The Ukrainian won by split decision, creating real history.
On the evening of Sunday, May 19, a night of boxing took place in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, where the main event was the fight for the title of absolute world heavyweight champion.
WBA, WBO and IBF world champion Alexander Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs) and WBC title holder Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) battled for the prestigious title.
The Ukrainian once again pleased the fans with the outfit in which he entered the ring. This time Alexander dressed up as a hetman. But his opponent failed. For some reason, Fury decided not to invent anything and went out like a normal fight.
At first it seems that the first round is traditionally held as an exploration. But at some point both boxers became more active and executed good combinations.
Fury, by the way, immediately noticed his acting skills, trying to anger Alexander, who, it is worth noting, did not become a victim of provocations. Instead, he responded with specific blows.
In the third round, Fury began using clinches, but even here Usyk found a way around the Briton’s defense.
In the fourth round, the tactics of the “Gypsy King” did not change: run away from the opponent, catch him on the way and… keep smiling. He doesn’t seem to take Usyk seriously.
👅 👅 👅#FuryUsyk | Live NOW on DAZN! Click link in bio to purchase. #RingOfFire | #RiyadhSeason | @Turki_alalshikh pic.twitter.com/5FmtcHZjXe
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 18, 2024
In the fifth round, Fury became more active, constantly targeting Alexander’s body. And he succeeded – unfortunately, at that moment it was really difficult for the Ukrainian.
But it got worse. Usyk catches two uppercuts, then Fury adds some jabs. Alexander looked heavy, there was no usual ease in his movements.
Round number seven went better. Tyson lands an uppercut again, but Alexander says “hello” to him as well. Towards the end of the round he attacked and gave the Brit a good charge.
Midway through the eighth round, Fury took a hard hit to the face, missing two powerful punches. Sensing danger, Tyson enters the clinch. Alexander, feeling the blood of his opponent, rushed to attack more. As a result, after the gong, Fury’s face is bleeding from a broken nose.
A bloody Fury heads to the corner 👀#FuryUsyk | Live NOW on DAZN! Click link in bio to purchase. #RingOfFire | #RiyadhSeason | @Turki_alalshikh pic.twitter.com/udaa8z2FBM
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 18, 2024
The ninth round turned out to be very cool that Usik did. He continued to hit his opponent, then Fury swam: Alexander hit after blow, the Briton’s legs began to dance – the first knockdown was recorded in the fight. It’s a pity but Tyson was saved by the judge, the ropes and the gong.
Fury tried to escape from Usik, but the Ukrainian did not let go of his opponent, pinning him on the ropes. Now Alexander had a chance to dance a little. And literally.
No trace remains of Fury’s former activity. No wonder he was told to wait six minutes in the corner.
Alexander, on the other hand, went to gain points and victory – how could he not take advantage of this if his opponent would allow it?
The final round started with… yes, another clinch from the Brit. But Usik soon launched his attack. A minute before the end, the Ukrainian landed a right hook, then landed again, pinning his opponent in the corner. The fight ended in a clinch.
WHAT A FIGHT. THAT IS AWESOME.#FuryUsyk | Live NOW on DAZN! Click link in bio to purchase. #RingOfFire | #RiyadhSeason | @Turki_alalshikh pic.twitter.com/Gi6mvjelYo
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 18, 2024
The fate of the battle and the historical event were decided by the judges, from whom one could expect anything.
And in the end, Alexander Usyk won by split decision (115:112, 114:113, 113:114) and became the absolute world champion.
THE crowning moment for Oleksandr Usyk 👑#FuryUsyk | #RingOfFire | #RiyadhSeason | @Turki_alalshikh | @usykaa pic.twitter.com/C0kR1Z5Ovc
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 18, 2024
A very emotional Oleksandr Usyk immediately after becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world! 🙌#FuryUsyk | #RingOfFire | #RiyadhSeason | @Turki_alalshikh | @usykaa pic.twitter.com/1oOs8LBuw3
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 18, 2024
We remind you that on ISPORT you can see the results of all fights on the card of the last night of boxing in Saudi Arabia.
Source: korrespondent
I’m Todderic Kirkman, a journalist and author for athletistic. I specialize in covering all news related to sports, ranging from basketball to football and everything in between. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, I have become an invaluable asset to my team. My ambition is to bring the most up-to-date information on sports topics around the world.
