DOES SIZE MATTER?
Over 12 fast-paced rounds, Usyk demonstrated that he was the superior boxer. The fight was close through eight rounds, but Usyk busted things open in the ninth when he scored the only knockdown of the fight. The Little Engine That Could pushed hard through the remaining quarter of the fight to claim a split decision and be crowned the undisputed heavyweight champion. In the lead-up to the bout, Fury had taunted Usyk relentlessly. He called him a rabbit. A blown-up middleweight. A little sausage. But when the bell rang, the rabbit didn’t run. The middleweight was not intimidated by his size. The little sausage did not leave Fury alone. Fast-forward to the same arena seven months later. The same two men stood in the ring. When the gong
sounded, Fury proved to be in superb condition. He was up on his toes, moving and feinting, looking to create his openings. But despite his 55-pound weight advantage, he couldn’t make his size count. Usyk controlled center ring. He dictated the range. And for much of the fight, he walked Fury down. Any time that Fury did have success, Usyk found another gear to snatch the momentum away from him. The 116-112 scorecards across the board were an accurate reflection of the fight. Usyk proved the first win was no fluke. A good little man can beat a good big man.
BOTH TIMES OLEKSANDR USYK FACED TYSON FURY, CRITICS SAID THE UKRAINIAN WAS SIMPLY TOO SMALL TO WIN, DESPITE HIS SKILLS – BUT HISTORY TELLS A
DIFFERENT STORY By Anthony Cocks
W hen Oleksandr Usyk entered the ring at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to face Tyson Fury for the first time last May, there were a lot of question marks hanging over his head. How would the former cruiserweight king negate Fury’s seven-inch reach advantage? What would Usyk, at 6-foot-3, have to sacrifice to reach the chin of the 6-foot-9 Fury? What impact would Fury’s nearly 40-pound weight advantage have on the outcome of the fight? And how could a moderate puncher like Usyk possibly hurt such a big lump as the towering Brit? The common theory was that Fury’s sheer size would be insurmountable. All he would have to do would be to lean his considerable bulk on his smaller opponent, rag-doll him around the ring and let him know who’s the boss. After all, the rule of thumb in boxing is that a good big man beats a good small man. And both of these men had proven to be very good throughout their careers. But Usyk has always been the exception to the rule.
Unlike his friend Wladimir Klitschko, Usyk is not a modern-sized heavyweight.
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