A Run For The Ages: The Historic Career of Oleksandr Usyk
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The sport of boxing has seen many greats throughout its history. Iconic fighters like Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, “Sugar” Ray Leonard, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have graced the ring with their presence as they fought incredible opponents and secured world titles. Oleksandr Usyk, 37, is one of few modern day boxers to merit such company.
The Ukrainian cemented himself among these fellow all-time greats on Saturday evening inside the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 2012 Olympic gold medalist, former Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion, and current Undisputed Heavyweight Champion secured a hard-fought unanimous decision victory (116-112 3x) over “The Gypsy King” Tyson Fury.
Silencing The Critics
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2 was set as the deciding match-up for the heavyweight king of this era. The dust has settled. The Ukrainian retained his IBO, WBC, and WBO titles for undisputed champion status. He improved his unblemished professional record to 23-0-0. This rematch was not as tight on the scorecards as the split decision result from the first fight. Many critics gave their opinions on the first fight’s scorecards. Fury managed to narrowly evade Usyk’s late surge. This surge produced a 10-8 round and ultimately swayed the result. But this time around was different, as the smaller champion prioritized Fury’s midsection. Usyk landed more punches and was the cleaner throughout twelve rounds.
His Professional Start
Oleksandr Usyk started his legendary professional career after becoming the 2012 Olympic heavyweight gold medalist. On November 9, 2013, he took on Felipe Romero and scored a fifth-round TKO stoppage to kick his career off. Fast-track to 2014, Usyk’s professional record was 5-0 with 5 KO’s. He challenged Denie Venter for the WBO Inter-Continental Cruiserweight Championship. The Ukrainian heavyweight gold medalist scored an impressive ninth-round TKO stoppage over Venter to claim the belt. Usyk would make three straight defenses of the WBO Inter-Continental Cruiserweight title over eight months to close out 2015.
Usyk vs. Elite Cruiserweights
Oleksandr’s first exposure to elite professional competition came on September 17, 2016. On this day, he took on Poland’s undefeated southpaw phenom, Krzysztof Glowacki. He dominated the action on his way to a unanimous decision victory (117-111 2x, 119-109), earning him the WBO World Cruiserweight Championship. Four months later, he would face the promising, undefeated American Michael Hunter. The Ukrainian’s boxing pedigree was on full show as he comfortably boxed his way to a unanimous decision (117-110 3x).
As he built momentum with his first cruiserweight world title, the gold medalist focused on his mission to collect the three belts of the governing bodies. The second belt involved Usyk’s most challenging test of his professional career. He faced the highly skilled and undefeated WBC Champion, Mairis Briedis on January 27, 2018. The fight was extremely hard-fought over twelve rounds. Usyk was tasked with a boxer who was just as tricky and talented as he is. He edged out Briedis via majority decision (114-114, 115-113 2x). This victory secured the WBC Cruiserweight World Championship.
Only five months later, Usyk faced Murat Gassiev. This was Russia’s undefeated IBF World Cruiserweight Champion. The match took place in Moscow, Russia. Usyk once again separated himself from his peers as he dominated Gassiev, earning himself a unanimous decision (119-109 2x, 120-108). He became the Undisputed World Cruiserweight Champion as he collected the IBF belt.
Usyk had his final cruiserweight title defense against the popular and animated Liverpool native, Tony Bellew, on November 10, 2018. The fight was competitive halfway through twelve rounds, with Usyk slightly ahead on scorecards. Nonetheless, scorecards were not necessary as Bellew eventually succumbed to the calculated pressure of Usyk in the eighth round. Oleksandr made a statement, delivering a devastating knockout to Bellew against the ropes.
Heavyweight Transition
The Ukrainian finally transitioned to heavyweight, debuting against Chazz Witherspoon on October 12, 2019. Usyk made a splash in this debut. He systematically broke down the larger fighter until the end of the seventh round. Witherspoon did not make it off his stool as the action was set to resume in round eight.
After the Witherspoon fight, Usyk and his team decided to take a year outside the ring. They looked to correctly build his heavyweight stature for tougher matchups ahead. This decision served him well, as his next fight ended against the well-experienced, gritty veteran, Derek Chisora. In this bout, Usyk had moments of discomfort. He faced a reckless and aggressive heavyweight slugger like Chisora. Usyk weathered the early storm, and then settled into his game-plan. Usyk tactically outpointed the larger man over twelve rounds. The close fight was a unanimous decision (115-113 2x, 117-112) for Usyk.
Usyk vs. Heavyweight Kings
From this point on, Usyk entered the lion’s den of modern-day heavyweights. On September 25, 2021, the former Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion challenged arguably the face of modern-day heavyweight boxing in Anthony Joshua. At the time, Joshua held the IBF, IBO, and WBO World Heavyweight titles. This fight took place in Joshua’s backyard in England. These circumstances did not make Usyk waver. He put on a boxing masterclass en route to a unanimous decision (117-112, 115-113, 116-112). As one would expect, there would be a rematch between Usyk and Joshua for the three belts.
The rematch went down on August 20, 2022, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with WBC Champion, Tyson Fury, watching closely. Their second fight was much closer than the first as Joshua prioritized Usyk’s body more. The judges scorecards read a split decision (113-115, 116-112, 115-113) in favor of the defending champion. Having closed his heavyweight chapter with Anthony Joshua, Usyk focused on collecting the fourth and final WBC belt.
Yet, his hopes of taking Tyson Fury’s WBC belt faced a delay after Daniel Dubois was appointed as the mandatory challenger for Usyk’s IBF title.
A Quick Detour
Daniel Dubois, the young and explosive knockout artist, posed a genuine threat to Usyk’s heavyweight aspirations. The bout occurred on August 26, 2023, in Wroclaw, Poland. As expected, the defending champion looked sharp throughout the early rounds. In round five, Dubois landed a controversial low blow on the near-the-belt line of Usyk’s midsection. After being ruled a low blow by Dubois, Usyk turned on a switch and started dominating the action. He patiently out-boxed the larger man until landing a stiff jab, forcing Dubois to the canvas. Shockingly, Dubois couldn’t beat the ref’s count, giving the champion a ninth-round KO victory.
The final saga of Usyk’s historic career began with the challenge of facing WBC Champion, Tyson Fury. This happened on May 18, 2024. They had their epic first meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The men fought over the claim of the first Undisputed Heavyweight Champion in a quarter century. The action lived up to the expectations as they exchanged winning rounds. The most significant moment came in the ninth round. The deciding factor for the judges’ scorecards occurred after Usyk landed a flush left hand on Fury’s chin. The punch hit the colossal boxer and sent him crashing against the ropes. He struggled to evade the emphatic flurry of combinations from an incoming Usyk. The judges’ scorecards ended with a split decision in Usyk’s favor. As a result, he became the first Undisputed Heavyweight Champion since Lennox Lewis.
A Legendary Run
Oleksandr Usyk’s journey is nothing short of legendary, ultimately marking him as a true embodiment of boxing greatness. From his early days dominating the cruiserweight division to cementing his legacy as the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion, Usyk has consistently redefined what it means to be a champion in modern boxing. Moreover, his skill, resilience, and tactical brilliance have firmly etched his name alongside the sport’s immortals. Now, as the dust settles on his epic rivalry with Tyson Fury and his achievements continue to inspire, Oleksandr Usyk stands tall—not just as a champion, but as a beacon of excellence in the storied history of boxing.
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Phenomenal piece on Usyk! Well done.