Tyson Fury’s blame game reaches a up-to-date level: Justification of the war in Ukraine!
In the latest episode of “Excuses in Heavyweight Boxing,” Tyson Fury turned post-fight analysis into geopolitical commentary, suggesting that the judges were influenced not by punches but by international sympathy for Ukraine. Because what does a bit of sportsmanship mean in the face of a global crisis?
After a split decision loss to Oleksandr Usyk in Riyad, Fury not only lost his undefeated record; apparently he lost the plot too. Usyk, a native of war-torn Ukraine, has clearly brought bulky artillery into the ring – his boxing gloves and a supposed undetectable force field with a geopolitical bias, if Fury’s view is to be believed.
As Fury explored his up-to-date conspiracy theory, you could almost hear the world’s smallest violin playing for the man who once conquered the heavyweight division without having to play a role in the blame game. But times change, and apparently tactics do too. Not only has Usyk surpassed Fury, but according to Fury, he has also surpassed him geopolitically.
“I believe I won that fight, I think he won some of those rounds, but I won most of them,” he said.
“His country is at war, so people side with the country that is at war. Let’s be truthful, I think I won this fight. I had a split decision about loss with a little man. Good luck, God bless you.”
Yes, you heard right. Fury made it clear that the judges awarded the fight to Ukrainian boxer Usyk due to worldwide sympathy for Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Following Fury’s logic, international judges allow global politics to influence their scoring, turning the boxing ring into a contest of geopolitical sympathies. Fury’s mistake is regrettable, reducing a sophisticated international crisis to a scapegoat for his failure. This not only discredits Usyk’s tactical genius in the ring, but also disregards the grave ongoing conflict.
This kind of statement is a knockout blow to Fury’s credibility more than anything Usyk threw at him. As boxing fans, we’re used to fighters spinning narratives to publicize a rematch or to explain a defeat, but blaming international conflicts for a personal defeat is a up-to-date level. This is an unusual strategy in the reputation management playbook, and honestly, it’s a bit regrettable.
Despite the excuses, let’s not forget about the fight itself, during which Usyk, weighing much less, showed that he could dance and punch, literally. After Fury’s early dominance, Usyk unleashed a stunning shot from the left in the ninth that might as well have been a missile, turning the tide and creating a cliffhanger better than most soap operas.
Fury called for a rematch, promising another round of drama in October. I think he won a few rounds. I thought I won most of them and I think they were – what can be done – these are decisions in boxing,” Fury lamented, presenting a masterclass in cognitive dissonance.
Usyk, a man of few words and many punches, simply stated: “Rematch. I’m ready!” Probably too polite to add, “and this time try not to blame your loss on the entire country’s struggles.”
World Boxing News wishes all its readers, boxing fans and supporters of this sport a Merry Christmas.
The year 2024 was great again, with many huge fights and massive events taking place in the sport. Oleksandr Usyk ruled the year with two wins over Tyson Fury and won the WBN Fighter of the Year award for the second time in three years.
Saudi Arabia continued to be a force in the sport as streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime increased competition for DAZN’s original streamers.
Next year promises to be another essential year. Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 and David Benavidez .vs. David Morrell has already been confirmed to play in the spring. Mexican star Canelo Alvarez will review his Cinco De Mayo plans next month and add more to the schedule.
Boxing fans have a lot to look forward to, and WBN aims to bring you all the most essential news as we celebrate our fifteenth year in 2025. WBN will take a miniature break until December 27, when we will return to continue the work we started in 2010.
We wish everyone a special time during the holiday season and see you when the weekend begins.
Take care of yourself – Phil Jay, WBN editor-in-chief.
Before we come back, read some of our latest headlines.
UFC heavyweight boxing fans want wins in FOUR seconds
Melancholy ending for Mike Tyson as Jake Paul fight fails to beat Canelo
Gervonta Davis is wreaking havoc with her latest outburst
Kickboxer, 51-0, Floyd Mayweather by KO close to the WBC title
The UFC heavyweight flop, having lost two of his three fights in the company, made a spectacular return to the win column.
Cuban Robelis Despaigne, who caused disappointment among boxing fans by signing a contract with Dana White, may return to the market. Despaigne moved on to Karate Combat on December 19 and continued his astonishing KO record.
