In a historic night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Oleksandr Usyk made boxing history by becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 2001. Usyk achieved this feat by securing a split decision victory over Tyson Fury, with judges scoring the fight 115-112, 114-113, and 113-114 in his favor. The pivotal moment in the bout came in the ninth round when Usyk delivered a massive left hook that sent Fury crashing to the canvas, nearly knocking him out.
The early rounds of the fight saw Usyk dominating with his speed and activity, causing Fury some trouble. However, the British boxer began to find his rhythm from the third round onwards, utilizing his length and body punches to slow Usyk down. Despite landing several hard blows on Usyk, Fury was unable to secure a knockout and the Ukrainian fighter remained resilient throughout.
As the fight progressed, Fury’s pace seemed to slow in the eighth round, allowing Usyk to take control and open a cut under Fury’s right eye. The pivotal moment came in the ninth round when Fury was knocked down by a powerful left hook from Usyk, leaving him stumbling around the ring and being held up by the ropes before collapsing in the corner. Despite this, Fury managed to get back on his feet and finish the round.
In the end, Usyk’s dominance in the early rounds and the knockdown in the ninth proved to be the deciding factors in the judges’ scorecards. While some observers scored the fight in favor of Fury, the decision in Usyk’s favor was deemed fair and acceptable due to the close rounds throughout the bout. Both fighters have an automatic rematch clause, with the potential for a rematch in October.
Following his historic win, Usyk has solidified his status as one of the greatest fighters in boxing history, becoming the undisputed champion in two weight classes. Admiration for Usyk’s accomplishment poured in from various figures in the combat sports world, with Terence Crawford acknowledging him as a legitimate threat in the pound-for-pound rankings. As Usyk prepares for his rematch with Fury, boxing fans eagerly anticipate what other milestones and memorable moments the sport will deliver in the coming year.
