Usyk Defeats Fury In The Fight Of The Century
- 22.12.2024, 9:03
The rematch in Riyadh lasted all 12 rounds.
Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury and became the world champion in the heavyweight division according to the WBC, WBA and WBO. The rematch, which took place at the packed Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, lasted all 12 rounds. The Ukrainian again, as in the first fight, won by decision of the judges. This time unanimously - three times 116:112.
Charter97.org reports this with reference to the broadcast of the boxing match in the media, which was previously dubbed the "fight of the century".
How the Usyk - Fury 2 fight went
The boxers came out to the fight focused.
Artem Pivovarov performed the anthem of Ukraine before the fight.
Usyk, together with one of the most popular artists of our time, sang the main song of the state.
It should be noted that after the 9th round, the Ukrainian was ahead of the Briton by two points.
In the fight, Usyk made 423 punches, 179 of them were accurate. The Ukrainian also made 211 jabs (73 accurate). Oleksandr made 212 power punches (106 accurate).
Fury made 509 punches (144 hit the target). He also made 252 jabs (44 accurate). He made 257 power punches (100 accurate).
After the fight, Oleksandr picked up a unique artefact - the saber of the Ukrainian hetman Ivan Mazepa, dating back to the 17th century.
There is an inscription on the blade "I place all my hope in you, Mother of God, cover me under your protection!" On the right side of the blade are depicted two candles, two angels, and a crowned Virgin Mary with a child and a twig. This image of her is called "Unfading Flower".
How much money did Usyk and Fury earn for the fight?
The agreement between the boxers and the organizers of the fight is usually confidential.
According to Western media, the total amount of payments for the first fight was 150 million dollars, distributed in a ratio of 70% to 30% in favor of Fury. That is, Tyson, despite the fact that he lost, earned about 105 million dollars, and Oleksandr, although he won, got just 45 million.
This time, again - according to rumors and insider data, the Ukrainian and the Briton received 190 million dollars for two of them. However, the funds were distributed in a ratio of 60% to 40% in favour of Usyk. Thus, the Ukrainian received 114 million dollars, and the Briton - 76 million. After calculating the funds that will come from the sale of the fight broadcast, these amounts may be higher. But it can already be said that the fee for the rematch was a record for both boxers.
We will also add that Usyk, in addition to the WBC, WBA and WBO belts, also received a special "anniversary" belt from the WBC. This award is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the classic heavyweight fight between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali, which was called "The Rumble in the Jungle": in October 1974, Ali made a sensation by knocking out the champion and becoming the owner of the WBA and WBC titles.
What future awaits Usyk after defeating Fury
Now Usyk's future decisions will depend on his athletic form, ambitions and offers that will come after defeating Fury. There are several most likely options now.
End of career. For 37-year-old Usyk, the decision to retire at the peak of his career as an undefeated champion seems quite logical. This will allow him to go down in boxing history as a legend. However, Usyk does not seem tired of boxing yet. Therefore, his career will probably continue.
Title defence and possible belt renunciation. Usyk, who holds several championship belts, will face challenges to defend them. Boxing organizations usually insist on regular title defences, and if the champion cannot do this, they declare the belt vacant.
A unification fight for the IBF title. The most realistic scenario is a fight for the IBF title if Daniel Dubois or another promising boxer wins it. The probable time for such a fight is the second half of 2025 if the negotiations between the teams are successful.
But the scenario of a third fight with Tyson Fury looks unlikely.