ABSOLUTE BELTER

He won't admit it, but Usyk is one of the all-time greats

- BY CHRIS MCKENNA X@cmckennasport

AS boxing fans poured out of Wembley and into the tube station, the cries of "Usyk, Usyk" filled the air.

Some chanting was from the strong contingent of Ukrainian supporters who had been inside the national stadium but plenty of British fans joined in.

Oleksandr Usyk may have brought down a good portion of British boxing, but even the most patriotic on these shores cannot deny just how brilliant he is.

Not just as a fighter, but also as a man. An icon for Ukraine at a time when their country is still fending off the advances of Russia.

He's a figurehead and a fine boxer. It is why even those who were not chanting his name were not annoyed that the song was for the away fighter. Daniel Dubois has now found out twice, so too Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, while Derek Chisora and Tony Bellew suffered at his hands just once.

Now 24-0 and a three-time undisputed champion across two divisions, Usyk is no longer just one of the best boxers of this era, but a fighter who could be seen as a great at any time.