From the IBF, IBO, WBC and WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr uksyk to the IBF, WBC, WBO Super Bantamweight Champion Naoya ‘Monster’ inoue, let’s look at two of Boxing’s best.
USYK had an amateur record of 335-15, which represented Ukraine in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, and lost to the Clement Russo of Italy. In the 2012 London Olympics, the United Kingdom, he defeated Russo for the gold medal.
In the professional ranks, he would win the WBO Cruiserweight title in 2016 and defeated Poland’s Krzysztof Glowacki, 26-0, in Poland. By defending the title twice in the US, and for the first time South Africa’s Thabiso ‘The Rock’ Mchunu, 17-2, on the Inglewood Forum, in California, in 2016, in 2017, in 2017, on the MGM National Harbor, Oxon Hill, Maryland, he defeated Michael Hunter, 12-0, from the US. Later in that year he traveled to Germany and stopped their ‘capture a Marco Huck, 40-4-1, in ten rounds.
In 2018, he added the WBC title and won a majority decision over Latvia’s Mairis Briedis, 23-0, in the Arena Riga in Latvia. Next in Russia, he defeated IBF champion Murat Gasiev, 26-0, in Moscow. Then in 2018, the UK ‘Bomber’ Bellew, 30-2-1, in Manchester, UK, Stop.
Back in the US in 2019, in Chicago, Il, he stops Chazz Witherspoon, 38-3, in a non-title fight in his first heavyweight fight. Then in 2020 he won the WBO Intercontinental and defeated Derek ‘War’ Chisora, 32-9, in Wembley, UK.
In 2021 he won the IBF, IBO and WBO heavyweight titles and defeated the UK’s 2012 Olympic Gold Medal Medal of ‘AJ’ Joshua, 24-1, in the United Kingdom and again in 2022 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
In 2023 he knocked out the UK’s Daniel ‘Dynamite’ Dubois, 19-1, in Poland.
In 2024, he added the WBC title at 6’03 “and fought back over 6’09” champion, the United Kingdom’s Tyson ‘The Gypsy King’ Fury, 34-0-1 by a split decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and later that year by a decision in Riyad. A man of few words, he listens to the much greater anger that belittled him and returned with a smile on his face.
In his last fight, in a sub-broadcast with Dubois, he stops in Wembley, UK, and improves his record to 24-0 with 15 downtime.
Now let’s look at IBF, WBC, WBO Super Bantamweight Champion, many feel pounds for pounds. He is perhaps the best in Naoya ‘Monster’ inoue, from Japan.
As an amateur, he was 75-5. In 2014, he won his first world title, the WBC Light Flyweight title, and Stop Mexico’s Adrian ‘Big Bang’ Hernandez, 29-2-1, in Japan.
Later that year, after a defense of Thailand’s Wittawas Basapean, 17-4, he added the WBO title and struck Argentina’s ‘Huracan’ Narvaez, 43-1-2.
He made seven title defense and stopped the Philippine Warlito Parrenas, 24-6-1, Mexico’s David ‘Severo’ Carmona, 20-3-5. Then Thailand’s Karoon Jarupianlerd, 35-7, stops Japan’s Kohei Kono, 32-9-1, USA Mexican Ricardo ‘Misento’ Rodriguez, 16-3, all in Japan.
In his only fight outside his native Japan in the US, he stopped the American Antonio ‘Carita’ Nieves, 17-1-2, before returning to Japan, and stopped France’s Yoan ‘Yo Boy’ Boyaux, 41-4, his third battle in 2017.
In 2018, he stopped the UK’s Jamie McDonnell, 29-2-1, and the Dominican from the US, Juan Carlos ‘Baby Pacquiao’ Payano, 20-1. In 2019, he added the IBF title, which stopped the World Bantam Champion, Manny Rodriguez, 19-0, in Glasgow, Scotland, the United Kingdom, and then stopped four divisional world champions from the Philippines, nonito ‘The Filipino Flash’ Donaire, 40-5, by decision.
In 2020 he scored a knockout over Australian Jason Moloney, 21-1. In 2021 he stopped the Philippine Michael Dasmarinas, 30-2-1, Thailand’s Aran Dipaen, 12-2. In 2022, in a Rematch with Donaire, he stopped and added the WBC title. Later that year he knocked out the Paul ‘Baby Face Assassin’ of the United Kingdom, 34-2, and added the WBO title.
In 2023 he moved to Super Bantam, took the WBC and WBO titles and stopped the US Stephen ‘Scooter’ Fulton, 21-0. At the end of the year, he knocked out the Philippine Marlon ‘Nightmare’ Tapales, 37-3.
In 2024 he added the IBF title and stopped Mexico’s Luis Nery, 35-1. Then the Australian TJ Doheny, 26-4. In 2025, he knocked out the South Korea’s Joon ‘Problemmaker Pacquilather’ Kim, 21-2-2, in Las Vegas, Nevada, in his only battle from Japan.
In May, he stopped the US Ramon ‘Dynamita’ Cardenas, 26-1, and improved his record to 30-0 with 27 stops. He is scheduled to fight the 2016 Olympic Bronze Medalist and former WBA and IBF World Super Bantam champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev, 14-1, in Japan on September 14.
Now you have seen the heavyweight champion and possibly the best boxer for pound-by-pound, the Super Bantam champion. What do you think?
Last updated on 09/02/2025
