Eddie Hearn insists Oleksandr Usyk is second only to Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in the pound-for-pound rankings after his lopsided victory against Anthony Joshua.
The Ukrainian is the new WBO, WBA and IBF world heavyweight champion after securing a unanimous decision victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with scores of 117-112, 116-112 and 115-113 confirming his dominance.
Despite angling for a Tyson Fury fight in the summer, Joshua opted to face his WBO mandatory challenger from Ukraine in order to retain his world titles and keep his undisputed championship dreams alive.
However, they were quickly dashed in a 12-round masterclass by former cruiserweight champion Usyk, who showcased the pace and pressure he had at 200lbs and the extra power he now carries at heavyweight.
The 34-year-old from Kiev is now in line for a second crack at Joshua in 2022 after the Brit invoked an instant rematch clause, and is likely to be installed as a betting favourite after such a dominant display.
And Hearn believes Joshua will be coming up against a man whose boxing prowess is second to only a certain Mexican superstar.
“Two, after Canelo,” he told journalists when asked where he ranks Usyk.
“I mean, when he was at cruiserweight, everyone called him a top five pound-for-pound.
“But then when he went to heavyweight, he went off everyone’s radar. After that win, he has to be on everyone’s top pound-for-pound.
“When you go through the resume; beating Huck in Germany, Gassiev in Russia, Brieidis in Latvia, Bellew in Manchester, Chisora in London and then Joshua – it is unbelievable.
“Like I said, maybe we should have swerved him and just put the belt in the bin, but that’s not what AJ is about.
“I come back to giving him credit, I hope people do. I’ve seen people criticising, but he has consistently proved that he is willing to take all comers.
“And I think he should be applauded for fighting Oleksandr Usyk – twice.”
talkSPORT will be bringing you even more heavyweight title action with live and exclusive commentary of Tyson Fury’s trilogy bout with Deontay Wilder from Las Vegas on October 9.
Download talkSPORT Edge NOW!
It's the free football app that keeps you one step ahead of your mates with short, sharp and shareable content.
Whether it’s goals as they go in or the latest from your club, stay up to date with everything going on in football with breaking news, live scores and in-app betting.