DOWN IN HISTORY
T he year rounded off with another heavyweight bonanza in Saudi Arabia, a befitting contest between giants of the sport’s most globally significant, historical division. Two of boxing’s modern stars collided again in a legacy fight on a momentous late December night at the Kingdom Arena. Following a fascinating week of buildup in Riyadh, the spoils went to Ukrainian icon Oleksandr Usyk, who emerged as the imperious victor over Tyson Fury for a second time in what
era and one of the finest boxers the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions have ever witnessed. There is a very strong argument, moreover, that Usyk is currently boxing’s pound-for-pound king. That said, this was a close fight – close enough that there was partisan noise around the wideness of the judging outcome. What is certain is that Usyk knows how to win and how to persuade three judges sitting on the ring apron to give him the tick in the box, round after round, time and time again. This fight was less thrilling than the
tuck, and it is there, etched forever in a year that was special in boxing, with the 24 rounds the two heavyweight behemoths shared befitting of crowning the king of the era and the development of a new epicenter for boxing in Saudi Arabia. There were diverse views on the contest. Voices that disagreed with the margin of Usyk’s victory. Yet not on the victory itself. Former undisputed heavyweight king Lennox Lewis said afterward that he wanted to see Fury “a little bit more
In the fight week buildup, Lewis had told me: “They are in the middle of a war. They entertained us the first time, and they will entertain us again. They are focused on that. Fury will come back and fight. Usyk will focus on winning rounds. It is what he does. He is a scientist in there. He was with Fury for every second of the first fight. But I do believe the referee was very good [ruling a technical knockdown in the ninth round], and it ended up being a very good fight and has given us this second encounter.” Another modern great, Roy Jones
very close fight the second time.” Spot on from Lennox, and pretty much how it played out. And his post- fight report was nearly identical to the first time around: Lewis explained: “I didn’t score it, but it was close. [Fury] should have got more rounds in there. Usyk could retire if he wants ... but Fury goes to London for one of the biggest fights in history with Anthony Joshua.” Time will tell on that matchup, especially given Fury’s latest retirement announcement (Editor’s note: see Tom Gray’s article on that development in
Yet for Atlas, Usyk was a clear winner. “The judges got it right; I don’t understand the thinking that the judges made it a robbery.” Showing me his scribbled scorecard, Atlas explained: “Usyk had a bad fifth round, then from Round 6 he did what he did. He controlled the pace and tempo of the fight … He bossed it.” Atlas grew animated in that endearing, passionate way of his: “Usyk dished out as good as he got. And to the body. If not a little better. He’s the kind of guy who could have lived in any
was truly an absorbing nonstop battle of fistic chess. It was to be a unanimous decision for Usyk in this “Reignited” encounter – 116-112 on all three judges’ cards – with the shorter, lighter fighter easing his way to victory in the second half of the contest by dint of giving as good as he received, plus a little more. Just enough, but enough. Smart in the clinch, busier overall, Usyk was fully deserving of the win and with it entered a discussion around a newfound status as one of the greats of the modern
aggressive and go after Usyk a bit more.” But that was easier said than done. Usyk was technically better in this fight than the first. So too Fury. But as Lewis explained: “Usyk won the first fight, and it was up to Fury to go after him in the second fight and make sure he won it. Usyk was hitting him to the body more ... they were scoring shots. I didn’t score it round by round, but Fury should have got more rounds than he did.” For the record, from my seat, I scored it 6-5 in rounds to Usyk, with one – the first stanza – a 10-10.
Jr., had concurred with Lewis when I contacted him: “Usyk has the momentum, but we will find out who Fury really is in this fight. If Usyk fights the wrong fight and tries to knock Fury out, it could go wrong for him. I like Fury, but it’s hard to go against Usyk, given what he came up with the last time.” Lewis added: “Usyk has proven that he is a winner. And he hasn’t lost yet. So it is hard to go against him. But Fury is very focused this time. I saw it very close the first time, and I think we are in for a
era, because he’s the full package. He’s technically solid. He’s mentally solid. He’s got the physical gifts. He’s not ‘great’ great in one area, but he’s very good in every area. Not one bad area, no weakness. “As my mentor, Cus D’Amato, would say back in the day, the greatest compliment you can give a fighter is that he is ‘solid,’” added Atlas. “A solid guy. On any night, this guy Usyk could fit in with anyone. Who’s out there to beat Usyk? Just one opponent – Father Time. It would be interesting what
Fury, the challenger, brought imposing size and formidable skills ...
... but Usyk, once again, outworked and outsmarted the former champ.
first, very dramatic fight, yet it was just as absorbing. The judges agreed on seven of the 12 rounds, with an argument over five swing rounds, not surprisingly. Of those seven unanimous rounds, the judges agreed 4 and 5 were Fury’s rounds, and they agreed 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11 were for Usyk. But it was that kind of fight, nip and
this issue), but given The Gypsy King’s mercurial nature and the history of mega-money megafights, we ought to see it this summer. Speaking to trainer and commentator Teddy Atlas afterward – he was ringside – he saw Usyk as “completing the era” and showing he is “the full package” as an elite champion.
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