Oliver: «Fury vs. Usyk Fight Definitely Stands Out»
Former European champion Spencer Oliver shared his thoughts on the victory of the undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) over Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs).
«Without a doubt, this fight stands on par with the great fights of the past. When we talk about big heavyweight fights, we think of Riddick Bowe versus Evander Holyfield. Their trilogy will likely always be considered outstanding.
But the Fury vs. Usyk fight definitely stands out. We didn’t expect it, did we? We thought it would be more of a chess match, stylistically. We didn’t think these guys would go on the hunt like some other fighters do. But Oleksandr Usyk surprised us all; he started the fight quickly, using his left cross. I think Fury was surprised by Usyk’s fast start.
But Fury proved he can adapt, and after the first 3-4 rounds, which Usyk took, Tyson Fury adjusted and landed a powerful uppercut in the 5th round. That changed the dynamics a bit, and Fury started to find some success. The 5th, 6th, and 7th rounds went to the Brit, as he dominated in them.
When Usyk landed that left cross in the 9th round, it looked like Fury’s legs gave out. Usyk did what he does best – he jumped on Tyson, threw combinations, and his accuracy was brilliant. Fury faced various troubles, only the ropes saved him. The referee counted a knockdown. But even before that, Usyk swung his left in such a way that if he had landed, Fury wouldn’t have avoided the hit.
Maybe that would have ended the fight for Tyson. But he still showed us why he is a great champion. It’s just insane how quickly he recovered. Although I thought after that, even Fury couldn’t return to form. But he managed, he was in good shape, but still, Usyk took the last three rounds,» said Oliver.
The fight between Usyk and Fury went the full 12 rounds and ended with the Ukrainian winning by split decision. Oleksandr Usyk is the first undisputed heavyweight champion since November 13, 1999, when Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield in a rematch.