The World Boxing Council (WBC) has its first undisputed heavyweight champion within the four-belt era. Oleksandr Usyk beat Tyson Fury by split decision, causing the web to go wild.
Bill Simmons, founding father of The Ringer, was especially jumping for joy, via his X account.
“Usyk!!!! I assumed he won 115-112 but split decision is wonderful,” Simmons said. “Cannot recover from the ref stopping a knockout in progress with a knockdown that wasn’t ever a knockdown… but whatever. We did it @iamrahstradamus!!!”
Simmons was partially right, as one judge scored the fight 115-112 in Usyk’s favor. One other one scored it 114-113, and the third one scored it 113-114.
Simmon’s sentiments undoubtedly echoed everyone within the gambling community who bet on Usyk. Nonetheless, Drake is probably not feeling too hot, as he lost $565,000 betting on Fury, via Every day Mail. The pop star would’ve remodeled $1 million had the result gone the opposite way.
This had fans once more joking concerning the “Drake curse,” as he lost similar amounts from Anthony Joshua’s defeat of Francis Ngannou, in addition to Dricus Du Plessis’ win over Sean Strickland at UFC 297.
“The one things certain in life are death, taxes and Drake’s curse,” Boxing Kingdom tweeted.
Essentially the most controversial response could have got here from Fury himself. The 35-year-old said that individuals are only siding with Usyk because his country is at war, via The 44.
“I imagine I won that fight,” Fury said. “I imagine he won just a few of the rounds, but I won majority of ’em…His country’s at war, and individuals are siding with the country at war, but make no mistake, I won that fight.”
Usyk is from Ukraine, which has been grappling with Russian invasion for over two years. Many fans took exception to Fury’s claim, saying that he was simply deflecting blame. @TristanGHill had a particularly funny roast.
“im not a genius or anything but I feel the round where he looked like bambi on ice might need lost him the fight not the war,” he tweeted.
@Redlx even thought that the referees bailed Fury out by not calling it a technical knockout.
“Some other fight would’ve put that as a tko but guess the ref had money in his back pocket,” he tweeted.
Regardless, Fury is targeted on the subsequent fight.
“I will be back, I’ve got a rematch clause,” Fury continued.
Will that rematch actually come to fruition? In that case, when?
Fury desires to fight Usyk again in October
Promoter John Warren supported Fury’s claim, via Reuters.
“That is what the contract says. It’s what he wants. It’s his call, it’s Tyson’s call. So whatever he desires to do, it’s as much as him,” Warren said.
Usyk said he’ll be ready for it, which can be music to boxing fan’s ears after the 12-round thriller.
“We’ll return to our families and I’ll see him again in October,” Fury said. “We’ll return, rest up. I imagine I won the fight but I’m not going to sit down and cry and make excuses. We’ll run it again in October.”
