Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury to retain his unified heavyweight world titles and prove his status as a generational great with another close points win in their rematch in Saudi Arabia.
Having inflicted a first career defeat on Briton Fury by split decision in May, Usyk’s astuteness and will to win once again prevailed at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena – and he retained his WBA (Super), WBC and WBO titles.
Fury, 36, found success in the first half of the fight. Some of the more eye-catching shots came from the Morecambe fighter, but the volume of punches and cleaner work were from Ukrainian Usyk.
All three judges scored it 116-112 to the 37-year-old champion.
Usyk, an Olympic gold medallist and former undisputed cruiserweight champion, extended his undefeated record to 23 pro wins.
“He [Tyson Fury] is a great fighter, he is a great opponent. An unbelievable 24 rounds for my career. Thank you so much,” Usyk said.
Two-time world champion Fury has only ever lost to Usyk, his two defeats the major blemishes on a record also consisting of 34 wins and one draw.
Fury left the ring without conducting an interview, before IBF world champion Daniel Dubois climbed in and called for a rematch with Usyk.
A visibly frustrated figure in the moments after the scorecards were read out, Fury said backstage he was convinced he won the fight by “at least three rounds”.
Superstar Usyk edges a showcase of elite level boxing
In a rematch billed as Usyk v Fury ‘reignited’, the sport’s two most technically gifted heavyweights served up another classic and showcased elite level boxing.
The Gypsy King was in playful mood with an unorthodox ring entrance to Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’.
Dressed as Father Christmas, Fury was still sporting the bushy beard which was cleared at a rules meeting amid protests from Usyk’s team.
A stern-faced Usyk marched to the ring in super-quick time. Wearing a warrior-like robe, he crouched in the corner to recite a prayer.
After an 11-minute face-off on Thursday, Fury and Usyk picked up where they left off, their eyes fixated on each other as met in the centre of the ring.
Neither man over-committed in a cagey opening round. Fury showboated his way through the first fight but there was more seriousness to his work here. He wobbled Usyk in the closing seconds of the second.
With an advantage of six inches in height, eight inches in reach and four stone in weight, Fury used his physicality to keep Usyk at range.
But just as he did in the first fight, Usyk found success targeting Fury’s body.
Two bruising left hooks landed flush on Fury in the fourth. “Keep it basic. He’s running around – slow it down,” trainer SugarHill Steward told Fury after the fifth.
An overhand left connected cleanly with Fury’s forehead in the sixth. Fury’s pace dropped and Usyk was heading into his groove.
Fury found a second wind, however, and edged the ninth. It felt as if it was still all to play for in the championship rounds.
Model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and actor husband Jason Statham watched from plush ringside seats, alongside a stellar list of boxing royalty including Roberto Duran, Lennox Lewis and Prince Naseem Hamed.
Usyk unleashed a sublime combination in the 11th. With Fury momentarily hurt, the champion applied the pressure.
Fury looked the more desperate of the pair as Usyk finished the fight on top.
Two close defeats by a fighter of Usyk’s calibre does not point to a sharp decline in Fury ability. On another day, with another set of judges, it may have been a different result.
“I’m really disappointed. We’ll have to see what happens in the future for Tyson. I thought he was in control, boxed really well and had Usyk on his back foot,” promoter Frank Warren said.
Fury is an enigma: a boxer who – even when he refuses to engage with the media or sell a fight as he did this week – is able to emit a certain energy and draw in a crowd.
Anthony Joshua is also at a crossroads after a destructive defeat by Dubois. Now may be the perfect time for the long-awaited all-British heavyweight tussle.
Usyk, meanwhile, can rightly call the shots on his next move.
Dubois, who was stopped by Usyk last year, still harbours a grudge after the referee’s decision to rule a punch which dropped the Ukrainian earlier in the fight as a low blow.
Usyk has also previously hinted he could move back down cruiserweight. The discipline it would take to lose the weight and recondition himself is indicative of a man forever chasing greatness and new challenges.
The Crimea-born fighter certainly has options, but the best of his era is running out of credible opponents.
