While acknowledging Usyk's exceptional talent, McKenzie expressed doubts on talkSPORT about his legendary status. "He deserves a spot in the top 20 heavyweights of all time, but I'm not sure where he ranks," McKenzie said.

Oleksandr Usyk celebrates after defeating Tyson Fury to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in the four-belt era - WBA, IBF, WBC, and WBO. Photo: Reuters

Oleksandr Usyk celebrates after defeating Tyson Fury to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in the four-belt era - WBA, IBF, WBC, and WBO. Photo: Reuters

Usyk is the first male boxer to become a three-time undisputed champion. In 2018, he unified all four cruiserweight titles (under 90.7 kg): WBA, IBF, WBC, and WBO. He moved up to heavyweight (over 91 kg) in January 2019 against Chazz Witherspoon, winning decisively by forcing a seventh-round stoppage.

In May 2024, Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by decision to unify the heavyweight titles, becoming the first undisputed champion in the four-belt era. He repeated this feat last month with a fifth-round knockout of Daniel Dubois.

Usyk currently reigns supreme in the heavyweight division. However, McKenzie believes fighters from the 1970s-1990s, like Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, and Riddick Bowe, would have posed significant challenges for Usyk. This is not to mention legends like Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis.

McKenzie even suggested that journeymen like David Tua and Ray Mercer, considered "gatekeepers" to championship contention, could have troubled Usyk. "They were powerful punchers, threw combinations, and were true athletes," he added.

Other experts disagree. Fellow talkSPORT commentator Gretchen Walsh believes Usyk's southpaw stance and elusive movement would have perplexed earlier fighters.

Spencer Oliver also argued that "Usyk would be a strong contender against Joe Frazier" because Frazier, while tough, was predictable. "With his current skill and agility, Usyk could beat such legendary fighters," Oliver said.

Duke McKenzie held world titles in three different weight classes.

Duke McKenzie, born 5/5/1963, is a former British boxer who competed professionally from 1982 to 1998. During his 16-year career, he won world titles in three weight classes: IBF flyweight (1988-1989), WBO bantamweight (1991-1992), and WBO super-bantamweight (1992-1993). He also held British flyweight (1985-1988), European flyweight (1986-1988), and British featherweight (1993-1994) titles.

After retiring, he became a boxing commentator and a respected voice in the sport.

Hong Duy (talkSPORT)