ANTHONY JOSHUA had a just a one-word response to Oleksandr Usyk’s victory over Tyson Fury.
Usyk has now done the double over both the British superstars.
He first won the world heavyweight titles on points against Joshua in 2021 before winning the rematch a year later.
Usyk, 37, then became the first to ever defeat Fury, 36, with a split-decision last May.
And he followed it up with a unanimous verdict seven months later to regain his heavyweight crown and inflict a second loss on Fury.
Joshua posted an emoji of the Ukrainian flag with the word “respect.”
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Fury fumed at the decision and stormed out of the ring to leave his future in doubt.
But Lennox Lewis told TNT Sports: “He goes to London, the biggest fight in history, maybe Anthony Joshua.”
Joshua, 35, is coming off a fifth-round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois, 27, in September.
And promoter Frank Warren was left to answer questions over Fury’s future after the beaten Brit left the ring.
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Warren said: “I don’t know, I mean he’s very disappointed as I am.
“I’m not saying this to be biased, everyone along the front there we all thought it was the same way.”
Asked if Fury will fight again, Warren replied: “That’s up to him.
“It’s too early, it’s just after a fight emotions are running high. We’ll see. It’s nuts. Could you only give him four rounds out of eight?”
Fury vs Usyk 2 round by round: How SunSport scored the controversial heavyweight thriller
OLEKSANDR USYK took another controversial decision over Tyson Fury to regain his heavyweight throne.
Seven months on from their split-decision thriller, this time the scorecards were unanimous 116-112 all in Usyk’s favour.
The Gypsy King stormed out of the ring as his promoter Frank Warren was left stunned by the cards.
Here’s how SunSport’s Wally Downes scored the fight…
Round 1
The rules were ignored and Fury arrived at 11:15pm local time with a beard that would make Brian Blessed’s chops feel naked.
If we thought his face fuzz looked overgrown, we were stunned to see the size of his belly when the cameras caught him topless in his dressing room.
His red shorts were so high that you couldn’t even see much of his gut, an inch higher and the 20st beast would have had the option of tucking his nipples down there too.
Fury tried to intimidate Usyk with the final face-off, widening his eyes like a monster but the champ remained ice cold.
They swapped jabs and fenced with their lead hands. Usyk drove left hands into his wobbling belly and then clipped him with a head shot to snatch the opener. Usyk.
Round 2
Usyk lands a scoring one-two to the head as soon as the session starts but then returns to the body and lands lefts, one even makes Fury stumble.
But the Gypsy King lands a treble-jab and then a meaty right hand to take the round.
Still no signs of the body blows and uppercuts that won him the middle rounds of the May fight. Fury
Round 3
Three times Usyk scores with a jab to the body and left hand upstairs.
Fury struggles to deal with the pressure. Fury lands a little check hook and even tries the southpaw stance.
But all his threats to skin and cook the bog-eyed rat or ugly rabbit prove empty. Usyk.
Round 4
Fury makes a bright start with a chopped right hand.
Bit Usyk almost whacks his whiskers off with two left hands that score well.
But Fury pings back with a big right hand that forces Usyk back.
Then that uppercut returns and cuts through Usyk’s guard. Draw.
Round 5
Fury takes control instantly when a right hand is the perfect start to the session
Then the Brit gets warned for rabbit punches as he bids to bully the champ.
Usyk is then walked into a lead left uppercut and then he starts shipping body blows. Usyk scuttles off and has to recover. Fury.
Round 6
Fury in trouble. The challenger’s bloated body starts to sweat and Usyk keeps targeting it with his power-punch left.
Then he goes head hunting and clips Fury’s skull.
The Morecambe giant is buzzed and worried, his head got rocked backwards. He hides the rest of the round. Usyk
Round 7
A quiet round only really features a crisp Fury one-two and a single Usyk left. Draw.
Round 8
A one-two-hook works for Usyk as he pushes all of the pace an pressure and Fury tries to hide his 20st target.
An accidental clash of heads thankfully leaves no cuts.
Fury does launch a limp attack but Usyk smiles back and shakes his shaven head. Usyk.
Round 9
Fury starts to tire, he has so much timber to lug around and lumberjack Usyk loves chopping him down.
He’s too big to dance and rub and counter.
He is playing super-fit Usyk’s game. Usyk.
Round 10
Fury lands a rare uppercut and attacks Usyk’s body. He takes the centre of the ring but then eats a couple of shots.
Fury tries to hold and lean and sap at Usyk’s engine. But he is punished with a left to the cheek.
Big left from Uysk lands and scatters Fury sweat beads off his head.
But Fury cracks back with an uppercut. But Usyk’s pressure and punches win in. Usyk.
Round 11
These could well be the deciding rounds. Usyk is busier, Fury throws an uppercut but it only grazes his guard.
Fury walks onto a tippy-tappy combination but then two serious shots. The wind is coming out of his giant red sails.
Usyk is relentless and bouncing and prodding and punching and Fury is 20st and flagging. Usyk
Round 12
Fury starts like a man who knows he needs at least a lockdown but that helps Usyk counter him.
A combo of three straight punches score for the Ukraine icon.
But Fury keeps swinging and slashing and pulling up the shorts that slip down his back and love handles from all the sweat Usyk has drained out of him.
With a section of the ungrateful crowd booing and whistling they slug it out for the final ten seconds finish. Usyk
SunSport’s scorecards: Usyk 118-112 Fury.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
