Oleksandr Usyk celebrates with a flag of Ukraine after his heavyweight boxing victory over Britain’s Anthony Joshua in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
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Oleksandr Usyk took a second consecutive victory over Anthony Joshua to defend his unified WBO, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles over the course of an epic 12-round battle.
Usyk triumphed on a split decision at the King Abdullah Sports City Arena in Jeddah, taking it 116-112 and 115-113 respectively on the cards of Ukraine’s Viktor Fesechko and Britain’s Steve Gray. Glenn Feldman of the USA scored 115-113 for Joshua.
The result infuriated Joshua. He picked up two championship belts and threw them out of the ring before storming off briefly.
Joshua then returned to seize the microphone and vent his emotions in a passionate outburst.
“I’m stealing this Usyk, I’m sorry, but it’s because of the passion we put into this,” Joshua told the crowd during his two-minute speech.
Usyk holds three of the four major heavyweight belts. There is one missing from his collection. Tyson Fury, ostensibly retired, still holds the WBC title. That’s the only fight Usyk is interested in.
“I’m sure that Tyson Fury is not retired yet,” the champion said. “I’m sure, I’m convinced he wants to fight me.
How champion Usyk rebuffed much-improved Joshua
Usyk did have to endure tremendous pressure from an implacable Joshua, who delivered a vastly-improved performance from their first fight in September.
Last year, after just two pro fights in the heavyweight division, Usyk outpointed Joshua in London in an outstanding performance. Formerly an undisputed champion down at cruiserweight, Usyk proved himself one of the best fighters pound-for-pound in the world today.
Joshua triggered an immediate rematch, determined to restore his place as a top-tier heavyweight. To that end he brought in a new trainer, Robert Garcia to join Angel Fernandez in his corner and devoted himself to rectifying the mistakes he made in the first fight.
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Joshua had lost before meeting Usyk, but avenged his defeat against Andy Ruiz on his first visit to Saudi Arabia in 2019. He was fighting to become a three-time heavyweight champion and knew his legacy depended on victory tonight.
Both fighters were under acute pressure going into this championship clash. Neither could contemplate defeat.
It made for a tense beginning. Usyk let his southpaw jab flicker out, sometimes feinting, occasionally landing. He let…
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