RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – There has not been an undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield in a rematch with the all-time greats in November 1999 in Las Vegas.
Halfway across the world – almost 25 years later – another undisputed champion in the glamor boxing division was crowned when Oleksandr Usyk stopped Tyson Fury in Round 9 en route to a split decision victory early Sunday at a sold-out Kingdom Arena.
It was worth the wait, as both men fought a fight worthy of the prize they were fighting for.
One of the judges gave Fury a score of 114-113, but it was overturned by scores of 114-113 and 115-112 for Usyk, who gave the Englishman the first defeat of his career.
“His [a] a great opportunity for me, for my family, for my country, for history,” said Usyk, who lives in war-torn Ukraine. “This [a] great day.”
Usyk, who entered with the WBA, IBF and WBO belts, won Fury’s WBC title, becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion in the four-belt era. He also became the lineal heavyweight champion, a title Fury had held since 2015 after an upset victory over Usyk’s compatriot, Wladimir Klitschko.
The two-fight deal for this long-awaited fight included a rematch scheduled for October 12 in Riyad, during which Fury will look to even the score and proceed to a super fight with Anthony Joshua in the first quarter of 2025.
“I believe I won this fight, but I’m not going to sit here and cry and make excuses,” said Fury, who had a 39-pound, 6-inch advantage over Usyk. “I think he won a few rounds, but I won most of them. What can you do? We both fought the good fight as best we could. … People are siding with a country at war. But make no mistake, I won this fight… and I will be back. We have a rematch clause.
According to his promoter, Alexander Krassyuk of K2 Promotions, Usyk (22-0, 14 KO) needed four stitches to close a cut on his right eye. There were also concerns that Usyk broke his jaw in the fight and went to a local hospital for an MRI. Usyk’s assistant coach and editor, Russ Anber, told ESPN that the fighter only complained of jaw pain after the fight.
However, Krassyuk told ESPN that he has “no doubt” that Usyk will be ready for the rematch scheduled for October 12.
Usyk, 37, came close to finishing Fury in the ninth round after firing 14 flush shots as the Englishman wobbled around the ring. The last of those punches sent Fury slumping against the ropes that held him for the ninth knockdown of his illustrious career. Before Usyk could pounce on Fury (34-1-1, 24 KO) after the count, the round was over. When round 10 began, Fury recovered after a minute of rest.
Although Usyk didn’t finish Fury, he changed the active of the fight for good. He ran rounds 8-10 on all three scorecards to complete the entire stretch. Fury won the final round unanimously, but by then it was too behind schedule.
Even in defeat, Fury bounced back strongly after a penniless performance in October against Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion who was boxing professionally for the first time. Fury, 35, was knocked down in the third round of that fight on his way to winning a split decision in the non-title fight.
In the match against Usyk, the “Gypsy King” boxed beautifully in extension, skillfully using feints and long jabs to attack Usyk from a distance. He then frequently delivered a stinging right uppercut that clipped Usyk repeatedly.
Fury unanimously won rounds 5-7 and even began taunting, putting his hands behind his back and smiling at Usyk with each powerful body shot. But Usyk never wavered. He continued to press forward and slowly but surely his pressure weakened Fury.
Usyk was able to get Fury on the ropes and started to find cover for his left hand from above. The same punch that helped him score back-to-back wins over Joshua in 2021 and 2022 to claim the unified heavyweight championship.
Fury entered the ring as the No. 10 boxer in the ESPN rankings and the No. 1 heavyweight. Usyk finished No. 2 in the heavyweight division and No. 3 on a pound-for-pound basis.
The fight was originally scheduled for February 17, but was postponed when Fury suffered an injury during sparring, forcing him to have 11 stitches in his right eye two weeks before the fight. In the match against Usyk, Fury suffered another cut, but this time to his left eye.
Usyk did the damage with his career-best performance following a ninth-round knockout of Daniel Dubois in Poland in August. And he did it in front of Klitschko, who was at ringside, as were Lewis and Holyfield. Klitschko’s brother (and former heavyweight champion) Vitali is the mayor of Kiev.
At the post-fight press conference, Usyk received two flags with the signatures of the Ukrainian military fighting Russian forces on the border.
“These are real heroes,” Krassyuk said. “Usyk fights because of them because they give him the opportunity.”
As the fight with Fury ended, Usyk remembered his behind schedule father, who died just days after Usyk won gold at the 2012 London Olympics. Usyk was unable to give him a medal.
At Sunday’s post-fight press conference, breaking down in tears on the podium, Usyk said: “I know he’s here with me.”
In a clash of forces between two world title contenders, NABO welterweight titleholder Alexis “Lex” Rocha (25-2-0, 16 KO) will put his skills to the test against undefeated knockout and NABF welterweight titleholder Raul “El Cugar “. Curiel (15-0, 13 KO).
The 10-round main event will take place on Saturday, December 14, live from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN.
“‘The best versus the best’ is Golden Boy’s mantra and that’s what fans will see as Rocha and Curiel take on everything that’s on the table,” said President and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Rocha is a veteran whose goal is to win the world title, Curiel is an undefeated blue-chip prospect with huge potential. It’s really a 50/50 fight and I’m looking forward to it.”
Tickets for the Rocha vs. match Curiel will go on sale on Friday, October 11 at 10 a.m. PT and will be priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25, excluding applicable service fees. A confined number of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available, including exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades. Standard and VIP tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, Toyota-arena.com, Goldenboy.com or at the Toyota Arena box office from Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 16:00
“I’ve seen Raul Curiel all these years and he never once mentioned my name,” Alexis Rocha said. “After my last defeat, he suddenly became interested in fighting me. If he thinks I’ve lost a step or somehow had an simple fight, he’s in for a rude awakening. I can’t wait to make a statement and show the world what I’m capable of.”
