Heavyweight History Unfolds as Usyk Dethrones Fury
On Saturday night, two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua sat ringside, essentially witnessing history unfold before his eyes. As his former opponent, Oleksandr Usyk, outfought Tyson Fury down the stretch to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in a quarter of a century, Joshua couldn’t help but recognize the Ukrainian’s lung-bursting, late effort that ultimately carried him to a deserved victory.
“Usyk’s won. Great fight but Usyk’s a comfortable winner,” said Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn.
Indeed, most experts agreed that Usyk emerged triumphant, despite making a quick start and initially struggling with Fury’s size and variety.
With the IBF likely to mandate that Usyk defend his title against Filip Hrgovic or vacate the belt, it’s almost certain the Ukrainian will forego the IBF strap and instead pursue a lucrative rematch with Fury later this year. This, in turn, could pave the way for Joshua to take on the winner of the Hrgovic-Daniel Dubois fight in a bid to reclaim the heavyweight championship he first won by knocking out Charles Martin back in 2016.
Hearn emphasized that Joshua is “ready to fight anybody” – whether it’s a trilogy fight with Usyk, a Battle of Britain clash with Fury, or any other top heavyweight contender. The British boxing icon is eager to regain his heavyweight crown, and the prospect of an undisputed title fight has the potential to captivate the sport’s global fanbase.
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