Plans for a Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua megafight have been disrupted by Oleksandr Usyk.
The former undisputed cruiserweight champion is now on his way to becoming an undisputed heavyweight champion as Usyk boxed phenomenally to neutralize Anthony Joshua and earn a unanimous decision with scores of 117-112, 116-112 & 115-113.
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Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs) claimed Joshua’s WBA (Super), WBO and IBF titles by using a combination of footwork, head movement and a sharp left hand to keep Joshua off balance throughout the 12-round affair in front of nearly 70,000 pro-Joshua fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England.
Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) simply couldn’t figure out the puzzle known as Usyk but made things tough for his opponent in the middle rounds by making adjustments and working the body. But Usyk would not be denied on this night and closed the fight just as strong as he started it.
There were moments where Usyk had Joshua hurt but he was intelligent enough to stay out of harm’s way.
Joshua used a jab to stay in the fight and landed his right hand. But with Usyk staying on the move, he was unable to sit down on his punches and really test his opponent’s punch resistance.
It was close heading into the final three rounds but Usyk put his foot on the gas and rattled off combinations to ensure he’d win over the judges in Joshua’s backyard.
The final round was telling as Usyk closed the fight by staggering Joshua with a left hand and tore into his opponent with punches until the final bell sounded.
With the victory, Usyk will watch the October 9 showdown between WBC champion Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder with plans to eventually challenge the winner for the undisputed championship. But Joshua has a rematch clause and will likely enforce it immediately.
