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The Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk fight was an exhilarating ride that went the 12-round distance. The 35-year-old Fury entered the clash as the WBC and consensus lineal heavyweight champion. Meanwhile, the 37-year-old Usyk held the WBA (Super), WBO, IBF, IBO, and The Ring heavyweight titles.
Usyk ultimately emerged victorious, defeating 'The Gypsy King' via split decision (115-112, 113-114, 114-113) to successfully defend his titles and add the WBC belt. The Ukrainian fighter was crowned boxing's first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis last held that title in April 2000. It also marked Fury's first professional boxing loss.
The fight was special, the win extraordinary, and both fighters' valor praiseworthy. Today, we look at some of the top moments from Oleksandr Usyk's undisputed title win against Tyson Fury.
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#5 Tyson Fury's showboating against Oleksandr Usyk
Tyson Fury has been known for fearsome psychological warfare throughout his career. Bare-knuckle boxing and professional boxing veteran, John Fury (Tyson's father), and others in the Fury family are credited for their mental fortitude and their ability to faze opponents with their mind games. Tyson, in particular, is notorious for presenting a boisterous persona and in-ring showboating to befuddle his foes.
The high-stakes fight against Oleksandr Usyk was no different. Fury menacingly showboated, especially in round one, attempting to mentally attack 'The Cat.' Usyk, being a master at mental warfare in his own right, refrained from recklessly pursuing his taunting opponent. Instead, the former undisputed cruiserweight champion racked up points while Fury played to the crowd in the early going.
Speaking to Boxing Social, Michael Hunter, who's fought Tyson Fury in the amateurs and Oleksandr Usyk in the professional realm, notably addressed the same. He referenced Fury's "traps and tricks and Gypsy things."
Hunter, whose only defeat as a professional boxer thus far has come against Usyk at cruiserweight, suggested that Fury's showboating tactics and games proved to be counterintuitive against Usyk.
Check out Hunter's comments below (2:30):
#4 Tyson Fury's feints and 'The Gypsy King' boxing magic in the middle rounds
While Oleksandr Usyk found success in regard to outpointing Tyson Fury in the early rounds, it wasn't one-way traffic, as the towering UK pugilist kept throwing and landing several punches to the head and body. In round four, Fury's thudding uppercuts and body shots began taking their toll on the undefeated Usyk.
All through rounds four, five, six, and seven, Fury found tremendous success at both long-range and short-range. For now, let's forget about the uppercut with which he wobbled Usyk in round six (we'll address that later). Perhaps one of the least-discussed points from the matchup has been the amazing feints that 'The Gypsy King' showcased in the middle rounds.
This wasn't about a single standout moment of feinting excellence, but rather a string of pearls of pugilistic brilliance that Fury devotedly crafted inside the squared circle. Famous for his utilization of feints to distract and ensnare his opponents, Fury deftly feinted and deceived the faster Usyk to mask a number of uppercuts and body shots.
#3 Oleksandr Usyk gets rocked and returns to make 'The Gypsy King' bleed
Let's get to Oleksandr Usyk's troubles in round six, shall we? The middle rounds were undoubtedly where Fury was at his best. The showboating and mind games were still there for him, albeit with more focus on consistently striking and trying to hurt Usyk. That said, in round six, the Englishman might have let a golden opportunity to finish the fight slip through his hands.
Fight fans could argue about this for all eternity, and some may even claim that Usyk wasn't hurt enough to be finished. Regardless, it wouldn't be farfetched to say that 'The Gypsy King' let his confidence be his undoing in that round, as he let a hurt Usyk off the hook. Two moments in the sixth round ought to be highlighted.
The first was when the UK boxing megastar appeared to throw an uppercut on his smaller foe, but that didn't connect properly. Instead, Usyk ran head-first into Fury's arm and torso and was stunned by the collision. Fury pressed with the 1-2s and followed with the uppercuts. To his credit, he did land a beautiful uppercut, and Usyk seemed to be stunned again.
Unfortunately for Fury, neither did he get on the inside to finish Usyk with close-range punches nor did he use his reach advantage to snipe him with long-range strikes. He let 'The Cat' safely land on his feet (no feline pun intended!). Usyk, staying true to his moniker, managed to stay on his feet despite being dazed in round six.
The 2012 London Olympics heavyweight gold medalist cautiously regrouped in round seven, wherein Tyson Fury again played with his prey instead of going in for the kill. Oleksandr Usyk returned with a vengeance in round eight and targeted his rival's nose, leaving the gigantic Fury bleeding from his nose.
#2 Oleksandr Usyk sends Tyson Fury stumbling around the ring with iconic knockdown
Covered in blood at the end of round eight, both fighters put on a show for the ages in the ninth stanza, which proved to be the most talked-about round of the entire fight. Fury stuck to his volume-punching strategy and looked a tad too comfortable. He'd evidently hurt his opponent and was outboxing him, the previous round's attacks to the nose and bleeding notwithstanding.
As for the southpaw Usyk, he was making his reads. Throughout the fight, he kept trying to step outside Fury's lead foot when the latter was in the orthodox stance. When Fury switched to southpaw and the striking angles would change, Usyk adjusted well. In round nine, Usyk read Fury's rhythm and risked eating a few punches to get inside and land a devastating combination to his head.
A huge left hand, followed by a volley of lefts and rights sent Fury stumbling all over the ring and into the ropes. Though he wasn't on the mat, the referee intervened and ruled it a knockdown. 'The Gypsy King' was in deep trouble, but he was saved by the bell.
#1 Tyson Fury's recovery shined in a strong final round against Oleksandr Usyk
Unlike Tyson Fury, who let a wounded foe off in round six, Oleksandr Usyk relentlessly followed a hurt Fury after round nine. While Usyk deserves laudation for his commitment to pursue the stoppage, 'The Gypsy King' warrants appreciation for miraculously recovering after a nightmarish ninth round. Fury stuck to the basics, landing 1-2s and clinching when needed to clear the cobwebs.
Usyk, who'd smartly avoided carrying the heavier man's weight in the clinch, was possibly worn down by Fury's early body work and the ensuing chaos in the fight. Although he looked like the fresher fighter right to the end, Fury's clinches toward the end likely sapped his energy, and 'The Cat' was unable to land any significant damaging shots in rounds 10, 11, and 12.
In fact, it was Fury who won the fight's 12th and final round, sticking to basic combinations and clinching. Regardless, the ninth-round knockdown and points lead in the early rounds helped Usyk win, setting up a possible rematch.
