Written by Eric Armit
OLEKSANDR Usyk became the undefeated heavyweight champion as he defeated Tyson Fury and moved to a strong division to overcome Fury's lead and take a split decision. Here's how it went down, each time.
Round 1
A flurry of jabs by Fury on the back foot and southpaw Usyk landing left hands to the body. Not many clear goals. What little there was came from Usyk.
Score: 10-9 Usyk
Round 2
Usyk got Fury off the ropes and landed right and left but Fury hit another right to the body and worked hard again, doing enough to win the next round.
Score: 10-9 Fury (19-19)
Round 3
Usyk was still coming forward and connected with right and left. More jabs from Fury as he slides into Usyk's fist. Fury got to the body and fell asleep before landing a few rights.
Score: 10-9 Fury (Fury 29-28)
Round 4
Fury increased his speed and scored with a sneaky uppercut when Usyk tried to pin him down. Fury stood in the corner, wide open, his arms stretched out over the top ropes. Usyk was not quick enough to take advantage and the Ukrainian took a slight hit above his right eye.
Score: 10-9 Fury (Fury 39-37)
Fury is about to take another shot at Usyk (Getty Images)
Round 5
Fury was gearing up and walking with Usyk unable to cross the ring. Fury caught him with jabs and hit a right to the body. Best round so far for Fury.
Score: 10-9 Fury (Fury 49-46)
Round 6
Usyk had trouble getting past Fury's jab. Fury punched and circled Usyk's fists and connected with a hard right uppercut. Usyk couldn't get any closer and was sent back to the ropes with a right uppercut. Fury came forward and scored.
Score: 10-9 Fury (Fury 59-55)
Round 7
Fury stayed on the back foot with Usyk hunting but was knocked down by a jumper from distance. Usyk scored with a hard left, and with Fury on the ropes, he landed a few rights but Fury's early work found him in the net.
Score: 10-9 Fury (Fury 69-64)
Round 8
Usyk made a big effort to change the way he fights. Usyk was moving past Fury's jab, landing short punches on the inside. Landing a right hook, this was Usyk's best round so far.
Score: 10-9 Usyk (Fury 78-74)
Oleksandr Usyk lands a left hand on Tyson Fury in their heavyweight fight at the Kingdom Arena on May 18, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Round 9
Fury was slow but landed some nice rights before Usyk connected with a hard right to the head that sent Fury tumbling into the ropes. Usyk followed with a series of head punches. Anger stirred; he was badly injured.
Usyk tripped over the ropes in a rush and fell into the corner. Caught in the ropes, Tyson was given a standing count by referee Mark Nelson. The bell rang at the end of Fury's unsteady count.
Score: 10-8 Usyk (Fury 86-84)
Round 10
Usyk wanted to end this but Fury stuck to the ropes and closed them. Usyk lands a few lefts to the head but backs off, looking to draw Fury forward. Usyk lost his chance to build in the ninth round. Fury recovered and landed a good right. Usyk won the round but took advantage of his stoppage.
Score: 10-9 Usyk (Fury 95-94)
Round 11
Usyk put Fury under pressure right from the start and Fury went inside and went down. Usyk connected with a right to the body and a left to the head. Fury scored with a right hook counter and Usyk countered with a left before the bell.
Score: 10-9 Usyk (tied 104-104)
Round 12
As the final round began, Usyk continued his aggressive strategy, landing powerful rights. However, Fury managed to find an opening and retaliated with his rights. Usyk's jabs and strategic moves allowed him to defend a bit, showing a high level of skill and technique in the game.
Score: 10-9 Usyk (Usyk wins 114-113)
Official Scores: 115-112 Usyk, 114-113 Usyk, 114-113 Fury.
All in all, it was a great fight to decide the undisputed championship. The scores were so close that one round or one punch could have changed the outcome. Usyk is about to take a break to be with his family.
The show will return later this year, with Fury showing that he may fight again before their return. Their reputations were high before this fight and both improved their standing even more.
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