Fury and Usyk weigh future after bruising encounter

Years were spent debating who would emerge as this generation’s greatest heavyweight.

- ALEX PATTLE

Tyson Fury? Anthony Joshua? Deontay Wilder? All of that, just for a cruiserweight to enter their territory, cock a leg, and relieve himself.

Oleksandr Usyk waltzed up to heavyweight and took the division’s undisputed titles – to end a 24-year wait for such a champion – by outthinking, out manoeuvring and outboxing Fury and Joshua twice each.

With his first victory over Joshua, in 2021, Usyk took the Briton’s unified titles; with his second, in 2022, he retained them. This year, he secured two more decision wins over a Briton: Fury, this time, fighting the “Gypsy King” and taking his WBC belt to become undisputed in May, before giving up the IBF title but retaining the remaining gold in Saturday’s rematch.

In between those bouts, there was a stoppage win over Daniel Dubois, who now holds the IBF strap, and before them, there were victories against Derek Chisora and Chazz Witherspoon. Time and again since 2019, the Ukrainian has shared the ring with much bigger men. On Saturday, Fury outweighed him by 55lb.

Yet, in a manner, Usyk has bullied these heavyweights, and in doing so he has established himself as the greatest heavyweight of this generation. Not so much a god among men, as a ruler among gods.

Add to this his prior achievements: undisputed status at cruiserweight, an Olympic gold medal, and an unbeaten record. His legacy is a rare one: a perfect one. So, there is one clear move for the Ukrainian.