OLEKSANDR USYK has beaten Tyson Fury to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world after a stunning split decision win in Riyadh.
Usyk added Fury’s WBC title to his WBA, IBF and WBO straps after a thriller in Saudi Arabia which saw Fury survive a brutal knockdown in the ninth round.
The Ukrainian icon was taken to hospital with a suspected broken jaw after his historic win over the Gypsy King.
Post-fight Fury confirmed he would discuss the potential rematch, loosely scheduled for October, with his wife and children.
Follow all the reaction from Riyadh with our live blog below…
Usyk pays tribute to dad
Oleksandr Usyk broke down in tears after beating Tyson Fury as he revealed he begged his deceased dad not to visit his dreams.
He didn’t come to me because the last time he came to me in my dream. I miss my father.
I said to him, you live there, I live here, please don’t come to me, I love you.
For me it’s hard when my father comes to me because I remember how my life… I know he is here.
Oleksandr Usyk
Emotional Oleksandr Usyk IN TEARS as he pays tribute to his father after beating Tyson FuryLennox Lewis breaks silence
Lennox Lewis – the last man to hold all the heavyweight titles – took to Twitter to congratulate Oleksandr Usyk for following in his footsteps and becoming the undisputed ruler of the division.
He tweeted: “Welcome to the club! z@Usykaa.
“Tonight we witnessed a crackin’ fight and history made.
“I was happy to welcome either one of these incredible champions to the Undisputed HW club and tonight it was Oleksandr The Great.
“Looking forward to seeing them do it again. @usykaa has proved that it never too late to add to your legacy. Congrats!
“Fury will learn from this and he’ll be back! Losing is also part of the game, it’s how u respond to a loss that makes all the difference.”
Fury quizzed about post-fight comments
Tyson Fury was quizzed about his suggestion that the judges gave Oleksandr Usyk the victory because his native Ukraine is at war.
He said: “It was what it was. It’s not up to the fighters.
“One of the judges had me winning, two of them didn’t. It was what it was.”
Sealed with a kiss
Oleksandr Usyk was quick to embrace his wife, Yekaterina, after fulfilling his dream of becoming undisputed heavyweight champion.
What a moment for the couple.
Watch: the moment Usyk dropped Fury
Tyson Fury was literally saved by the bell in truly dramatic fashion against Oleksandr Usyk.
After a slow start, the unbeaten Gypsy King looked to be taking control of the undisputed world heavyweight title fight in Riyadh.
However, Usyk turned the tide again in emphatic fashion in the ninth round.
Battered and bruised … but still standing
Oleksandr Usyk had to be helped back to his dressing room by a member of his team.
The Ukrainian was spotted limping as he made his way backstage.
It’s unclear what injury he suffered.
In pictures – Fury v Usyk
Credit: AFP Credit: PA Credit: PA Credit: PA How the fight unfolded …
An explosive ninth round in which Fury was given a 10 count after reeling from a series of left hands before then being saved by the bell swung the contest in the new WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO champion’s favour.
Usyk won 115-112 and 114-113 on two scorecards while the third judge saw it 114-113 for Fury, who felt he should have been given the decision.
Credit: PA Usyk’s sacrifices
Usyk has missed children’s birthdays and even the birth of his daughter during his eight-month camp for the Fury fight, originally scheduled for February before the Briton suffered a cut in training.
His promoter Alex Krassyuk believed that Usyk was denied a knock-out victory when the referee stepped in as Fury looked about to hit the deck in round nine.
“I believe the referee saved Tyson from a knock-out and stole the ninth-round knock-out, which should have happened,” Krassyuk said.
But Usyk said: “No knock-out, no problem.”
“I don’t think about it because we had a win.”
Credit: getty
Steven Gerrard among the stars in Riyadh
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard joined celebs Anthony Joshua and Cristiano Ronaldo to watch the Fury v Usyk fight in Riyadh.
Usyk – undisclosed injury
Usyk was taken to hospital for a scan on an injury that his promoter Alex Krassyuk refused to disclose after inflicting the first loss of Fury’s career in an enthralling clash that surpassed expectations.
An explosive ninth round in which Fury was given a 10 count after reeling from a series of left hands before then being saved by the bell swung the contest in the new WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO champion’s favour.
Credit: PA ‘His country is at war – people side with that’
Tyson Fury appeared to claim that he lost his showdown with Oleksandr Usyk because the judges sided with the Ukrainian over the war in Ukraine.
“I believe I won that fight,” Fury said. “I believe he won a few of the rounds, but I won the majority of them, and I believe it was one of those what-can-you-do, one of them … decisions in boxing. We both put on a good fight, best we can do.
“You know, his country is at war, so people are siding with a country at war.”
