Boxer Oleksandr Usyk was outboxed and outpaced Anthony Joshua on Saturday to win the highly-anticipated bout with a unanimous decision and end the Briton’s second reign as world heavyweight champion.
Usyk’s superior reflexes and punching power, especially off his left, left Joshua bewildered during the final rounds. The Ukrainian is now the proud owner of the WBA and IBF titles in just his third fight since stepping up from the cruiserweight division.
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He is the third man, after Evander Holyfield and David Haye, to win world titles at cruiserweight then heavyweight. Six years after Wladimir Klitschko’s long heavyweight reign ended, Ukraine has another champion in boxing’s marquee division.
Usyk’s supreme display in the ring left the jaws of the fans dropping to the floor. After the final bell went off, Twitter was sent into a frenzy.
Former professional boxer Lennox Lewis was all praises for the Ukrainian as he wrote: “@usykaa showed his pedigree in the ring tonight. Amateur Champion. Olympic Gold medalist. Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion and now World Heavyweight champion. It pays to take the long road, put in the hard work and aggressively go after your goals.”
The win crowns an incredible career but even at 34, Usyk seems far from over and might be going after some more accomplished boxers soon.
A fan exclaimed on Twitter how Usyk’s victory over Joshua was “Historic.”
“IN <20 pro fights Oleksandr Usyk has won the RING-WBC-WBA-WBO-IBF cruiser titles, and the WBA-WBO-IBF heavy titles. He’s now locked up his second Fighter of the Year award. Fight fans, this is HISTORIC. This is the REAL takeover,” he wrote.
The champion looked helpless in the last seconds as he leant against the ropes and simply smiled. The judges scored the fight 117-112, 116-112 and 115-113, and Joshua appeared to accept the result as he walked over to Usyk’s corner.
A Twitter user said, “A boxing masterclass from this man tonight.” There’s not much to disagree with here.
Usyk stepped up to heavyweight in 2019 after unifying all the cruiserweight belts, and now has 19 straight wins as a professional. Hence, it wasn’t surprising when a boxing fan opined that Usyk is just a win away from being crowned as the best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet.
“Usyk is one win away from being P4P best fighter on the planet if he beats Fury/Wilder. Becoming undisputed in 2 divisions including Heavyweight trumps all cards. He arguably already is P4P best fighter on the planet. His Legacy is already cemented as an all time great,” the user wrote.
Meanwhile, the defeat comes as a major blow for Joshua, who was looking to defend his title and face Tyson Fury in the near future. However, at this moment, those plans might have to be paused as he might hope to regain his lost glory in a rematch.
A fan of the Briton wrote: “stayed awake the entire night to see my champion lose.”
