Ukrainian professional boxer Alexander Usyk remains four-time world heavyweight champion. The 35-year-old defeated former British champion Anthony Joshua for the second time on Sunday night in the Superdome in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Usyk retained his belts from the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO associations after the narrow points judgment (115:113, 113:115, 116:112).
Joshua had lost his title to the then challenger in September 2021 in a points defeat at Tottenham Hotspur’s football stadium in London and now missed a revenge. For the favorite Usyk it was the 20th victory in the 20th professional fight of his career. The brilliant technician was able to make up for his physical disadvantage of four centimeters less reach and again defeated the three centimeters taller Joshua.
Almost a year ago, Usyk gave the Brit a boxing lesson, and it was much more balanced in the second duel. However, Joshua could not avoid his third defeat as a professional and should now face a difficult future. For Usyk, the duel was more than just a boxing match, but it should also give hope to his compatriots in a dark time of war. The boxer made it possible for the world championship fight in Ukraine to be followed free of charge on state television and in the live stream.
Usyk volunteered for a month in the war of aggression launched by Russia, but then, at the urging of his compatriots, decided to fight as a boxer again.
Tyson Fury says: ‘Put me in the ring’
Shortly after the fight, retired WBC champion Tyson Fury came forward and said he would be returning to the boxing ring for a unification bout against Usyk. “Send me into the ring and I’ll relieve the Ukrainian bum of his belt like I did with the last Ukrainian bum,” Fury said in a video released after Usyk’s win: “But it won’t be cheap. If you If you want the best, you’ll have to pay. It’s going to be very expensive, so get those check books out.”
Fury had dethroned Usyk’s Ukrainian compatriot Wladimir Klitschko as four-time world champion in Düsseldorf in 2015. Actually, the “Gypsy King” didn’t want to get in the ring anymore, he had confirmed this a few days ago. But Usyk made him an offer for a heavyweight spectacle in the ring after his second triumph over Joshua on Sunday night: “I’m sure Fury hasn’t really resigned and he wants to fight me. I want to fight him and if I don’t fight Fury, I don’t fight at all.”
