World title fight: Boxer Usyk remains four-time heavyweight world champion

championship fight
Boxer Usyk remains four-time world heavyweight champion

A very special victory: Alexander Usyk from Ukraine prevailed against Anthony Joshua. photo

© Nick Potts/PA Wire/dpa

Professional boxer Alexander Usyk prevailed in the heavyweight spectacle. For the Ukrainian, the boxing match was about much more than just sport.

Ukrainian professional boxer Alexander Usyk remains four-time world heavyweight champion. The 35-year-old defeated former British champion Anthony Joshua for the second time on Sunday night in the Superdome in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

Usyk retained his belts from the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO associations after the narrow points judgment (115:113, 113:115, 116:112). Joshua had lost his title to the then challenger in September 2021 in a points defeat at Tottenham Hotspur’s football stadium in London and now missed a revenge.

20th win for Usyk

For the favorite Usyk it was the 20th victory in the 20th professional fight of his career. The brilliant technician was able to make up for his physical disadvantage of four centimeters less reach and again defeated the three centimeters taller Joshua. Almost a year ago, Usyk gave the Brit a boxing lesson, and it was much more balanced in the second duel. However, Joshua could not avoid his third defeat as a professional and should now face a difficult future.

For Usyk, the duel was more than just a boxing match, but it should also give hope to his compatriots in a dark time of war. The boxer made it possible for the world championship fight in Ukraine to be followed free of charge on state television and in the live stream. Usyk volunteered for a month in the war of aggression launched by Russia, but then, at the urging of his compatriots, decided to fight as a boxer again.

dpa

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