Oleksandr Usyk thinks Terence Crawford is better than him. The Ukrainian fighter, who's won titles in two weight classes, made this surprising statement recently.
Usyk has a lot to be proud of. He's got an Olympic Gold Medal, he was the undisputed cruiserweight champ, and now he's the undisputed heavyweight champ. He's beaten Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua twice each. He's also won big fights away from home. All of this makes him a sure thing for the Boxing Hall of Fame.
But when asked who's the best fighter in the world, Usyk didn't pick himself. In an interview with Carl Froch, he said:
"I think it's Terence Crawford. I'm not the best fighter in the world. It's Terence Crawford."
Crawford's record backs up Usyk's opinion. He's a two-weight undisputed champion and he's never lost in 41 fights. He's beaten tough guys like Shawn Porter and Errol Spence Jr. Recently, he added Israil Madrimov to his list of wins.
Right now, most people can't decide if Usyk or Crawford is the best pound-for-pound fighter. But that might change soon. Usyk will fight Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium on July 19. If he wins, he'll probably be seen as number one.
But Crawford's got a big fight coming up too. In September, he'll move up to super-middleweight to fight Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez. If Crawford wins, he'll be a three-weight undisputed champion. He'll also be only the third fighter to beat Canelo in 68 fights.
Usyk still has one more fight planned before he retires. He wants to win back the IBF belt and hold all four heavyweight titles again.
No matter who's on top, both Usyk and Crawford are great fighters of their time. And Usyk's humble words show he's a class act outside the ring too.
