Former world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield recently shared his belief that Anthony Joshua, the British-Nigerian boxer, possesses greater skill than Deontay Wilder, his American counterpart. Holyfield, renowned for his boxing achievements in the 1990s, including becoming the sole pugilist to secure undisputed championships in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, expressed his thoughts ahead of the December tournament in Saudi Arabia.
With bouts scheduled between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury, as well as Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, Holyfield sees the former champions as evenly matched but leans toward Joshua as the more skillful fighter. Holyfield commended Wilder’s speed but emphasized that Joshua’s skills are superior. Recognizing the dynamic nature of boxing, he highlighted the multiple paths to victory for fighters in the sport.
In addition to evaluating Joshua and Wilder, Holyfield provided advice to Usyk, who shares his distinction of winning titles in two weight divisions. Holyfield empathized with Usyk’s disappointment in not securing a legacy-defining fight with Fury, understanding the significance such a bout holds for a boxer’s career. Despite the challenges, there is hope that Fury and Usyk can reach an agreement to unify the belts before the year concludes.
Drawing from his own experiences of overcoming size disadvantages in the ring, Holyfield offered insights for Usyk, who will face the towering Tyson Fury. He advised Usyk to stay close to his opponent, utilizing his quick hands and throwing a high volume of punches. Holyfield, having been smaller in stature himself, believed that his advantage in throwing more punches gave him an edge in fights against larger opponents. He also emphasized his ability to fight both on the inside and outside, providing different looks to confuse opponents.
Usyk, aged 36 and undefeated in 20 fights, is widely regarded as one of the pound-for-pound best, holding unified WBA, IBF, and WBO belts. Holyfield addressed the reluctance of other fighters to face Usyk, attributing it to his smaller size and formidable skills. He acknowledged that while Fury may not be worried about facing Usyk and is willing to fight him, Usyk’s skills would still pose a significant challenge.