Boxing: Oleksandr Usyk Stuns Tyson Fury, Unites Heavyweight Titles In Thriller

• It’s a split decision of 115-112; 113-114; 114-113
• Knocks down Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Ukrainian fighter, Oleksandr Oleksandrovych Usyk has become the first undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion of this century after defeating Tyson Fury by a split decision in the early hours of Sunday morning in Riyadh, the Saudi Arabian capital

With the victory, Usyk added Fury’s WBC title to the IBF, WBA, and WBO belts he already owned. The World Boxing Association (WBA), formerly the National Boxing Association (NBA), is the oldest and one of four major organizations that sanction professional boxing bouts. Others are the World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organization (WBO).

On Sunday morning, Usyk, who as an amateur, won heavyweight gold medals at the 2011 World Championships and 2012 Olympics, deservedly bagged the verdict of 115-112 by the first judge and 114-113 by the third official.

However, the middle scorecard called the fight at 114-113 in favour of Fury, who was almost knocked out in the ninth round when he staggered across the ring drunkenly, got a standing count of eight and was saved by the bell.

The brutally compelling, absorbing, and highly technical contest shifted in momentum when Usyk had a dominant round in the eighth. A right hook and left cross nailed Fury. And then, suddenly surging with new conviction, Usyk landed a shuddering left which rocked Fury.

With blood dripping from Fury’s nose and marked up around the left eye, Usyk poured on the pressure in the ninth and landed an incredible barrage of 14 unanswered blows. Fury reeled under the assault, swaying and stumbling helplessly, his eyes glazed.

The referee could have stopped the fight, but with Fury being held up by the sagging ropes, the stricken fighter was given enough time to stand upright before he began counting to eight. It seemed an exceedingly long count.

As always, Fury showed great resilience in the next two rounds and was competitive – but both the 10th and 11th were won by Usyk, who landed the harder blows before the last round Fury stretched his arm out to touch gloves with Usyk as he nodded in admiration.

A sharp combination from Usyk scored early but two straight right hands from Fury proved he was still trying to win the fight. However, the Ukrainian was on top of his game, unleashing a thrilling string of punches in a fitting conclusion to a gripping and often magnificent contest.

Waiting in their opposing corners for the bell to kick off proceedings, both fighters looked to the heavens and crossed themselves. Interestingly, the height difference was obvious, with Fury being six inches taller, but Usyk was immediately effective as he jabbed into the body repeatedly.

Fury shook his head and wagged his tongue in apparent jest. But then Usyk nailed him with a jolting overhand left near the end of the round. Fury looked out at the crowd and pulled a face as he again played the Joker.

Usyk began round two impressively with a slick combination. Fury found his rhythm and a right uppercut caught Usyk. The crowd roared as Fury sank two hefty right hands to the body before settling back behind the jab. But Usyk remained the aggressor, setting a fast pace.

Usyk moved in and out, showing his slick skills, clipping Fury with glancing blows. But the hardest punch of the third round came from Fury as he hurt Usyk in the body. The Ukrainian backed Fury briefly into a neutral corner and cuffed him with a couple of sharp shots in the fourth.

Fury responded and, with his herky-jerky movement, he boxed beautifully. There was a brief clash of heads but Fury kept working the body with powerfully draining blows in the fifth and these were hard punches that threatened to dismantle his opponent.

A series of crunching right uppercuts shook Usyk to his core in the sixth round as Fury was in the groove, tagging the Ukrainian again and again, and at the bell, he waggled his tongue at the crowd to suggest that he was now in control. He was wrong. Fury used the right uppercut to the body with punishing, repetitive force in the seventh but resolute as ever, the Ukrainian ended the round clipping the bigger man with crisp combinations. His brilliance was about to flourish – but great credit should also be paid to Fury, who lost for the first time in his 36th fight.

An Olympic champion in 2012, and the former undisputed cruiserweight world champion, Usyk had the severe disadvantage of being more than two stone lighter than the giant King of the Gypsies who stands 6ft 9in tall and weighed 18st 10lb.

But the 37-year-old Usyk is a master technician with an iron will and clarity of purpose. Having fought 350 times as an amateur, he has never lost in 22 bouts as a professional and now has reached the summit of his remarkable career.

Lennox Lewis was the last undisputed world heavyweight champion when he defeated Evander Holyfield to win all the belts in Las Vegas in 1999. Almost 25 years later, both great old champions were at ringside in Riyadh to watch their successors.

Fury was brave and admirable but the imperious Usyk can now join the pantheon of heavyweight kings. – With The Guardian report