Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury in an impressive split decision early Sunday morning to become the first undisputed world heavyweight champion of the century. Usyk was given a deserved verdict of 115-112 by the first referee and 114-113 by the third referee, adding the WBC title to the IBF, WBA and WBO belts Fury already owned. The center scorecard read 114-113 in Fury's favor, but he stumbled across the ring drunk and was nearly knocked out in the ninth round. He was given a standing count of 8 and was saved by the bell.
A brutal but absorbing and highly technical bout, the momentum shifted when Usyk had a dominant round in the eighth round. A right hook and left cross nailed Fury. Then suddenly, with newfound confidence, Usyk fired a trembling left shot that shook Fury. Blood flowed from Fury's nose, leaving a mark around his left eye.
Usyk ramped up the pressure in the ninth inning, landing an incredible barrage of 14 hits. Fury staggered under the attack, limp and stumbled, eyes glaring. The referee could have stopped the fight, but he gave Fury time to stand up before counting to eight, as he was propped up on the slack ropes. That seemed like a very long count.
Fury, as usual, showed great resilience and competitiveness in the next two rounds. However, both the 10th and 11th rounds were won by Usyk, who landed the stronger blows. Before the final round, Fury reached out his arm to touch Usyk's glove, and Usyk let out an exclamation.
Usyk scored early with some sharp combinations, but two straight right hands from Fury proved he was still trying to win the fight. But Usyk delivered a thrilling flurry of punches, a fitting end to his gripping and often epic bout.
At the beginning of the drama, both players waited in opposing corners, looked up to the sky and crossed paths just before the starting bell rang. It was as if they knew they were about to enter dark territory and be pushed to their limits.
The height difference was obvious, with Fury being six inches taller, but Usyk was immediately effective with repeated jabs to the body. Fury shook his head and flicked his tongue, clearly jokingly. But Usyk nailed him with a devastating overhand left near the end of the round. Fury looked at the crowd, grimaced, and played the Joker again.
Usyk started the second round impressively with some clever combinations. Fury found a rhythm and landed a right uppercut on Usyk. The crowd roared as Fury sank two heavy right hands to the body before going back behind the jab. However, Usyk remained aggressive and set a fast pace.
Usyk showed great skill in and out, cutting off Fury with glancing blows. But the most powerful punch in the third round came from Fury, hurting Usyk to the body. The Ukrainian briefly supported Fury in a neutral corner and then landed a few sharp shots in the fourth. Fury responded, boxing superbly with jerky movements. There was a brief clash of heads, but Fury continued to move the body with powerful, debilitating strikes in the fifth. These were hard punches that threatened to dismantle Usyk.
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In the sixth round, he delivered a series of powerful right uppercuts that shook Usyk to the core. Fury got carried away and tagged the Ukrainian repeatedly, and when the bell rang he flicked his tongue at the crowd, indicating he was now in control. he was wrong. Fury pounded his right uppercut to the body in the seventh, but Usyk remained as resolute as ever, clipping the larger man with sharp combinations to end the round. Fury should also be given a lot of credit for losing for the first time in his 36th fight, although his talent was on the rise.
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Usyk, the 2012 Olympic champion and former undisputed cruiserweight world champion, is over two stone lighter than the hulking King of the Gypsies, who stands 6ft 9in tall and weighs 18th and 10lbs. He had disadvantageous conditions. But Usyk, 37, is a skilled engineer with an iron will and a clear purpose. He fought 350 fights as an amateur, never lost in 22 fights as a professional, and has now reached the pinnacle of his incredible career.
Lennox Lewis became the last undisputed heavyweight champion of the world when he won all belts by defeating Evander Holyfield in Las Vegas in 1999. Almost 25 years later, both of these great old champions stood ringside in Riyadh watching over their successors. Fury was brave and admirable, but the arrogant Usyk can now join the pantheon of heavyweight kings.
