To keep his WBA, IBF, IBO, and WBO heavyweight titles, Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua in a split decision on Saturday night.
The heavyweight belts are still held by Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine after Anthony Joshua’s defeat in their rematch.
After the two fought through all 12 rounds, Usyk prevailed via split decision (113-115, 115-113, and 116-112).
Following their match last year in London, where Usyk defeated the British boxer to win the WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight championships, their subsequent fight took place on Saturday, August 20, 2022, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Usyk was engaged in combat in Kyiv up until about March, but he left the conflict-ridden nation to concentrate on his rematch with Joshua.
Prior to reporting to the training camp for his world title defense match against Anthony Joshua, Usyk served as a soldier on the conflict-ridden nation border for several months.
The fight starts off close. Joshua’s new trainer, Robert Garcia, appears to have done a fantastic job; the British man is succeeding early on. However, the longer the fight goes on, the more obvious Usyk’s technical superiority becomes. Usyk consistently puts Joshua under pressure, is much more variable, and repeatedly outmatches the heavier Briton with quick combinations.
Usyk wins according to two of the three judges, and the Ukrainian continues to hold the title of deserving heavyweight champion. He dedicates his victory to his devastated home country. Usyk ensured that the fight would be broadcast in Ukraine for free by forgoing a portion of his fee. This allowed his battered countrymen to watch as one of their own competed for the heavyweight title.
