Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk winner could be crowned as ‘best heavyweight of this century’
The upcoming fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk qualifies as a once-in-a century fight because of its historical significance.
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Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk (image credits- IMAGO)
The upcoming undisputed heavyweight fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk is very special for the sport. The heavyweight division has always been regarded as the most important division. As such, for over a century, the undisputed heavyweight champion has been a well-respected title across the world.
Even casual fans tend to tune in for such fights because of how revered the title is. Furthermore, the last time boxing had an undisputed heavyweight champion was back in 1999, when Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield during their rematch. Hence, the sport hasn’t had an undisputed heavyweight champion for almost 25 years. This itself makes the upcoming fight between Fury and Usyk special.
However, the matchup between The Gypsy King and The Cat is also being regarded as a once-in-a-century fight. This is mainly because of their undefeated and illustrious boxing careers. Furthermore, this is the first time that an undisputed heavyweight champion will be crowned in the four-belt era. This is because the WBO became a recognized sanctioning body only after 2004.
Historical significance of the fight
During 1900–1999, the undisputed heavyweight title was held by several notable figures. This includes boxing legends like Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson, and Lewis.
Hence, on May 18, Fury or Usyk will ascend to their rankings and will be a part of the history of the sport forever. Furthermore, while several figures have been the undisputed heavyweight champion, only Rocky Marciano has remained undefeated out of all of them.
This means that either Fury or Usyk will be the first undisputed heavyweight champion of this century and the second man to remain undefeated while being crowned the title. This easily makes the upcoming bout between Fury and Usyk the most important fight of their lives.
Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk matchup
Fury’s amateur record consisted of 31-4, with 26 victories via knockout. He had attempted to join the Irish team for the Olympics but failed. Subsequently, Tyson Fury began his illustrious professional career, which has continued on for 16 years.
During this time, he has fought several Olympic medalists and world champions and has remained undefeated with a record of 34-0-1 with 24 victories via knockout. Similarly, Usyk’s amateur record consisted of an astonishing 335 wins and 15 losses. He also won the gold medal at the 2012 Olympics.
After this, Usyk made his professional debut in 2013 and has a record of 21-0 with 14 knockouts. Furthermore, The Cat has been a two-weight and two-time world champion and was the undisputed cruiserweight champion. In terms of achievements, Usyk has accomplished a lot in the sport. He is one of the three people who have unified the cruiserweight titles and won the heavyweight titles.
The other two boxers who have done that are Holyfield and David Haye. However, Fury is also a highly respected fighter and has always gone against the odds by defeating the best inside the ring. Hence, this is what makes their fight on May 18 exciting.
Does Tyson Fury have an advantage over Oleksandr Usyk in terms of size?
Many people believe that Fury has an advantage in terms of reach and size because he is 6 feet, and 9 inches tall. In comparison, Usyk is just 6 feet, 3 inches tall.
The Gypsy King also believes this and has often thrown shade at Usyk for being shorter than him. However, The Cat remains unfazed by such comments. Furthermore, he has in the past overcome such challenges by outboxing boxers like Anthony Joshua with ease. This is mainly because of his incredible footwork. Irrespective of who wins, it will be a great day for the sport of boxing.
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Abhijay Roy
(551 Articles Published)