An important look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
Oleksandr Usyk
Oleksandr Usyk (right) does a lot of damage with his left hand. Richard Pelham/Getty Images
I used to roll my eyes when anyone compared Usyk to another reigning cruiserweight champion who became a heavyweight champion, Evander Holyfield, who I believe is one of the two or three best fighters in the division. The past 40 years.
I can’t do that anymore, not after what Usyk did on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.
Usyk overcame a slow start and a spirited effort from Tyson Fury to score a crucial ninth-round knockdown and win divisive decision in an epic battle between two of the best fighters in the division, thus becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis a quarter of a century ago.
And he relied heavily on his bravery and boxing wizardry to do it. He appeared to be in trouble in the first half of the fight, as Fury was able to land heavy punches – many to the body – surprisingly against Usyk’s technical ability.
Usyk not only survived a tough time but turned the tables in the second half of the fight, highlighted by a monstrous left hand to the head that led to a knockdown and nearly ended Fury’s night in Round 9. Usyk continues to outwork Fury down the stretch, enough for him to get his hands up.
One could argue that Fury did enough to gain approval – Fury himself later pleaded his case – but few outside the loser’s camp were crying out for loot. Usyk had the greatest victory of his career.
The 37-year-old Ukrainian has beaten former heavyweight kingpin Anthony Joshua in back-to-back fights and now Fury in four fights despite being outplayed by both men, leaving no doubt that he is at least a top heavyweight. to the anticipated rematch with Fury and one of the greatest fights of all time.
I still have trouble comparing Usyk to Holyfield, who was dominating the 190-pound division (the cruiserweight limit at the time) and was a four-time heavyweight champion. I believe he would be the best heavyweight ever if he were naturally big.
Now I have the same thoughts about Usyk. He defeated the talented Fury even though he was 38 pounds heavier. What would he do if they were the same size? Neither Fury nor Joshua wanted to know the answer to this question.
His 3-0 run against them as a heavyweight was nothing short of remarkable, as was Holyfield’s success against bigger men of his generation.
We were honored to witness something so special.
THE BIGGEST LOSER
Tyson was angry
Tyson Fury (left) performed strongly before losing to Richard Pelham/Getty Images
The zero on Fury’s record is gone but he certainly has nothing to be ashamed of.
In fact, he turned in one of the better performances of his career thanks to Usyk’s ability and determination. He seemed to take control of the fight in the middle rounds, using his combination of skill and athleticism to land eye-catching shots consistently.
And his resilience was on full display in Round 9, when Usyk’s left hand staggered him and a series of follow-up power shots nearly put him out of business. His ability to not only survive times of suffering but come back to fight hard over long periods of time is a testament to his conditioning and willpower.
However, the 10-8 round proved costly for Fury. If it had been a 10-9 round for Usyk, the two scores of 114-113 would have been 114-114 and the fight would have ended in a draw.
Alas, Fury must now accept the fact that he lost for the first time. And we have to reevaluate how we view him, at least to some extent. He had the opportunity to confirm what many believed going into the fight, that he was the top big man in the sport.
Instead, he can only claim to be second at the moment. That’s not bad but Fury won’t accept that designation, especially because he feels he’s done enough to earn the decision.
Luckily for him, it looks like he’ll get a second chance. He said after the fight that he would exercise the rematch clause in the contract the fighters signed and Usyk made it clear he had no problem with that.
If Fury wins, especially if he can do it convincingly, he could reclaim the top spot and much of what he lost. If he loses again, he will be remembered as an underdog.
