On the evening of Could 18-19 (roughly 00:30) Moscow time, essentially the most anticipated boxing match of the yr will happen in Saudi Riyadh with the participation of Ukrainian Alexander Usik and Briton Tyson Fury. By no means earlier than in historical past have 4 world titles been at stake directly. For Usik, the upcoming combat shall be doubly particular: he may grow to be the primary boxer in 34 years to grow to be absolutely the world champion in each the primary heavyweight (as much as 90.8 kg) and the tremendous heavyweight class.
Whose report can Usik break?
On October 25, 1990, a heavyweight championship match occurred between James Buster Douglas and Evander Holyfield. The WBC, WBA and IBF belts belonging to Douglas, which he took from Mike Tyson, had been up for grabs. Douglas’s victory over Tyson remains to be thought-about one of many foremost sensations within the historical past of world sports activities. However heavyweight champion Holyfield, in contrast to Tyson, was in wonderful form and spent solely seven minutes defeating Douglas, knocking him out within the third spherical.
Thus, Holyfield grew to become absolutely the heavyweight champion. And to this point he stays the one boxer who managed to surpass his opponents in two weight classes. But when Usik manages to beat Fury, he’ll overtake the American, as a result of the Ukrainian could have 4 belts. Whereas within the Holyfield period, successful three titles was sufficient to grow to be an absolute champion. The “additional” fourth belt (in keeping with the WBO) acquired full standing in 2005, when US representatives Jermain Taylor and Bernard Hopkins recognized the strongest within the middleweight division. Taylor gained by break up choice.
Usyka was three years previous when Holyfield defeated Douglas. He was born in Simferopol, however till the age of 12 he lived together with his mom within the village of Rybotin, Chernigov area. Usik studied judo, soccer and even ballroom dancing, and have become eager about boxing on the age of 15, when the household returned to Simferopol. However his profession may simply have failed not solely due to his late arrival within the sport: in his early childhood, Usik was kicked by a horse. The blow hit the pinnacle, the long run champion acquired a concussion and, in keeping with medical doctors, miraculously survived and was not left disabled.
By the best way, Usyk didn’t hand over soccer: within the winter of 2022, he performed for the skilled membership “Polesie” from Zhytomyr, approaching in its place carrying the seventeenth quantity within the 77th minute of a pleasant match with Rivne “Veres” (2:1). In July 2023, Usik entered right into a full-fledged contract with Polesie, its particulars weren’t disclosed. Then the group was led by Yuri Kalitvintsev, who returned Dynamo Moscow to the Russian Premier League (RPL) within the 2016/17 season.
Who has Usik boxed with earlier than?
Usik’s first boxing coach was Sergei Lapik, beneath whose management he gained bronze on the 2006 European Championships in Bulgaria. “Virtually on the first coaching session, they put me in a sparring session, and I acquired a powerful blow to the pinnacle. I then puzzled if I actually wanted this. However I made a decision to remain to no less than take a look at myself,” Usyk recalled in an interview with Sky Sports activities. “Boxing teaches you to maneuver ahead, even in the event you miss 10 punches, and in return you may solely throw one.”
When Usik was requested what success in his profession he thought-about an important, he instantly named the 2012 Olympic gold. “For me in the intervening time there may be nothing larger, together with my heavyweight belts or those I’ve within the heavyweight division,” the Ukrainian instructed Mirror. “Maybe if I mix all of the titles within the heavyweight division and get all 4 belts, I’ll take into consideration what’s extra vital: Olympic gold or 4 belts.”
On the Video games in London, Usik beat Russian Artur Beterbiev, Bulgarian Tervel Pulev and Italian Clemente Russo, taking revenge for his defeat within the second spherical of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He then spent a while within the semi-professional World Sequence of Boxing (WSB) league, defeating six opponents. In 2013, Usik turned skilled. The primary 9 fights ended with Alexander’s victories within the second or third rounds. In his fifteenth skilled combat, Alexander grew to become absolutely the world champion within the first heavyweight division, breaking the resistance of the Russian Murat Gassiev in July 2018.
