OLEKSANDR uSYK wins undisputed heavyweight championship of the world after 12 rounds with Tyson Fury
By: Sean Crose
The atmosphere in Riyadh is vibrant. 21-0 WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight Oleksandr Usyk entered the ring looking like a Ukrainian warrior from the Napoleonic era. 34-0-1 WBC heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury appeared with no fuss outfit. Still, he danced, smiled and interacted with the audience as he sang along to Barry White on the sound system. Once again, the mood is explosive, because when the bell rings, Fury and Usyk will fight for the undisputed heavyweight world championship. The fight, if it went the distance, was scheduled for a 12-round championship bout. Fury looked at Usyk with bewildered eyes as he listened to the referee’s instructions.
The fighters tried to measure each other and move to control the range for the first time. Fury started clowning very early. Every man was able to land cleanly at times. Fury rocked right after the bell rang in the second minute. Usyk then stabbed Fury hard in the midsection. However, Fury began to land good ground of his own before the round ended. The third bout was a high-octane affair that saw both fighters have moments of effective striking. It was a tough chapter to pick a winner. However, Fury had a more flashy performance.
A solid attack from Fury around two minutes into the fourth minute clearly impacted Usyk. Fury also continued to perform some impressive body movements during the round. Fury pounded Usyk at will in the fifth round. A hard right to Usyk buckles sixth. Fury then went to work beating his men. Usyk still advanced, but in the middle of the round, the fight belonged to Fury. Usyk continued to pursue Fury in the seventh, but to no avail…until the final moments, when he was able to forcefully take Fury down.
Then, unexpectedly, Usyk comes alive in part eight, tagging Fury multiple times throughout the chapter and leaving his mark on Fury’s face. Usyk showed the world how good he was in round nine when he hurt Fury, then brutally chased the British giant before putting him to the floor. Fury, a warrior, could barely beat the count at the bell. It must be said that Fury recovered better than any fighter in the world, because – although still injured, he was a much better tenth.
Fury continued to fight well in round 11, but he didn’t look as sharp as before, which is no surprise given the situation he found himself in. That being said, Usyk landed strong at the end of the chapter. The twelfth and final round was extremely close, although Usyk could have pulled it off. It was all up to the judges…who ultimately scored the fight for Usyk in a sharp split decision.
“Thank you so much, God,” Usyk said after the fight. He then turned to Fury and hugged his enemy. Fury also thanked God. “I believe I won that fight,” Fury said afterward, “but I’m not here to cry and make excuses.” However, Fury pointed out that he felt Usyk got the win due to Usyk’s native Ukraine being at war with Russia. With that said, both fighters have made it clear that they are willing to activate the rematch clause in their contracts. “I’m ready for the rematch,” Usyk said.
