Jones Jr. knows a thing or two about being great. He won world titles in four different weight classes and dominated boxing in the 1990s from middleweight all the way up to heavyweight. His quick reflexes and unusual style made him stand out.
Now, he's talking about Usyk, who's been making waves in the boxing world. Usyk first ruled the cruiserweight division as the undisputed champion. Then he moved up to heavyweight and became a two-time undisputed champion there. He's beaten some big names twice each - Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Daniel Dubois.
Jones Jr. said:
"He dominated a very highly classified cruiserweight division when it was at its height, then he came up and dominated heavyweight after that. So to say you won't put him up against the greats would be crazy. I'm not saying he's an Ali type, I mean not saying he was big enough to beat the Earnie Shavers of the world and all that, cause we haven't seen him get hit like that."
Jones Jr. isn't comparing Usyk to Muhammad Ali. He's not sure how Usyk would do against hard-hitting boxers like Earnie Shavers. But he did point out that Usyk has done well against powerful opponents so far.
He added:
"But the guys he fought who had the power, he did very well against. It would have been good to see him back in the day with the guys who had the wits with the power. Nowadays, they either got the wits or the power, very rarely do you get both together. I would definitely rank him amongst the top 10, maybe the top 5."
Jones Jr. noticed something interesting about modern boxers. They usually have either brains or power, but rarely both. That's different from the past when some boxers had both smarts and strength.
Usyk might have some tough fights coming up. He might need to defend his titles against mandatory challengers. Joseph Parker is waiting for a shot at the WBO title. Derek Chisora, who Usyk has beaten before, is in line for the IBF title.
With all these challenges ahead, Usyk will have plenty of chances to prove Jones Jr. right about his place among boxing's greatest heavyweights.