In October 2019, Usik made his debut within the heavyweight division, defeating American Chazz Witherspoon forward of schedule (he didn’t make it to the eighth spherical). He then handed Brits Dereck Chisora and Anthony Joshua (twice) to gather the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts. In 2023, Usyk held his solely combat on August 27 in Wroclaw, Poland, knocking out compatriot Chisora and Joshua Daniel Dubois within the ninth spherical. Within the fifth spherical, Usyk fell to the canvas and took a five-minute break, explaining to the referee that he acquired a blow beneath the belt. After the combat, Dubois stated that he was disadvantaged of victory as a result of the blow landed within the physique. The promoter of Usik’s opponent, Frank Warren, appealed the results of the combat. However the World Boxing Affiliation (WBA) sided with the Ukrainian and admitted that Dubois didn’t act in keeping with the foundations.
How a lot will Usyk and Fury earn for the combat?
Specialists started to speak about the truth that Usik ought to undoubtedly meet with Fury again in 2022, when Alexander beat Joshua for the second time, and Tyson efficiently closed the trilogy with American Deontay Wilder. However it was not doable to rapidly agree on the combat as a consequence of disagreements in monetary issues: the British group insisted on 80% of the entire price fund.
On cash, after lengthy negotiations, it was doable to succeed in an settlement solely initially of 2023. Fury’s promoter Bob Arum statedthat for a gathering with Usik, Tyson will certainly earn $100 million or much more than $200 million. Boxing columnist Simon Jordan wrote on social networks that Fury will get wealthy by $115 million, and Usik by $60 million. In accordance knowledge In line with The Story Insider, the figures are extra modest: Fury and Usik’s assured charges shall be $20 million and $8 million, respectively. They are going to obtain the primary earnings from gross sales of PPV (a service that enables the viewer to pay for strictly outlined content material): earnings shall be distributed within the ratio of 65% to 35% in favor of Fury. If 1 million broadcasts are offered, the Briton will replenish his pockets by $80 million, and the Ukrainian by $47 million.
The primary date of the combat was December 2023, however the dates needed to be postponed as a consequence of Fury’s settlement with the previous champion of the UFC combined martial arts promotion, Cameroonian Francis Ngannou. The combat between Ngannou and Fury in keeping with boxing guidelines nearly resulted in a sensation: Francis knocked down his skilled opponent within the third spherical. Tyson, with nice problem, was capable of rise up and obtain victory solely by a break up choice. Fury’s poor kind compelled his group to postpone the combat to February after which Could (Fury was injured in coaching).
“This shall be a combat between two of the neatest boxers who’ve lengthy confirmed every part to everybody,” Vedomosti stated. Sports activities” coach with 15 years of expertise and worker of one of many boxing faculties in Moscow Valentin Sidelnikov. – Usyk has a slight benefit, he’s quicker. But when Fury, as they are saying, will get hit, it gained’t seem to be a lot. To place it merely, the primary key to Usik’s success is exercise, and Fury’s is the accuracy of his strikes. In spite of everything, it was as a consequence of fixed motion that Usik gained the primary combat with Joshua, and by way of measurement Joshua isn’t inferior to Fury.”
Sidelnikov believes that if he wins, Usyk will finish his profession. “Firstly, he’s already 37 years previous. Alexander Povetkin demonstrated by his instance that longevity in boxing doesn’t finish nicely: Dillian Whyte nearly killed him within the second combat, it was scary. Effectively, if Usik wins, then what’s the motivation to combat additional? In truth, he’ll grow to be the perfect of the perfect. Fury is youthful (35 years previous – Vedomosti.Sport), nevertheless it’s tough to foretell something about him: he’s an emotional and unpredictable particular person.”