Credit: PA Usyk in tears at press conference
An emotional Oleksandr Usyk shed tears for his late father after beating Fury to be crowned the undisputed heavyweight world champion on Sunday.
He shrugged off concerns that he might have suffered a broken jaw while reflecting on defeating Tyson Fury in a riveting battle in Riyadh.
Usyk said he wanted to focus on his family, rather than boxing, and he shed tears at the press conference as he remembered his late father who died just days after he won the Olympic heavyweight title at London 2012.
Credit: AP Wally Downes Jr gives his verdict
Tyson Fury is a dad-of-seven, has £300m in bank and has earned the right to surrender – so why didn’t he against Usyk, writes Sun boxing reporter Wally Downes Jr.
Read Wally’s big fight verdict in the link, below.
Usyk speaks after stunning win
Oleksandr Usyk addressed the media in the early hours of this morning after his stunning victory over Tyson Fury.
Usyk said: “We have a winner. There wasn’t the knockout but no problem.
“We have a winner.”
You should see the other guy … post-fight in pictures
Credit: Getty Credit: Getty Credit: Getty ‘I’ll see what I want to do’
Tyson Fury says he is undecided about a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk after losing his unbeaten record in one of the biggest fights in boxing history.
“I’ll have a holiday, go home, put it to the wife and kids I’ll see what I want to do,” the self-styled ‘Gypsy King’ told reporters after the fight.
Full fight breakdown
How the big fight went down last night as Oleksandr Usyk became the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world with his stunning win over Tyson Fury:
When is the rematch?
Here is what we know about when the HUGE rematch will take place.
Saudi boxing chief, H.E. Turki Alalshikh, confirmed before the fight started that Fury vs Usyk II has been pencilled in for the weekend of October 12/13.
Alalshikh plans to have the rematch to kick off another Riyadh Season.
Credit: Getty How that ninth round unfolded
How SunSport’s Chisanga Malata saw that dramatic ninth round when Tyson Fury was DROPPED:
Oleksandr Usyk is slowly but surely allowing the gap to be closed, which leads to him eating a big left hand flush in the corner.
Fury gets hurt and is stumbling around the ring. It was a left hand that did the damage.
Fury doesn’t know where he is and is eating a barrage of crisp follow-up shots. He beats the count and the bell thankfully saves him.
Score: USYK 10-8
Credit: PA Eddie Hearn weighs in
Matchroom Boxing chief and Anthony Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn has given his thoughts on Tyson Fury’s stunning survival of the ninth round against Oleksandr Usyk.
He told DAZN: “How he survived the ninth [round]?
“I thought he was very lucky that the referee didn’t jump in.
He showed unbelievable heart to stay on his feet and unbelievable composure coming out for the tenth and eleventh rounds.
“He was losing those rounds, but he was recovering.”
Credit: Getty
Usyk to be stripped of title
Oleksandr Usyk faces only being able to call himself undisputed champion for a matter of weeks.
Usyk prevailed in what was been dubbed “the fight of the century” after beating Fury via split-decision in Saudi Arabia.
Fury lost his WBC title, while Usyk added to his WBA, IBF and WBO belts.
And despite all the attention and build up to the first undisputed heavyweight bout in over 25 years, his status will only last a fraction of that time.
Boxing journalist Dan Rafael has reported that the winner of tonight’s bout will maintain the undisputed title for “less than two weeks”.
It’s said that both Fury and Usyk’s contracts dictate that they must vacate the IBF title ahead of overdue mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic’s bout with Daniel Dubois.
Credit: EPA Lennox Lewis breaks silence
Lennox Lewis – the last man to hold all the heavyweight titles – took to Twitter to congratulate Oleksandr Usyk for following in his footsteps and becoming the undisputed ruler of the division.
He tweeted: “Welcome to the club! z@Usykaa.
“Tonight we witnessed a crackin’ fight and history made.
“I was happy to welcome either one of these incredible champions to the Undisputed HW club and tonight it was Oleksandr The Great.
“Looking forward to seeing them do it again. @usykaa has proved that it never too late to add to your legacy. Congrats!
“Fury will learn from this and he’ll be back! Losing is also part of the game, it’s how u respond to a loss that makes all the difference.”
Fury quizzed about post-fight comments
Tyson Fury was quizzed about his suggestion that the judges gave Oleksandr Usyk the victory because his native Ukraine is at war.
He said: “It was what it was. It’s not up to the fighters.
“One of the judges had me winning, two of them didn’t. It was what it was.”
Hospital trip
Oleksandr Usyk has suffered a broken jaw and has been transported to the hospital.
So he will not be taking part in a post-fight press conference this morning.
Credit: AFP
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
