Usyk won – the first absolute in the “four-belt” era
The victory of Ukrainian heavyweight boxer Oleksandr Usky over Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia was incredible. Usyk became the first undisputed heavyweight champ of this century by defeating Gypsy King. On that day, he became the first person to hold an absolute boxing champ title since Lennox Lewis.
The only difference is that Lewis’ undisputed champion status was a lack of the WBO belt. During Lewis’ golden time in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the WBO title was not commonly considered essential for being absolute. The WBO was founded in 1988 and took years to gain the same level of recognition as the WBC, WBA, and IBF.
Oleksandr Usyk was shorter, older and lighter than his opponents since he moved to the heavyweight division. He was a size disadvantage to Tyson Fury, but he overcame it and became the first undisputed heavyweight champion in history.
Historical Significance of Usyk vs Fury Fight
“The Ring of Fire” so the fight was called by mass media due to its historical meaning for the world of boxing. There are a few reasons why:
- Heavyweight belts from four recognized governing bodies (WBO, WBC, WBA, IBF) were at stake;
- It was the first heavyweight bout to be unified in over 20 years;
- Over 20 million people watched the fight that day which allows us to speak of its true legendary status.
Usyk’s over Fury victory has allowed him to join the exclusive club of heavyweight fighters who hold every major world championship title. He now become one of the likes Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Joe Frazier, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield. This is the first time this has happened in the 4-belt era that began in 2007.
Ukrainian southpaw also becomes the Lineal Heavyweight Champion by beating Fury. The Briton won Wladimir Klitschko to earn this title in 2015.
The Fury vs Usyk fight essential moments
In the beginning, Fury led the fight, justifying the trust placed in him by the fans, as he was the favourite on the betting boards. The match was most exciting at the end; Usyk shook Fury so hard that he half fell to the mat in the ninth round. This was the decisive factor, according to Judge Mike Fitzgerald, allowing Usyk to narrowly win on two of three scorecards. Eventually, the judges awarded Usyk the victory by a split decision: Usyk 115-112, Fury 114-113, and Usyk 114-113.
The Loss of the IBF Belt
Usyk will rematch Fury at the end of this year as per the contract between the two fighters. This cost him the IBF title, as he couldn’t defend it against the mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois. Whoever wins the rematch in Saudi Arabia with Fury in December will not be crowned the undisputed winner.
Afterword
Oleksandr Usyk’s success in Saudi Arabia is also historic for the Ukrainians who supported him. He is a short heavyweight fighting with giants. Usyk defeats bigger opponents by combining skill and hard work. He is in many ways the ideal representative of modern Ukraine, as it fights against the larger Russian army.
