Boxing: Oleksandr Usyk unifies heavyweight championships after split decision win versus Tyson Fury

Photo Credit: Getty Images/BBC

By Aaron Humes: After 25 years, the heavyweight division in boxing has a unified champion, with Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk fighting British fighter Tyson Fury to a split decision this evening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Usyk won on two of three scorecards by scores of 115-112 and 114-113, with Fury winning 114-113 on the third.

After an assured start from Fury, the World Boxing Council (WBC) champion, Usyk, who holds the other three titles, grew into the contest, bloodying Fury and scoring what would prove to be a decisive knockdown in Round 9 after wobbling Fury around the ring.

Although Fury recovered, he lost his belt and unbeaten record – but he can take consolation in a planned rematch in October as reported by ESPN: “I believe I won that fight…I believe he won a few of the rounds, but I won the majority of them. We both put on a good fight. His country is at war, so people are siding with the country at war. Make no mistake, I won that fight in my opinion. We’ve got a rematch clause. I’ve had a split-decision loss to a good little man. We run it back in October. Well done, Oleksandr.”

Briton Lennox Lewis was the last unified heavyweight champion after beating Evander Holyfield in a rematch in 1999.

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