Lennox Lewis, Jon Jones, & other stars react to classic Fury vs Usyk bout
Associated PressThe Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury battle lived up to its billing, as the two heavyweight champions left it all on the line in a 12-round instant classic.
Fury came out strong and commanded the ring, but Usyk flipped the script by nearly knocking out ‘The Gypsy King’ in a momentum-altering ninth round.
Usyk cleaned up the final three rounds and ultimately took home the victory on the judges’ scorecards. However, it didn’t come without some controversy.
One judge scored the contest in favor of Fury, while the two others felt Usyk did enough to have his hand raised.
As such, the Ukrainian star became the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis accomplished the feat in 1999.
The split-decision victory led to strong reactions from the Fury camp, as Tyson claimed he should have won, and his promoter, Frank Warren, agreed.
But boxing legends who watched the match, along with several current combat sports stars, all agreed that it was an all-time classic matchup — regardless of the winner.
Former UFC champions Alexander Volkanovski and Conor McGregor shared their thoughts, with Volk saying he “can’t wait” for the rematch expected later in 2024.
Current UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones was in amazement by Usyk’s near-knockout in the ninth round while simultaneously showing respect for Fury’s ability to rebound.
Terence Crawford asked for more respect on Usyk’s name after solidifying his claim as one of the best boxers alive.
“He’s definitely a candidate for the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world,” Crawford said on X. BJ Penn agreed, calling Usyk a “legend” in the aftermath of the fight.
Lennox Lewis, the last undisputed heavyweight champion in the boxing world, welcomed Usyk to “the club” as he joined an illustrious group of boxers who came before him as undisputed champs.
Lewis released a video congratulating ‘Oleksandr the Great,’ claiming that Usyk’s victory proves “it is never too late to add to your legacy.”
With both Fury and Usyk agreeing to an immediate rematch during post-fight interviews, ‘The Gypsy King’ will get a chance to redeem himself later in 2024.
But if it’s up to Usyk, he won’t be relinquishing the undisputed heavyweight title that easily. No matter who wins, it’ll be another notch in both men’s legacies.
All of this talk of a rematch has everyone asking one question: Why can’t Fury and Usyk fight again next week?