All Three Judges Agree 116-112, Usyk Outpoints Fury, Retains World Heavyweight Title
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (December 22, 2024)– Oleksandr Usyk, came on strongly in rounds six, seven, eight and nine to take complete control over a reactive Tyson Fury and retain the lineal, WBC, WBA and WBO World Heavyweight championship in the main event at Kingdom Arena, Saturday night, December 21, 2024. Mentally, Fury’s confidence took a difficult hit as Usyk systematically outworked him and broke him in the rematch of their May 2024 bout.
Promoter Frank Warren disagreed with the judging and felt Fury won the bout. “It is what it is,” noted Warren.
The fight started at a furious fast pace, with both fighters landing jabs while on the move. At times, Fury, 34-2-1 with 24 knockouts, Morecambe, United Kingdom. tried the southpaw stance a few times during the bout, but abandoned the idea when Usyk, 23-0 with 22 knockouts, Oxnard, California, began timing Fury with his left hand. Usyk’s strength was found in crisp pinpoint shots to the body of Fury which ever so gradually wore Fury down. Usyk had a mouse under his left eye, which did not affect his vision or figure into the outcome of the bout.
Usyk was relentless and Fury was relentless, putting pressure on one another. In the rematch, neither fighter was hurt. The bout was mostly clean, with a few elbows and questionable blows behind the head. The extra weight carried by Fury probably figured into his maneuverability and the tempo of the bout in the second half of the bout, where Fury needed to take command and seize control of the bout’s pace to win. In the first half of the bout, primarily the first five rounds of the bout, Fury was more active. From round six onwards, Fury was more reactive. Still, many rounds were close when viewed at a distance. At ringside, Usyk would have clearly been seen by judges as the more active fighter and scoring more blows for points. Fury won at least one more round than was scored, making the bout far closer than the scoring indicated.
Fury’s best round was the tenth round, landing some crisp power shots and then holding. However, showed no exasperation in the eleventh and twelfth rounds, with the ringside commentator stating Fury needed a knockdown to have any chance of winning the bout. Real Combat Media scored the bout 116-114 for Usyk, scoring two of the early close rounds even which the judges had given to Fury. Still, Fury won a number of rounds in the first half of the bout on technical skill, a testament to the training skill of Sugar Hill.
International Boxing Federation World Heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois, previously beaten by Usyk, who then beat Jarrell Miller and Anthony Joshua, challenged Usyk to a titular unification rematch and Usyk accepted. This leaves only Turki Al-Sheikh to hammer out the details, if Dubois wins his March 22, 2025 IBF scheduled defense over top rated challenger Joseph Parker.
Result: Oleksandr Usyk Win 12 Tyson Fury, Heavyweights
Usyk retains Lineal, WBA, WBC, and IBO World Heavyweight titles
Scoring: Gerardo Martinez 116-112 Usyk. Patrick Morley 116-112 Usyk. Ignacio Robles 116-112 Usyk. Referee: Roberto Ramirez Jr.
Kingdom Arena Undercard Results
Serhii Bohachuk Win Referee’s Technical Decision 6 Ismael Davis, Super Welterweights
Former WBC World Super Welterweight champion Bohachuk had Davis down in round 2.
Moses Itauma TKO 1 Demsey McKean, Heavyweights (1:54)
Surprise! 11-0 and 6’2″ Itauma, age 19, got inside and took down the 6’6′ Australian McKean in the first round twice with left hand power shots. McKean, his back turned from the action, never knew what hit him. Itauma retains WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight title.
Lee McGregor Win 10 Isaac Lowe, Featherweights
15-1-1 Edinburgh Scotland’s McGregor wins vacant WBC International Featherweight title
Daniel Lapin Win 10 Dylan Colin, Light Heavyweights
Poland’s 11-0 Lapin wins vacant IBF International light Heavyweight title
Peter McGrail Win 10 Rhys Edwards, Featherweights
16-0 Edwards was a late substitute opponent for McGrail, replacing for Dennis McCann
Johnny Fisher Win Split Decision 10 David Allen, Heavyweights
13-0 Fisher ‘The Romford Bull’ wins on two scorecards 95-94. Third card went 96-93 Allen.
Andrii Novytskyi Win 10 Edgar Ramirez, Heavyweights
14-0 Ukrainian Novytskyi retains WBC International Heavyweight title.
Mohammed Alakel Win 6 Joshua Ocampo, Lightweights
Riyadh Saudi Arabia’s Alakel opens the Kingdom Arena card.
Scoring: 60-53, 60-53, 60-53 for Alakel.
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