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Oleksandr Usyk Continues Quest for Cruiserweight Supremacy This Weekend

A 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist with over 300 amateur victories looks to be the future of the Cruiserweight division. He fights this weekend. Meet Oleksandr Usyk.

Oleksandr Usyk - Scott Heavey Getty Images

Don’t let Oleksandr Usyk’s sweet, sweet post-fight dance moves fool you, the 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist out of Ukraine can fight and fight better than any cruiserweight in the world.

He ducks his head through the ropes like a barbarian stepping onto new land, sporting a mean Mohawk topknot and a sadistic grin. His combinations trickle down with fluidity not dissimilar to countryman Vasyl Lomachenko but his fists can knock down doors every bit his strapping 6’ 3”, 220-pound frame would suggest.

Just seven fights into his professional career, he is relatively unknown to the casual observer but his obvious talent and track record has done enough to convince his promoter and former heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko of K2 Promotions that he will reach the pinnacle of the sport, telling The RingTV’s Anson Wainwright:

“His fervour, energy and purposefulness will definitely bring him to the top of the world in pro boxing.”

The trek toward the apex of the pugilistic realm continues on August 29 when takes on Johnny Muller (19-4-2) in defense of his WBO Inter-Continental cruiserweight title going down in Kiev, Ukraine. (Boxing fans will be hard pressed to catch this one live but a quick Google search once the results go up should return some video results, most likely on YouTube. This was the case mere hours following Usyk’s stoppage victory over Andrey Knyazev in April.)

The South African Muller, the WBO’s No. 15 ranked cruiserweight, is fresh off an upset decision victory over Mateusz Masternak in June who rated in every major sanctioning body’s Top 15.

Usyk, though, has shown no problems with South Africans (or anyone else, for that matter) in the past, knocking out Danie Venter in nine rounds and toying with Daniel Bruwer for six until the South African grew frustrated with Usyk’s accurate paddy-cake punching and gestured for more action where Usyk accommodated him by cracking that sinister smile before detonating a left hook on Bruwer’s chin, sending him face first to the canvas.

Referee Joerg Milke didn’t even bother to finish his 10-count.

Tap, tap, tap, tap, BOOM is both Usyk’s battle song and strategy.

The Ukrainian fights out of a southpaw stance and operates behind a cultured lead right hand, bouncing jabs off his man’s face, body and every in between—some powerful, most not so much, reminiscent of his outstanding amateur career, exemplified in a 335-15 record. That right hand probes, hooks off the jab and parries better than anyone in the division.

Once he sees his opening, that jab turns into a battering ram and when he uncorks that left hand of his, it’s all over more often that it is not. Such was the case against Ben Nsafoah. And Felipe Romero. And Cesar David Cenz—who had the luxury of taking his KO shot to the body.

He shifts his weight into his punches and slides in and out of range more gracefully than any 220-pound man should be able to. His upright stance seems stiff but his upper body movement is as quick as can be. Venter tried dropping a overhand right on him in their fight but before he could even throw it, Usyk was already rolling under to his left and slapping a left hook around his opponent’s extended right arm. This is something he does too regularly not to be instinctual.

Usyk is at his most lethal and fun to watch with his adversary’s back along the ropes. A spearing left hand often follows a succession of three or four southpaw jabs and before the victim knows what hits them, Usyk is already angling out to his right and sinking a right hook to the liver.

He is “the fighter the classicists have been waiting for,” wrote boxing historian Matt McGrain following Usyk’s most recent victory, a clubbing of Knyazev, the WBO’s 15th ranked cruiserweight at the time.

The win moved Usyk into the organization’s No. 2 slot behind only Krzystof Glowacki who just knocked out the top cruiserweight in the world, Marco Huck, two weeks ago on Spike TV.

Where Glowacki goes from there is completely up in the air considering how big of an upset his victory over Huck was—the Serbian-born Huck was as high as an -800 favorite.

A rematch with Huck is likely taking into account how action-packed their first fight was. Future Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr. reportedly has his eyes on Glowacki following his big win and given Jones’ celebrity status, that fight would seem to be his if he wants it.

But howling beyond the mountains like a harsh win from the North, Usyk is coming. Provided he takes care of business against Muller this weekend, the barbarian king should slide into mandatory status to Glowacki’s WBO strap. Fighting the top European talent at cruiserweight and heavyweight is precisely the reason Usyk decided to sign with K2 two years ago and not Top Rank Boxing who operate out of America where the talent above 175 pounds is paltry.

With a decisive victory over the WBO champion, Usyk could stake his claim as the very best 200-pound fighter on the planet and in fewer than 10 fights, no less. Glowacki had a fine showing against Huck earlier this month but Usyk is a special talent, far more polished than Huck ever was.

One who not only won a gold medal at the Olympic limit of 201 pounds but also a European championship at light heavyweight (81 kg) and went undefeated competing in the 2012-13 World Series of Boxing tournament at super heavyweight (91+ kg), fighting men much larger than himself.

If Usyk can secure a fight with Glowacki (or the man who beats him) in the United States or at least a title fight broadcast stateside, the fistic world will be his to pillage.

Photos by Scott Heavey/Getty Images

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