Oleksandr Usyk went to sleep in Riyadh last night with the duty of maintaining his three heavyweight championship belts (WBO, WBA and WBC) in the rematch against Tyson Fury, this time in a more lackluster but deserved way. The Ukrainian connected more and better, and that’s why he won. But it was one of those fights that, if seen by a boxing layman, might not be able to say who was the best. The mathematics, the cards, say that it was Usyk, who decided the fight after the equator.
Both started with respect and a lot of ‘jab’ (straight left; right for Usyk, who is left-handed). The Briton started a more accurate point, scoring some extra rounds, although by a narrow margin. But after the sixth, right in the middle of the fight, the champion had equaled it. And from seventh to twelfth, Usyk was better. He gained speed and reached the head of the Gipsy King with several ascending straights that allowed him to bridge the height difference with the Welsh giant (1.91 versus 2.06 meters). The difference in size between the 16 ropes of the Kingdom Arena was notable, since Fury, in addition to being taller, stepped on the scale 25 kilos above the Ukrainian, an outrage: 127 kg (the highest weight of his career) compared to 102.5kg. They seemed from different categories, which is a credit to Usyk, a natural cruiser who rose to the only decision that does not have limited pounds.
The Briton did not take full advantage of his greater size and his accurate blows to the guts and his dreaded ‘uppercuts’ did not enter. He didn’t have a bad fight, but his expression of surprise when he learned of the judges’ decision seemed false. The key was given by his coach in the last minute of rest, the one that goes from the eleventh to the twelfth round: «It’s not tomorrow, it’s now». Indeed, the fight could not be won on Sunday morning. It had to be done now, and Fury couldn’t do it. He came out better than in the enormous battle last May, where he could have been knocked out, but with the 2-0 against the dominator of the category and an age that was not too advanced but already considerable (36 years) -apart from the psychological problems that has passed through-, the best time of the Gypsy King has already passed. Thanks champion.
As soon as the fight ended, the young Daniel Dubois (27), grown up after his impressive victory against Anthony Joshua. He went into the ring and asked for a rematch with Usyk – somewhat older than Fury, 37 – who said he was prepared.
Usyk-Fury 1 was historic, because for the first time in the boxing era of the four belts, a single man unified them. Then Usyk vacated the title of the International Boxing Federation (IBF), which the British Dubois signed up for, so if there is a rematch, a great undisputed champion will emerge again (except for a null fight). And this fight would be morbid, since Usyk beat Dubois in August 2023 thanks to the fact that the referee considered under a blow from the British where the waist and groin intermingle. The Ukrainian, who would have suffered a knockout if the referee had not intervened, used the recovery minutes and then knocked out Dubois, who now asks him to settle scores. It would be the contest between the veteran king of the heavies and the prince called to dethrone him. Let it be done.
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