With volumes written since the Usyk/Fury rematch, it’s difficult to bring anything new to the conversation. But, having read some of the more outlandish articles, I thought I might give truth a chance to shine. I could discuss the fight, but I’m sure you’re jaded of the town criers who dominate the boxing blogs. You’ll know them by their illiterate insights, ‘Fury wuz robbed and casuals don’t know sh*t about boxing’ and by their humility, obviously. So, let’s look at the event from a seasonal perspective, ghosts past, present and future.
Shortly after the bout, the cameras caught up with Roberto Duran and he was asked what he thought of the fight. On point as always, he said that Usyk had come with a game plan that he’d executed well and, because of that, he’d won the fight comfortably. When asked if he was surprised by the scorecards, he replied that he was surprised Usyk didn’t stop Fury, but he felt he was being understandably cautious. Hard to disagree with, you might say, but the mob have spoken, and in their learned opinion, even the hands of stone can get it wrong.
To understand the nature of the beast, we need to travel back to the ghosts of prize-fights past. Usyk’s first victory over the Gypsy King came on a balmy May night when the Saudi Sheikhs got bang for their buck in Riyadh. It was a bout where both men brought the goods and boxing IQ was the winner. Usyk defied the odds yet again and he outworked his opponent with speed and combinations. The judges may have flattered Fury, but the result was final…or maybe it wasn’t. In the months since that fight, the Fury fanbase rewrote the script and they cried injustice, claiming he’d been mugged by corruption.
In their retelling, the big man had bullied Usyk, pulverizing him with uppercuts and ripping to the body with power and speed. The ninth round was merely a bump on an otherwise straight road, and if anything, it only went to highlight the durability of their eloquent idol. In the build-up the rematch, this falsehood was pitched throughout social media, and it became a point of discussion even with semi-respected boxing journalists. That Usyk exposed Fury on that May night was irrelevant. That he was faster, more aggressive, more composed and far more durable was easily forgotten. Oleksandr who?
So, to the ghost of the present. December 21st, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In my opinion, this was a fight that would never have happened had Joshua beaten Dubois in September. With Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren deep in negotiations, Joshua and Fury would finally meet with a title on the line and the biggest bout in British boxing history would go ahead. But the gods had other plans, and Joshua went down more often than Barney Gumble. Regardless of the rematch clause, Usyk v Fury 2 was Plan B.
On this occasion, the judges were unanimous, 116-112, with the AI judge scoring the bout 118-112. I wouldn’t argue with either. It was decisive and comprehensive. Not as entertaining as the first fight, I thought Fury tried to impose his size more often, but Usyk simply used that as an opportunity to pick the bigger man off and he did so at will. With Sugar-Hill screaming at Fury about tomorrows and the commentary team applauding Usyk as an all-time great, there was a real inevitability about the outcome, and it was only a matter of margins…or maybe it wasn’t.
With an arsenal of idiotic arguments and vile comments, the Fury faithful answered the call to arms, and they stormed social media like an invasion of orcs. It may come as news to those who watched the fight but, according to our jellied-eel friends, Fury won every round, He outboxed the boxer and Usyk struggled just to stay upright at times. The Gypsy King dominated the bout from start to finish and Sugar-Hill must have been watching an entirely different event.
I wanted a greater excitement at the outcome, but it simply wasn’t there. I thought it was a one-sided contest that yielded a fair but predictable result. To look back on it now, there were few talking points really and the Usyk/Fury debate is well and truly put to bed. We live now in the land of ‘what if’s’. What if Fury had a better training regime? What if Fury was in his prime? What if he’d thrown more uppercuts or pushed the pace harder? Blah blah blah. If my grandmother had wheels, she’d be a bike. Usyk schooled the bigger, younger man to prove, yet again, that brains win over brawn. I’m sure the belly scratchers will disagree, but who cares. It’s a fact.
Finally, to the future. With the potential for a peace treaty in the East, Usyk may want to bow out in his home country. A victory in Kyiv would be a proud moment for the great man and his people but against who? A rematch with Dubois is likely but I’m not 100% certain Triple D will get past Joseph Parker. Personally, I’d like to see Usyk retire and enjoy his family. He has absolutely nothing left to prove.
Eddie Hearn is still talking up a Fury v Joshua bout in Wembley. With two defeats each to the Ukrainian and no belts at stake, that fight would be as relevant as two old boys going at it in a fairground marquee. Chief undercard to the bearded lady on a P.T Barnum bill. But it could be a fun fight for second best and I’m sure it would find an audience. Turkeys for Christmas. God bless us everyone.
