Usyk retains crown, beats Fury in tight rematch

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Oleksandr Usyk retained the heavyweight championship with another decision victory over Tyson Fury on Saturday, this time unanimously, in a rematch that was every bit as competitive as their first meeting in May.

Usyk, ESPN’s No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer, prevailed by the same score on all three cards: 116-112.

The rounds were difficult to score as Fury found plenty of success, particularly from the southpaw stance as he switched from orthodox, but Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs) enjoyed the bout’s most indelible moments.

The Ukrainian, fighting for his war-torn nation, consistently beat the far bigger Fury to the punch and connected on a bevy of overhand lefts.

“I very respect this guy because I think he’s very tough,” Usyk, 37, told ESPN. “… Tyson Fury makes me strong. Tyson is a great opponent. Big man. He’s a good man. Tyson, a lot of talk, but it’s just show.”

Usyk thanked Fury for an “unbelievable 24 rounds in my career.” He called Fury the best opponent he has faced, though he thought the rematch was easier than the first fight.

Fury, 36, believed he did enough to win as he celebrated at the final bell. When the scorecards were announced, he was dejected and left the ring without an interview.

The bout was entertaining from bell to bell, a fast-paced heavyweight matchup that featured few clinches. But it wasn’t nearly as thrilling as the first bout (also in Saudi Arabia’s capital), which will likely earn Fight of the Year honors.

In that contest for the undisputed heavyweight championship, Usyk floored Fury in Round 9 when the ropes held up the Englishman after 14 unanswered punches. The 10-8 round was the difference on the scorecards.

Fury (34-2-1, 24 KOs) vowed in the lead-up to the rematch that if he simply didn’t clown around and thus avoided a 10-8 round, he would even the score and force a trilogy bout. “The Gypsy King” made good on his promise to take the fight more seriously as he didn’t taunt Usyk once.

The only time Fury played to the crowd was during his electric entrance as he belted out Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” followed by The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Hypnotize.”

“More serious,” said Fury, ESPN’s No. 2 heavyweight, at the postfight news conference “… I thought I won the fight again. … I was on the front foot the entire time.”

Fury said he was confident he was ahead entering the final round. His right eye was busted up, but otherwise he never appeared hurt in the fight, unlike the first time around.

“When you don’t get the knockout, this is what can happen,” he said.

The judges agreed on seven of the 12 rounds. Just two of those were for Fury: Rounds 4 and 5, when he was able to score with his powerful right hand, particularly to the body and with a right uppercut to the chin.

And, as in the first fight, Usyk took over during the second half and imposed his will. Usyk won Rounds 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11 unanimously as he was able to consistently back up Fury with relentless, savvy pressure and feints.

The overhand left was Usyk’s best weapon, and it was often smartly set up with a jab to the body. Usyk conceded 55 pounds to the 281-pound Fury — a career high, though at the weigh-in he stepped on the scale in a leather jacket and Usyk joked that he might have had cheeseburgers in his pocket.

Usyk’s superior hand and foot speed were evident as the southpaw was able to evade many of Fury’s power shots set up by a beautiful jab. Usyk is the former undisputed cruiserweight champion and now reigns over boxing’s glamour division as the best heavyweight of his generation.

The 2012 Olympic gold medalist owns a pair of wins each over two of the sport’s top stars, U.K. fighters who have sold out Wembley Stadium several times: Anthony Joshua and Fury.

“I did the best I could,” Fury said. “If I could have done more, I would have done it and that’s it.”