Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Oleksandrovych Usyk was born on January 17, 1987. In two weight classes, he has held numerous world titles, including the unified heavyweight and Ring magazine titles since 2021 and 2022, respectively. Additionally, since 2021, he has held the International Boxing Organization (IBO) title.
Usyk was the first boxer in that class to hold four major world championships during his reign as the undisputed cruiserweight champion from 2018 to 2019.
Usyk is regarded as one of the finest Ukrainian boxers of all time. Usyk joined Evander Holyfield and David Haye as the only three boxers to unify the cruiserweight and heavyweight world championships with his victory over Anthony Joshua in 2021.
Why did Anthony Joshua have to fight Oleksandr Usyk?
Joshua had to fight Usyk as the WBO's mandatory challenger after negotiations for Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury failed to materialize.
Anthony Joshua, the unbeaten WBC and The Ring champion, and Usyk, the mandatory challenger for Joshua from the WBO, had been negotiating to face each other. The WBO gave Joshua's team 48 hours to come to an agreed accord for the fight with Fury on May 21, 2021, or they would instead order Joshua to face Usyk.
However, it looked like Fury would instead be compelled to face former WBC champion Deontay Wilder in a trilogy bout due to an arbitration judgment. The camps of Joshua and Tyson Fury were unable to come to an agreement, and on May 22, the WBO instructed Joshua to face Usyk with a contract for the match to be in place by May 31.
A professional boxing bout between Anthony Joshua, the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight champion, and Oleksandr Usyk, the former undisputed cruiserweight champion and WBO's mandatory heavyweight challenger, became known as "The Perfect Storm." Oleksandr Usyk won a unanimous decision over Anthony Joshua on September 25, 2021, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Why did Oleksandr Usyk win against Anthony Joshua?
Oleksandr Usyk, the 6-foot-3, 240-pounder is a natural heavyweight and had a size advantage over Joshua.
The 6-foot-3 Ukrainian bobbed his head and moved side to side constantly, not away from Joshua, making him a difficult target. He also had his feet sufficiently planted for the duration of the bout to deliver powerful, straight left punches.
Usyk appeared to repeatedly hit Joshua with punches in the opening rounds, raising the possibility of an early knockout, but he soon understood that wasn't the best strategy for success.
“I had no objective to knock him out,” Oysk said through a translator following the fight. “My corner pushed me not to do that. In the beginning, I hit him hard and tried to knock him out. Then my brain said, ‘Just stop and do your job.’”
Joshua, a skilled boxer, appeared to settle in during the middle rounds. He was more active than Usyk during that part of the fight, and he also connected with some of his finest power blows, which provided him with a boost and an excellent chance to win what turned out to be a close fight.
The last portion of the bout was, however, under Usyk's control as he gained momentum and fought through a cut over his right eye brow.
In the final 30 seconds of the fight, he hammered Joshua, whose right eye was nearly closed by that point, to cap off one of the division's most outstanding performances in recent memory.
Usyk was given a score of 117–112, 116–112, and 115–113 by the judges. Boxing Junkie gave the victory a score of 116-112, eight rounds to four.
FAQs
A. Oleksandr Usyk is a Ukrainian boxer known for winning multiple world titles in two weight classes: heavyweight and cruiserweight.
A. Joshua had to fight Usyk as a WBO mandatory challenger when negotiations for Joshua vs. Fury failed.
A. Usyk's agile movement, effective jabs, and strategic approach helped him secure a unanimous decision victory over Joshua.
A. Usyk's size advantage, elusive head movement, and straight left punches were key factors in his victory.
A. Usyk won the fight by scores of 117-112, 116-112, and 115-113.
