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The promoter of still-reigning unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk believes the ball is now in Tyson Fury’s court.
Ukraine’s Usyk successfully defended his WBO, WBA, IBO and IBF heavyweight titles against London’s Anthony Joshua in their ballyhooed rematch Saturday night in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, winning a split decision.
Immediately after the conclusion of the fight, Usyk called out Tyson Fury, the WBC titlist who recently claimed he was now retired, although many in the industry have taken his pronouncements with nothing more than a grain of salt.
“I’m sure that Tyson Fury is not retired yet,” Usyk said. “I’m sure. I’m convinced he wants to fight me. I want to fight him. And if I’m not fighting Tyson Fury, I’m not fighting at all.”
Alexander Krassyuk, the longtime Ukrainian promoter of Usyk, reiterated the thoughts of his charge after the fight.
“Tyson Fury is next if he is strong enough to take it,” Krassyuk told Boxing Social. “I mean if he is mentally and physically strong.”
Fury himself seemed to renege on his retirement notice. In a video posted on his social media shortly after Usyk’s victory, Fury declared he was not impressed with either fighter and that he would “annihilate both of them on the same night.”
“After watching that, the both of them was sh!te,” Fury said. “It was one of the worst title fights I have ever seen. They were bullsh!t. Come on. I annihilate both of them on the same night. F—— sh!te. Get your f—— checkbook out, because ‘The Gypsy King’ is here to stay forever.”
Joshua made the rematch a more competitive affair than their encounter last September, including a dramatic ninth round that saw him push Usyk back on his heels. Usyk respond, however, in the 10th round with a dominant performance, one that had his promoter in awe.
“That was amazing,” Krassyuk said. “I still keep living it. That was something absolutely extraordinary. That ninth round was so tough, and then the 10th round, wow. What an amazing performance. You don’t see it once a year, maybe once in a decade, or once in a century. Guys like that, AJ, such a huge heart, such a huge personality. He gave himself all. He left 100% of himself in the ring.”
Krassyuk acknowledged that Joshua had Usyk in dire straits in the ninth round.
“Usyk went through hell,” Krassyuk said. “Usyk went through hell.”
Krassyuk, however, voiced his displeasure with the one dissenting scorecard: judge Glenn Feldman scored it 115-113 in favor of Joshua.
“I don’t know how to say this word in English so it doesn’t sound rude, but let’s say disgusting, probably,” Krassyuk said.