After Oleksandr Usyk emerged victorious in the two-weight division on Saturday night, his legend continued to grow.
Usyk won by split decision, handily dealing Tyson Fury his first professional loss in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on saturday night.
It was a demonstration of astute in-fight changes and, should one be required, further evidence that Usyk defies heavyweight norms.
The Ukrainian has won all four of the heavyweight titles in six bouts. After moving up from cruiserweight to become the undisputed champion of the division in 2019, Usyk has dispelled the myth that he was too little or that, as a large man at a lesser weight, he would be afraid to compete against giants.
Usyk weighed in at a career-high 223.5 pounds before the fight, but he gave up 40 pounds beforehand. Fury weighed in at 262 pounds, which was his lightest weight in five years.
Despite having a six-inch advantage over Fury, who focused a significant portion of his strategy on keeping the fight close to the ground, Usyk won by doing what he always does, which is to render any physical inadequacy meaningless.
The 37-year-old Usyk defeated Anthony Joshua twice to earn the championships of WBA, WBO, and IBF.
He then defeated Tyson Fury to win the WBC title. He is the first heavyweight to win the title of undisputed heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield 25 years ago.
Usyk maintains that his 2012 Olympic gold medal is the pinnacle of his career and capped off an incredible amateur career, but what happened in Riyadh will probably end up being the victory that defines his legacy.
The Ukrainian has become one of the greatest players of all time. All of his championship victories in the two divisions have come away from home, frequently on enemy soil and in the midst of hardship; they have also come against home-city favorites and seemingly intimidating environments.
Usyk’s less intimidating adventure would have been to fight Fury in Saudi Arabia. Fury was skilled in psychological warfare and teasing opponents.
The war between these two elite strategists inside the ring would always have ups and downs, and it would always come down to who could adjust more effectively.
Usyk found himself stepping onto Fury’s twin feints and backhand punches after applying pressure right away. He had to change the direction.
By the halfway point, Fury had established himself as the winner, using his seven-inch reach advantage and getting into a rhythm on the back foot.
Usyk’s customary springtime was absent. He stopped punching with Fury and complained about low blows, indicating that the harm being returned was having an impact. Usyk would then go to the closest hospital, claiming to have a broken jaw.
However, Usyk changed his strategy to stop the momentum, much as he did with success in the rematch with Joshua. With a low punch to Fury’s midsection, he forced Fury to reposition his straight left hand from his southpaw stance and move forward to confront Usyk with his height and strength.
In the eighth, the former cruiserweight ripped open the area beneath Fury’s right eye with a hard left hand and right hook. It was an indication of another change in momentum, and in the next round, Uysk delivered the knockout blow—a devastating straight left that made Fury back off.
Throughout his career, Fury has been on multiple occasions, but never to the point where his legs betrayed him so obviously that he was left staggering about the ring and had to rely on the ropes to keep him upright.
Fury was given a standing count by referee Mark Nelson, and the bell signaling the conclusion of the round spared the British fighter from more Usyk attacks.
Uysk had taken control by now and was not about to give it up. Leaning on his amazing powers of recuperation, Fury was outworked as he continued to apply measured, front-foot pressure.
Usyk moved up a notch, unleashed a barrage of left hooks, and applied pressure to Fury using his signature footwork to close the distance. Usyk fought like a champion who had outwitted and defeated every opponent in his path, not like “the little man” as Fury had initially characterized him as.
Usyk defeated Fury, winning 115–112, 113–114, and 114–13 on the scorecards of the judges. The loser was able to keep their option for a rematch, and Fury stated in the ring that he intended to start the second fight, which is slated for October.
It is worthy of a crucial occasion to win the greatest reward in boxing and one of the most prestigious titles in sports. Usyk will go down as one of the greatest boxers of all time, regardless of weight or era, even if he was already the greatest at cruiserweight.
Tyson fury’s father headbutt
After allegedly headbutting a member of Oleksandr Usyk’s entourage during the bout build-up, Tyson Fury’s father was left bleeding.
Blood was streaming down John Fury’s forehead during what appeared to be a fight during the build-up to Tyson Fury’s, his son, and Oleksandr Usyk’s upcoming undisputed world heavyweight fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
A member of Usyk’s entourage appears to get headbutted by John Fury at the pre-fight media day. During Monday’s event, tensions erupted at the hotel, and social media footage revealed security officers stepping in to calm things down and keep the opposing sides apart.
Social media images and videos from the event suggested that John Fury had suffered a cut, since there was blood visible pouring from his head. According to reports, the 59-year-old was restrained several times.
John Fury expressed his sincere apologies to all those involved in Seconds Out. We simply are; feelings and tensions are running high.
“That guy was rather rude, wasn’t he? Everyone is aware that if you approach someone in a fighting man’s territory, you will almost certainly be accused of something. Otherwise, something isn’t right.
“People don’t realize that as fighters, we are the genuine deal. I’ve had a thousand hidings in my life, so win, lose, or draw doesn’t matter to me. Respect for my son, however, is what matters to me. He wasn’t displaying any of it, either.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk stated that it “would be nice if we hear some apologies from John because it was his behaviour.”
“This is the boxing sport,” Krassyuk continued. “We are living in the undeniable first four belts age of history. The entire world is watching us, and the younger generations are looking up to us as role models. We are the example for the globe. What will this show them, exactly? How will people interpret this?
“There will undoubtedly be a rush on the internet, but it is his decision whether or not to apologize.”
