Tyson Fury. Oleksandr Usyk. Heavyweight boxing title.
Every boxing fan around the world wants to see this blockbuster match-up take place, including the three-time world heavyweight champion and the last heavyweight undisputed champion Lennox Lewis.
Although there is a lot of speculation on whether this fight will ever go ahead, with lop-sided contract negotiations and other complications arising, mainly from Fury’s side of the ring, indicating that this eagerly-anticipated matchup will fall through entirely, Lewis states that “in order for one of those guys to have my crown, they have to fight.”
Highly-respected Lennox Lewis fought every competitor he deemed a worthy opponent, aside from Riddick Bowe (who was the reason the fight negotiations broke down) on his way to claim his heavyweight world champion titles, something Fury or any other boxer in this era has yet to achieve.
Although boxing fans across the globe have seemingly given up all hope of seeing this epic fight take place, the three-time world heavyweight champ Lewis has not lost complete faith in seeing Fury and Usyk face each other in the ring in 2023.
What has Lennox Lewis said about Fury vs Usyk?
Talking to Laureus.com, legend Lewis commended this era of boxing for having “three top guys” at heavyweight, referring to Fury, Usyk, with Deontay Wilder or Anthony Joshua likely to be the third guy he was referring to.
“The crop of heavyweights that we have now, we’ve got Tyson Fury at the top, a great heavyweight for this era,” Lennox said.
“He’s southpaw and orthodox, he boxes both ways. He loves Muhammed Ali, like me. And he was able to draw energy from me, Muhammed Ali, and the fighters that he loves and put them on himself. So, when you talk about eras, he’s definitely the top man in this era… This era’s definitely got three top guys.
“The two guys that I want to see right now would probably be Fury and Usyk. That would be a great fight. Plus, I believe they have to meet because I’m the last undisputed heavyweight champion of the world right now. So, in order for one of those guys to have my crown, they have to fight.”
Despite Lewis suggesting Fury to be “the top man in this era,” it is hard to back this up from performances in the ring when he has yet to face up to his main rival for that title in Usyk.
Only when he fights Usyk can we determine who is the top heavyweight in this era of boxing and finally settle this debate after so many years of speculation.
Will we ever see another undisputed world heavyweight champion crowned? If we do, will it be Fury or Usyk? The boxing world awaits with great anticipation.
