By: Sean Crose
The mood was explosively electric in Riyadh. The 21-0 WBA, WBO, and IBF heavyweight titlist Oleksandr Usyk entered the ring looking like a Ukrainian warrior from the era of Napoleon. The 34-0-1 WBC heavyweight titlist Tyson Fury came out sans elaborate costume. Still, he danced, smiled, and communicated with the audience while singing along to Barry White on the sound system. Again, the mood was explosively electric, for at the sound of the bell, Fury and Usyk would battle for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world. The fight, should it go the distance, was scheduled for twelve championship rounds. Fury gave the stone faced Usyk googly eyes during the referee’s instructions.
The fighters tried measuring each other and moving for range control in the first. Fury took to clowning early. Each man was able to land clean at times. Fury got rocked immediately after the bell sounded to ring in the second. Usyk then took to jabbing hard to Fury’s midsection. Fury, however, began to land well himself before the round ran down. The third was a high octane affair which saw both fighters have their moments with effective punching. It was a tough chapter to choose a winner of. Fury, however, was giving the flashier performance.
A solid uppercut from Fury about two minutes into the fourth clearly impacted Usyk. Fury went on to do some impressive body work in the round, as well. Fury thudded away at Usyk at will in the fifth. A hard right in the sixth buckled Usyk. Fury then went to work beating up his man. Usyk still came forward, but at the midway point of the bout, the fight belonged to Fury. Usyk continued to pursue Fury in the seventh, to little avail…until the final moments, when he was able to crack Fury hard.
Then, out of the blue, Usyk came alive in the eighth, tagging Fury on numerous occasions throughout the chapter and leaving a mark on Fury’s face. Usyk let the world know just how good he was in the ninth when he hurt Fury, then savagely pursued the giant Englishman before putting him on the floor. Fury, warrior that he was, was barely able to beat the count at the bell. Fury, it must be said, recuperates better than any fighter in the world, for – while still hurt, he had a much better tenth.
Fury went on to do well in the eleventh, but he didn’t look as sharp as he had been, which was no surprise considering the situation he found himself in. With that being said, Usyk landed sharply a the end of the chapter. The twelfth and final round was supremely close, though Usyk may have edged it. It all came down to the judges…who ended up scoring the fight for Usyk via a razor sharp split decision.
“Thank you so much my God, Jesus,” Usyk said after the fight. He then turned to Fury and embraced his foe. Fury, too, thanked God. “I believe I won that fight,” Fury stated, afterward, “but I’m not here to cry and make excuses.” Fury did, however, indicate that he felt Usyk got the win due to Usyk’s native Ukraine being at war with Russia. With that being said, both fighters made it clear they’re ready to activate the rematch clause in their contract. “I am ready for a rematch,” Usyk said.