IF ever a fight demanded a rematch, it was this instant classic.
Even the clamor for an all-British showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will have to calm down so that the dethroned Gypsy King can face off again with Oleksandr Usyk, the new undisputed world heavyweight champion.
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Usyk, the fight pride of war-torn Ukraineconfirmed his status as the greatest of all time by unifying boxing’s gold standard division, having already done the same in cruiserweight.
All in the space of just 22 professional fights.
A rematch is scheduled for October, in Saudi Arabiaalthough Fury refused to commit to it so soon after his first professional defeat at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena in the early hours of Sunday.
But Fury-Usyk II is what the world has been waiting for. Because this fight was a thrilling, exciting journey that fully lived up to its hype and £120 million purse.
As Fury said, “We punched each other for 12 rounds – my face is beautiful caught raised and he is also trapped.
First Fury showed off, then he dominated, then he was destroyed by an extraordinary counterattack from Usyk, which may have seen the fight stopped at the end of the ninth with the Brit flailing on the ropes like a drunken sailor.
Referee Mark Nelson showed leniency – but certainly not leniency – towards Fury, who proved the strength of his jaw and the size of his watch in the final three rounds.
Just like he did when he was attacked by Deontay Wilder on his way to the equalizer in the first of his epic trilogy with the Alabama sledgehammer.
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This split decision from the judges was tough on Usyk.
But other than that explosive bombardment in the bottom of the ninth, there was nothing to choose between two excellent coaches who refused to keep him cautious.
No holding back, no spoiling, just 12 rounds of brutal and irresistible theater.
After the judges gave their verdicts, Fury stated that Usyk passed because of a vote of sympathy for the Russian invasion of his homeland.
However, he later backtracked on this statement. He was black and blue, beltless, but almost bursting with pride.
It was one of those rare occasions in sport when the loser recognizes that he was part of something truly special, realizing that defeat can be glorious.
And you can’t doubt Fury’s ability to take it on the chin. Certainly not after the party that left Usyk, which triggered his death.
We waited 25 years, since Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfieldto witness the coronation of an undisputed heavyweight champion.
Usyk is the first to reign supreme in this division during the four-belt era, adding Fury’s WBC title to his own WBA, IBF and WBO crowns.
And Usyk is an extremely worthy champion – he has class, courage and an obvious human decency that is clear even in his broken English.
And bad English, by the way, is Usyk’s job. The 37-year-old has already defeated Tony Bellew, Derek ChisoraJoshua twice, Daniel Dubois and Fury in six of his last seven fights.
Fury admitted, bizarrely, that his showboating tactics were a mistake.
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If there was a rematch, the 35-year-old Lancastrian said: “I think I would keep my defense a little tighter, more focused and without so many jokes.”
The feeling is that Fury may not accept the rematch option.
So that he could meet Joshua nexteven though there are no titles on the line and it is no longer the number 1 must-watch contest for British fight fans.
We’ll soon be back in alphabet soup territory, with rival government bodies arguing over who should fight Usyk, who won’t remain undisputed for long.
And it’s a shame that this weekend’s thrilling competition was part of Saudi Arabia’s aggressive sportswashing project, where all talk of appalling human rights records is not tolerated by the regime’s PR onslaught. dogs.
If Fury gets the rematch or faces Joshua, his next fight will certainly be in Saudi Arabia.
Saturday night’s show – which had a better atmosphere than previous big fights here, due to a decent turnout from British travelers – will be seen as a huge coup for the filthy-rich host country.
Still, this was a night where policyin both the fighting game and the real world, they were briefly forgotten as two elite boxers took themselves and their bloody art to another level.
As Fury pondered his next move, he insisted: “I’m not boxing because I do not have moneyI’m boxing because I love it.
In terms of love and money, another try at Usyk should be his preferred option.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
