golota would beat usyk. he'd use his height and reach advantage which along with his overall size advantage would keep him comfortable.
Golota Poses an OBVIOUS Threat to Usyk, Physically AND Skillfully... But Considering the DEPTHS of Usyk's Boxing Acumen + the DEPTHS of Golota's Mental FRAGILITY, Usyk's the Safe Pick...Who Has Golota Faced w/the Feints and Footwork of Usyk???... And He's a Southpaw???... Usyk Forces Opponents and Opposing Trainers to Utilize BRAIN as Much as BRAWN and Golota's Boxing Brain Certainly Wasn't an Asset... Usyk Wins 8 Out of 10 in REED's Opinion... REED
Yeah, was about to write the same. Golota didn't seemed trouble by byrd southpaw style. Im still not that sold on usyk at hw. He fought a great fight against AJ, but that big stiff is much more robotic than golota
Byrd was SMALLER and LESS Accomplished than Usyk...Byrd Got Silver @ Middleweight, Usyk Got Gold @ Heavyweight... There's an OBVIOUS Comparison btwn Usyk and Byrd, but Usyk is MORE Offensive Minded and Slightly BIGGER...For All His "Southpaw Cutey" Attributes, Byrd Wasn't a Particularly Good Defensive Fighter Either, Whereas Usyk Incorporates Offense AND Defense Better Than Byrd Ever Did... Usyk Would OCCUPY Golota's Mind in a Way Byrd Couldn't... REED
if, If, IF Byrd Managed to Beat Joshua, he Wouldn't Have Done it Near as IMPRESSIVELY as Usyk Did, in REED's Opinion... REED
byrd was known for his defense. that was his thing. he certainly didn't get as far as he did because of his offense. usyk may very well turn out to be better than byrd, but the point stands - golota was most content when he could box a guy and was very adept at it. it was when he was forced to go to war that he begun to fall apart.
I'm with Doub and JOM. Usyk is by no means a lock over prime Golota. The key to really making Golota unravel was by scaring him. Lewis and Tyson are arguably the two most intimidating forces the sport has ever had. Usyk isn't intimidating and his style isn't intimidating. Because Andrew would have no fear of him, he would fight him tough. Not sure who wins this one.
On paper, Golota SHOULD win. But I just feel Usyk would frustrate him into doing silly things and he’d land solid counters on him all night and possibly make him quit.
At the risk of pop psychology it seemed like Golota was more scared of success than of opponents - he had an unbreakable will to lose! Usyk TKO 10
The thing with Golota is that he looked good against a shot Bowe and blew it. He looked good against Grant but blew it. He completely shit the bed vs Lewis and past prime Tyson. I just see Usyk frustrating him and making him unravel.
Many a fighter has said Usyk applies an almost subtle kind of pressure with his footwork that becomes absolutely exhausting to deal with as the rounds go on. Golota is skilled enough to win rounds in the first half and perhaps get himself into a lead, but I have no doubt he unravels and succumbs at some point during rounds 7-12.
Usyk isn't a monster puncher, no, but it's not like he's a heavyweight Malignaggi either. If he's hitting you consistently it's going to hurt.
I think anyone capable of beating Joshua so completely - twice - would beat Golota. Golota is a bit overrated IMO, because as it is, whether rightly or wrongly, he never really won any meaningful fight. I fail to see why I should expect him to in a fantasy fight. Joshua is rated extremely lowly on here, but the reality of it, he's a much more accomplished fighter. Could he do so well against even that version of Bowe? I don't think so, either, but could Golota have unified three quarters of the division and defended it like 6 times? Usyk beating Joshua twice eclispes everything Golota did and Usyk doesn't have the tendancy to choke against the best fighters he fought.
I'm going with Golota. I don't see Usyk beating the Golota of the Bowe fights. I think Golota beats the crap out of him actually.
Joshua is garbage. Bowe would have destroyed him in quick fashion. Joshua wouldn't beat Bruno either imo. Golota didn't have longevity so you can't trust him to hold it together for long stretches of fight after fight but if we're talking about him on his best night then he beats everyone Joshua beat. Wlad would have quit vs that Golota imo.
