The Ukrainian Alexandre Usyk (37 years old, 101.350 kg, 1.91 m, now 22 victories, including 14 before the limit, 0 defeats), holder of the WBA-WBO-IBF heavyweight titles, beat the Englishman Tyson on points Fury (35 years old, 118.840 kg, 2.06 m, 34 victories, including 24 before the limit, 1 draw, now 1 defeat), holding WBC heavyweight, Saturday evening (or rather Sunday, the fight having ended at 2:36 a.m. a.m. local time) in front of 16,000 spectators at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).
After a spectacular fight in the final rounds, two judges ruled for Usyk, 115-112 and 114-113, while the third saw the Englishman in the lead 114-113. However, the Ukrainian’s victory seemed obvious. He was consistent in his tactics, moving forward to close the distance and sheltering himself from his opponent’s long segments. He took hits, but he gave more. In the ninth round, Fury was counted out and could have been stopped.
From his next fight, Usyk will have to grant him a rematch, scheduled in their contract for October 12 or 13. But the Ukrainian is now the only world champion in the category, the last undisputed champion being the Englishman Lennox Lewis until his retirement from the rings in 2003. Whom Lewis (58 years old) was present at the edge of the ring, invited, just like the American Evander Holyfield (61) against whom he unified the titles.
While Usyk came out of the locker room first in a traditional Ukrainian warrior costume, Fury arrived in a more normal boxing outfit. But he lingered, dancing to old American classics, before heading to the ring in a riot of fireworks. The very high ceiling of the room allowed this.
From the first round, Usyk worked seriously, managing to approach and touch his opponent in the face, while Fury sometimes made fun of him, as when he stood in a corner, both fists placed on the ropes and watched the public! In the second round, the man from kyiv was still the most active, managed to get close, but Fury seemed the most dangerous with his counters.
In the third round, he used his left arm more, before switching to his right, and began to hold on, with Usyk complaining about being hit behind the head. In the fourth round, the “Gipsy King”, who often had his left hand very low, exploited his long reach, his blows surprising the Ukrainian. In the sixth, he forced the Ukrainian to retreat for the first time, hitting him hard.
Very mobile, varying body movements, he hampered his opponent. But, constantly in action, Usyk always managed to approach and touch. In the ninth round, he inflicted a real correction on Fury, chasing him without giving him the slightest respite. The Englishman did not fall, but, held by the ropes, he was counted by the American referee.
When he sent him back into battle, after looking at him for a long time, saving him precious seconds, the gong immediately rang. Fury had recovered in the tenth and Usyk failed to put him in danger again. But the Englishman no longer had the same ease and, above all, took a lot of blows to the face. Awaiting the outcome, the two men spoke, Fury even kissing his rival.