Before entering White’s octagon earlier this year, Despaigne scored his fourth consecutive MMA knockout victory in 37 seconds. “Substantial Boy” sent shockwaves through the striking side of combat sports, and it was expected that Despaigne would sign a contract with a boxing promoter to see how far his strength would take him.
The 36-year-old has little time to prove his worth in any other code after the UFC grabbed a ponderous hitter and then fired him. Despaigne won his UFC debut against Josh Parisian in just 18 seconds and went to the ground.
At six-foot-seven with an 86-inch reach, Despaigne had the longest arms in UFC history and was tipped to be a UFC title contender. There was hope then that Despaigne could follow Ngannou into boxing and make an impact.
However, his UFC career fell apart when he faced opponents with above-average preparation work. Two defeats to Austen Lane in October and Waldo Cortes-Acosta in May made White wash his hands of Despaigne.
WBN then speculated that a promoter from the United States could get Despaigne and accelerate his boxing career. Weeks passed and it seemed that Despaigne was damaged goods. Last week, he signed a contract with Dominik Jędrzejczyk at the Karate Combat 51 gala in Miami, Florida, still looking for an opportunity to make mega money.
Getting back to winning ways was imperative and Despaigne did not disappoint. He knocked out Jedrzejczyk within seconds, giving his last six KO victories in a total of 59 seconds. Despaigne landed one kick and one punch to achieve an unreal triumph in just four seconds. The knockout was the fastest in the history of Karate Combat.
Despaigne could push the boundaries of the sport if a boxing company is willing to take the risk, and perhaps he can do what Francis Ngannou did. Ngannou earned $30 million in two fights against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
Oddly enough, the PFL may now be interested in fielding Despaigne against Ngannou next year. PFL’s gain would then be boxing’s loss.
Looking back at Kimbo Slice and his boxing performances, there was concern among boxing promoters. However, Despaigne could fight six or seven times a year to raise his profile and become a phenomenon. That is, if he can do what he has done in other combat sports, similar to boxers who also train.
It’s up to lesser-known promoters to make the decision, as no one at the top of the sport will want to get burned like the UFC.
After the boxing legend’s defeat, a video has been circulating online showing Mike Tyson allegedly crying during his fight with Jake Paul.
World Boxing News obtained a copy of the clip despite not watching the fight due to the nature of the 27-year-old YouTuber beating up on the 58-year-old boxing legend. However, the incident was captured during the rounds when Tyson made what appeared to be a whimper while sitting on a stool.
Since then, debate has raged over whether Tyson actually screamed or just felt pain for a split second, causing him to wince. After reviewing the evidence, it’s difficult to be sure, considering Tyson has openly talked about crying in the past.
One fan said, “Tyson was crying like a baby,” while another said, “Mike was just catching his breath,” offering differing opinions.
Paul defeated Tyson on points over ten rounds as the former heavyweight champion paced around the ring, looking lost at times. Netflix broadcast the event amid groans from fans over the broadcast quality as Tyson lost for the seventh time in his career and couldn’t get out of fifth gear.
Tyson spoke out after his most humiliating defeat, explaining that he almost didn’t make it to the ring. The Fresh Yorker was content to be able to climb between the ropes one last time.
“It’s one of those situations where you lost but you still won. I’m grateful for last night. I don’t regret entering the ring for the last time,” Tyson wrote. “I almost died in June. He had eight blood transfusions. I lost half my blood and 25 pounds in the hospital and had to fight to get better to fight, so I won.
“My children seeing me stand shoulder to shoulder and finish eight innings with a talented fighter half my age in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy Stadium is an experience no man could ask for,” he once said. .
Tyson told his fans on FOX Sports Radio last week that he doesn’t remember much about the loss.
“I don’t remember that fight very well. But somehow I lost consciousness. I didn’t watch the fight,” he said. “You know what I remember, when I came back from the first round, Jake was doing some kind of bow. That’s the last thing I remember.”
On what he did after the defeat, Tyson added: “I wasn’t tired, I wasn’t sweaty. I went to the house where we lived. I went out with my wife and kids, went to the after-party and came back.”
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