Holyfield's prime was something special. In the early '90s, he racked up wins against George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Riddick Bowe, and Mike Tyson (twice). He's the only boxer to win the heavyweight title four times.
Usyk's got his own fight coming up. He's set to face Daniel Dubois this summer. His goal? To become undisputed champion once again.
Lennox Lewis has chimed in on the upcoming Usyk-Dubois bout, but his prediction isn't part of this story. What we do know is that the debate about the greatest heavyweights of all time continues, with current champs like Usyk keeping the conversation alive.
