Hail to the King !
Lineal and unified world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk successfully defended his sanctioning body titles on a 116-112 three judge unanimous points decision last night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In a captivating fight he defeated former WBC champion Tyson Fury, the slight underdog going in.
The Ukrainian champion raised his record to 23-0 (22 KOs) with a technically flawless performance to ultimately outwork the four stone heavier and six inch taller Briton.
It was his second defeat of Fury (34-1-2, 22 KOs) who looked good, but was not quite good enough.
Fury again made a superior start winning the opening round, before Usyk, commanding the centre of the ring for most of the middle rounds, eventually took control as the fight developed. The challenger had his successes, but they weren’t prolonged enough or consistent.
It lacked the drama of their first encounter back in May, with no knockdowns on this occasion. The majority of rounds were close and tight to score but, although we had it a round or two closer, the final outcome was correct in our view.
Usyk now moves onto whatever challenges remain, but his legacy as a supreme champion and operator are secured. Among his accomplishments are Olympic gold, and undisputed professional titles at cruiserweight (200lbs/14st,4lbs) and heavyweight. He has beaten all comers in getting there and remains undefeated.
A defence and chance to regain the IBF title from Britain’s Daniel Dubois who he defeated by KO in 2023 would appear his most likely option if he were to continue, but he is a future hall-of-famer regardless.
Fuelled on by the military tension in his country of Ukraine, who continue to defend their homeland, he has no more to win inside the ring to secure his already iconic status among his compatriots and the boxing fraternity. The choice is his.
Just enjoy a special boxer whilst you can.
The Undisputed 