Tyson Fury is one of the top-five greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, former cruiserweight king Tony Bellew has told talkSPORT.
The Gypsy King defended his WBC title with a sixth round TKO against Dillian Whyte in front of a record-breaking crowd Wembley Stadium on Saturday night.
With Fury suggesting after the fight that he could now retire from elite level boxing, the debate has been building over where the 33-year-old Brit ranks in the greatest heavyweights ever.
The likes of Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, George Foreman and Joe Frazier have all featured as contenders for the ultimate compliment, while Deontay Wilder has also be called 'the biggest puncher ever' by Fury himself.
While Bellew believes Fury is undoubtedly the best boxer of the present era, he says that any conversations who is the best ever is futile at best.
And he shut down the previous praise of Wilder from Fury, saying the American doesn't even come close to the heavyweight division's greats.
Speaking on talkSPORT Breakfast, Bellew said: "It’s hard to weigh up and it’s wrong in my opinion. It’s different eras and different times, you know.
“I keep hearing that Deontay Wilder is the greatest puncher that the heavyweight division has ever seen. Don’t be so ridiculous.
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“Who has he knocked out? You look at different eras of boxing and fighters and just because Tyson Fury says that he’s the biggest puncher that he’s ever seen, it doesn’t mean that he is. He’s knocked out nobody.
“Everyone is labelling people different things at the moment.
“Look at the hard, cold facts. George Foreman, look at the people who he knocked out. Joe Frazier, these people are unbelievably gifted heavyweights.
“Look at the people who Mike Tyson knocked out, he isn’t knocking out people who are nobodies. You have to weigh it up.
“Deontay Wilder is not a bigger puncher than Mike Tyson or George Foreman. I’m sorry, I don’t care what anybody says and their resumes state that what I’m saying is right because of who they knocked out and when they did it.
“As for Tyson, he’s amongst the big boys. He’s definitely in the top five heavyweights ever. That can’t be disputed, but to say that he’s better than Lennox Lewis, wow.
“Lennox reigned at a time when the heavyweights were big boys. Lennox beat Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield.
"We just live in a different era now and yes, Tyson Fury defeated Deontay Wilder and Dillian Whyte, but do you genuinely believe that Wilder would have caused Lennox Lewis a single problem? We have to be honest.
“You can’t compare eras. It’s not fair and it’s just not right. Tyson Fury is the best of his era and the best of a generation, that can’t be disputed.”
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