Oleksandr Usyk’s place as a future hall of fame inductee cannot be disputed.
The 37-year-old Ukrainian is a fighter who will be heralded as a boxing great in years to come.
On Saturday, Usyk will look to further secure his legacy by becoming the first ever four-belt heavyweight champion when he takes on Briton Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia.
“Oleksandr is a superstar,” former opponent Tony Bellew tells BBC Sport.
Usyk reigned supreme as an amateur, winning European, world, and Olympic gold.
In the paid ranks, Usyk won his first cruiserweight world title in just his 10th professional bout, before traveling to fellow champions’ backyards and cleaning up the division within five fights.
“If he beats Tyson, he can go down as one of the greatest fighters ever,” says Bellew.
BBC Sport looks at Usyk’s transition from the world’s best cruiserweight to a unified heavyweight champion who dethroned Anthony Joshua in 2022, before winning the rematch just months after defending his country against the Russian invasion.
How Usyk grew into the weight Briton Fury has won 34 fights with one draw, while Usyk has won all 21 pro fights.
After defending his undisputed cruiserweight crown against Bellew in November 2018, Usyk – with nothing left to achieve in the division – jumped to heavyweight.
Quite remarkably, the 6ft 3in Usyk had previously fought as a middleweight in the amateurs.
For all his natural talent and boxing prowess though, there were question marks over whether he had the size to compete with boxing’s big boys. Only Evander Holyfield and Briton David Haye had won world titles in both divisions.
