1) We have the first number
Although it is a list of 10, this is all that matters; that is, the only thing we really needed to learn from Usyk and Fury is sharing the ring on Saturday in Riyadh. It took ages to get there, and 12 rounds to get there, but finally our patience was rewarded and now we know. Now we know that the name of the best heavyweight in the world is Oleksandr Usyk.
2) The uncontested belt is garbage
Arguably the worst belt seen in boxing in a long time (which is saying something), the “undisputed” red belt awarded to Oleksandr Usyk following the announcement of his victory over Fury was as tough as any he took all night. Instead of promoting the event, the belt was designed to make a mockery of Usyk's success and make everything seem empty and cheap. Besides, with news that the IBF is set to strip Usyk in the next few weeks, the idea of an “undisputed” belt becomes even more ridiculous.
3) There will be repetition
Both fighters afterwards seemed adamant that a second fight would take place and Fury, in particular, was saying a date in October. Depending on the injury, that may be too soon, but there was certainly enough of a fight to warrant a rematch, what with the controversy surrounding the events of the ninth round and Fury's belief, whether true or not, that he deserved to win the fight. .
Post-war rage (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
4) Anger was hurt
Despite the fact that he had lost seven times in his career before Saturday night, we had never seen Tyson Fury as upset as he was when Oleksandr Usyk landed that big left hand in the ninth round. Standing on his feet, he would have come out on his back again if it weren't for the ropes holding him up and the referee, Mark Nelson, seemingly determined to make sure he got through the last 30 seconds of the round and into the tenth round. .
5) Usyk kept the faith
It wasn't easy going to Usyk on Saturday night, that's for sure. In the middle part of the battle, he found Fury to be a difficult target to hit and, moreover, his inability to hit this target increased his confidence and self-esteem. This led to some difficult rounds for Usyk earlier, in the final stages of the seventh, and especially in the eighth, he rallied and delivered another blow to what was already a tight contest.
Usyk crosses to the left (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
6) The decision was correct
If anything, the only criticism of the split decision awarded to Oleksandr Usyk following his 12-round tie with Tyson Fury is that it was split. Many of the rounds were close, yes, but this did not seem, on the face of it, a tough fight to score, and many people outside of Fury's team did not feel that Fury did enough to win the fight.
7) Fury stopped having fun
Whether it was an outpouring of panicked energy or a tool used for self-promotion, the showboating and humor Tyson Fury produced in the beginning only served to make his later death even more visible and terrifying. After all, Fury was injured once and living his life, he was no longer playing as he had been in the first rounds. He was still smiling and sticking out his tongue whenever Usyk shot. He didn't seem happy anymore.
Anger covers (FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)
8) Everyone wants their piece
While it's not unusual to see a crowded ring following the end of a fight, there was something very funny – and disturbing – about the large number of people wanting their time in the screen following Usyk vs. Fury. Even a stranger was a number of people who were eager to get involved in the ring and be part of the story that ultimately needed only two main characters: Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
9) John Fury talks a lot
Fury's death was caused by more than he was being told between rounds, yes, but the sight and sound of his father, John, giving orders in the corner in multiple places didn't do much to inspire confidence, did it? Moreover, this idea became even more strange when you realized that Andy Lee, the former middleweight world champion, was content to remain silent out of respect for Fury's head trainer, Sugar Hill, a man who had spent the entire training camp with Fury. All in all, it didn't make much sense. John Fury started the week head-butting a young Ukrainian boxer and ended the week trying to tell his son how to beat the best boxer in the world.
10 It brought
Whichever side you were on, and no matter how you scored the fight, there can be no arguing that the fight between Usyk and Fury was delivered when it mattered. That it had taken years, and the influence of Middle Eastern money men, to cross the line remains a slight disappointment, it is true, but at least when it arrived it more than lived up to all expectations. In the end, it was also a reminder that when heavyweight boxing is done right there is still no division capable of producing compelling action, drama, and the intoxicating aroma of mayhem.
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