Oleksandr Usyk solidified his claim as this eras best big man be defeating Tyson Fury for all the heavyweight marbles. (Photo by Mikey Williams-Top Rank)
While the old adage, ‘A good big un, beats a good little un’ remains true, Oleksandr Usyk’s win over Tyson Fury served to remind us that skill and will plays a key part in offsetting that equation.
Usyk exuded cool all week, while Fury was as erratic as ever; he was tight lipped at the press conference before barking obscenities at the weigh in.
It’s all part of the theater of the unexpected.
It’s not often that boxing is the main sporting event of the weekend, but this was one of those occasions. Going in the pundits were fairly evenly split in The Ring’s Fight Picks.
Turki AlalShikh has given boxing a real lift and let us believe any fight is possible regardless of who their promoter is or who which TV channel they’re aligned with.
Usyk and Fury hadn’t previously been able to consummate a deal for a myriad of reasons, but His Excellency was able to break down those barriers and make the impossible possible.
We had to wait a further three months when Fury was cut ahead of the original February 17 date. It all added to the drama. After all, we’d waited more than 20 years for an undisputed heavyweight champion. What difference would three more months make?
The razzmatazz that goes hand in hand with such a fantastic spectacle was there and so was the undercard which set things up perfectly.
Oleksandr Usyk has not backed down from Tyson Fury at any point during the build-up to their May 18 showdown. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
When the opening bell sounded, Usyk was quick to engage and initiate the action and this was true throughout. Despite giving up 30 pounds and other various physical advantages he had no problem going into the fire.
The Ukrainian wizard started well and, on my card, won the first three rounds. However, in the third there was signs of life from Fury, who then turned the tables on Usyk and I felt won rounds four through six with several timely uppercuts and some good body work which appeared to bother Usyk, thus evening up the fight.
What we have seen in the past is when Usyk needed to, he responded in kind and that was the case here. The seventh was a swing round for me and Usyk effectively stopped the rot. There was little doubt in the eighth when Usyk bloodied Fury’s nose with a well-timed left hand, and late in the ninth Usyk rocked Fury badly, sending him tumbling like a bar room drunk into the ropes. Usyk’s unerring accuracy dinged Fury’s head back and lurching into the ropes where referee Mark Nelson intervened and counted Fury. Such was the shellacking Fury had taken had Nelson called a halt to the fight you couldn’t really have argued, but he likely had Fury’s recuperative powers in mind. Fury made it to his feet and looked a spent force. Nelson seemed to take an age to count and by that time the round had ended.
A minute’s rest didn’t figure to be enough but credit to Fury he was able to make it out for Round 10 and though still shaken was able to stay on his feet. Usyk decided not to empty the gas tank and picked Fury off in a calculated manner and claimed the round.
Usyk again dominated the 11th, and the 12th was again, for my money, a swing round. I was in no doubt Usyk was the victor but it wasn’t my scorecard the mattered. Michael Buffer read out 115-112 Usyk, 114-113 Fury and then 114-113 Usyk.
Thankfully the right man won but it is troubling how Craig Metcalfe came up with Fury as the winner. I don’t remember anyone save Fury in the post-fight interview claiming he won.
The 21st century have witnessed the greatest of all fights and unveiled to the world the undisputed heavyweight boxer on the planet : Oleksandr Usyk
On the land of Riyadh, history has been made. great fight Fury as expected, looking forward for the rematch! pic.twitter.com/sJPfcRwlH2— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) May 19, 2024
Heading into the weekend The Ring had Naoya Inoue as the No. 1, Terence Crawford at No. 2 and Usyk No. 3.
The fine performance even got Crawford’s attention.
Man yall better put some respect on @usykaa man. He definitely a candidate for #1 P4P fighter in the world. I’m no hater. He beat the man that beat the man in a bigger division, giving what he’s already done. Salute brother!
— Terence Crawford (@terencecrawford) May 18, 2024
Both sides had agreed before the fight to a rematch tentatively scheduled for October and nothing changed during their post-fight interviews.
There seems little more other than adding to his bank account that Usyk can do in boxing. After winning gold at the 2012 Olympics as part of the Ukrainian dream team alongside the likes of Oleksandr Gvozdyk, Vasiliy Lomachenko and Denys Berinchyk, who added to his countries joy with a world title a few hours later.
Usyk turned professional in late 2013. I vividly recall seeing him in the area when I attended Wladimir Klitschko-Kubrat Pulev in Hamburg, Germany in November 2014. We spoke briefly but it always stuck with me how I was credentialled ringside, while he was on the outer bowl, basically in the crowd. I had to go to him as he wasn’t allowed to be ringside.
His talent was never in doubt, and he won the WBO title in his 10th fight against the unbeaten Krzysztof Glowacki in the defending champion’s home country of Poland. After a couple of defenses, he unified with by edging WBC counterpart Mairis Briedis again behind enemy lines, this time in Latvia. He became undisputed Ring Magazine champion with a near flawless performance against Murat Gassiev in Russia to add the Muhammad Ali trophy.
He initially took time to settle at heavyweight against the likes of Chazz Witherspoon and Dereck Chisora but after getting his groove he’s been able to beat Anthony Joshua twice, Daniel Dubois and now Fury. Not too shabby.
Usyk is a first-ballot hall of famer, who is now quite possibly in all-time great territory. Not bad for someone who couldn’t even get to ringside for a heavyweight title fight a decade ago.
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