Santa Ana, California Rep. Alexis “Lex” Rocha comes from a struggling family. The younger brother of Ronny Rios, he was the youngest fighter to win a gold medal at the Junior Olympics at the age of 14 in 2012 and caught the attention of the boxing world by becoming a six-time national champion during his amateur career. Rocha signed with Golden Boy in January 2016 and made his professional debut in March 2016, defeating Jordan Rosario at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. Since then, he has amassed an enviable record of powerful knockouts over top contenders and plans to return to world title contention, with his last fight being a victory over undefeated Santiago Dominguez on July 19 last year.
“The fans can expect a war,” said Raul Curiel. “I’m going to prepare well to put on a great show. This will be the most essential fight of my career so far. I know Alexis is a great fighter, a good opponent and will also show up prepared. My focus is on Alexis and if I can beat him, I know it will give me a chance to fight for the world championship.
Former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos approached promoter Eddie Hearn asking for more massive fights.
Kambosos has signed a co-promotional deal with Eddie Hearn, under which the Greek-Australian slugger will continue his association with DiBella Entertainment Inc. and his own company, Ferocious Promotions.
The 21-3 star will move up to the super lightweight division of Matchroom Boxing’s lively division. He aims to become a two-weight world champion in early 2025, and as part of the deal, a title fight is promised as long as he continues to win.
Since his stunning victory over Teofimo Lopez, Kambosos has never shied away from competing against the best. Those three losses on his resume came to Devin Haney [twice] and Vasily Lomachenko, all at home and all for world titles.
The 31-year-old is now set to face compatriot Liam Paro after defending his IBF title against Richardson Hitchins in December in Puerto Rico.
“I am thrilled to be working with Matchroom Boxing. I am excited to have signed a three-way promotional cooperation agreement with my long-time promoter DiBella Entertainment Inc. and Ferocious Promotions,” Kambosos said.
“I made great success and history when I moved up the Matchroom shows by winning my UK elimination fight against Lee Selby. The most noteworthy and unforgettable is my victory against Teofimo at Madison Square Garden in Up-to-date York to become the 135-pound world champion.
“I am officially announcing that I will be moving up to 140 pounds and signing with Matchroom will ensure my continued success and the legacy I want to leave in the sport of boxing.”
Hearn, who adds an experienced campaigner to his stable, added: “I am delighted to welcome George to the team. George’s victory over Teofimo tore up the script and showed that George was the man for the massive time. He has proven to be a huge attraction in Australia and one of the real driving forces behind the rapid growth of boxing Down Under.
“The 140-pound division is full of massive names and massive potential fights. Adding George to the mix only elevates the level, and a possible fight with Liam Paro is a truly appetizing prospect. If Liam manages to win in a great fight against Richardson on December 7th [the fight could be on].
Lou DiBella, who has worked with Kambosos for years, said: “I’m glad I was able to make a deal with my antique buddy Eddie to work with George Kambosos Jr. and Ferocious Promotions.
“Throughout his career, George has been a fighter who has never shied away from a challenge, and now he wants to test himself against top junior welterweights.
Matchroom works with top 140-pounders, including George’s compatriot Liam Paro, and, like DiBella Entertainment, is heavily invested in Australia.
“It’s a natural partnership,” added the Up-to-date Yorker.
One of the hottest topics surrounding Mike Tyson’s return at the age of 58 was the possibility of the boxing legend scoring a knockout of Jake Paul.
WBN has weighed in on this topic several times, questioning the validity of five-second training clips that revealed nothing about Tyson’s abilities at this overdue age. One of the most intriguing observations during the preparations was the opinion of UFC commentator Daniel Cormier.
Speaking on his show “Funky and the Champ,” Cormier reflected on Tyson’s social media videos and offered an informed opinion on the meaning of the clips.
“I understand that [he is in amazing shape at 58]and I understand what he is saying [he feels as though he can compete]– Cormier said. “And I agree that when he hits the pads with Rafael Cordeiro, it looks like there’s still something left in him.
“But then I watch Jake Paul fight Mike Perry. I saw Jake Paul get overwhelmed to the point where he started to feel uncomfortable. It looked like Mike Perry had a chance. But Jake has a reserve tank he can go to and benefit from because he’s 28 years ancient. Then he comes back and finally finishes Mike Perry.
“At the beginning of the fight, Mike Perry gets beaten up and dropped. He looks trained and unmatched. This worries me because what if it looks like a 58-year-old man fighting a 28-year-old man while Mike can’t employ the backup tank to stay and compete with this newborn kid? I think it’s a failure for Jake Paul because if you beat Mike Tyson, everyone will love him.
He added: “What if Mike knocks him out? It’s over. Everything is ready. This would be the backfire of all time. If he gets knocked out, nothing like that has ever happened in the history of the sport.”
Unfortunately for Tyson, this revenge backfired spectacularly, as the former heavyweight champion’s return was the only event that bombed. Tyson had nothing left twenty years after he had nothing left in his tank and no desire to box in his mind.
Paul parlayed this into a money-making scheme that would forever be a success for him and his company, but would be poorly received by the die-hard boxing fraternity.
Cormier’s words resonate, especially after what happened in the ring when Mike Tyson struggled to shift into first gear, warning former fighters thinking about returning after 50.
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