Oleksandr Usyk v Anthony Joshua 2 result and report: Usyk retains WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles after beating Joshua on points in Saudi Arabia
Oleksandr Usyk retained his IBF, WBA and WBO world heavyweight titles with another boxing masterclass against a gutsy Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia.
The unbeaten Ukrainian (20-0, 13 KOS) used his superior ring craft and speed once again to win the fight on the scorecards - albeit via a split decision of 113-115 115-113 116-112 - but Joshua deserves praise for his much improved performance from the one which saw him lose his belts in the first fight in Tottenham.
The all-out assault many were calling for at the King Abdullah Sports Centre Arena in Jeddah never materialised, but Joshua’s performance was far superior to that passive night at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium almost a year ago when he surrendered the belts in such disappointing fashion.
Even as the British national anthem played, Joshua prowled around the ring with a look of steely determination on his face but the build-up gave way to a cagey opening in which Usyk landed a stiff jab.
It was the highlight of the first round but for the second Joshua stepped it up by letting his powerful right hand go and launching a left hook, although he was still vulnerable to the jab.
By the end of the third it was already a more competitive fight than their first meeting with Usyk getting caught, albeit not cleanly, and struggling to fire off his own shots in the way that was so damaging in north London.
Predictions that Joshua would come out with all guns blazing were failing to materialise as he kept it tidy, working behind a tight guard while taking charge of the ring.
At the end of the fourth he unloaded in the first moment of raw aggression that brought a cheer from the crowd.
The dominance Usyk had enjoyed in the first fight was a distant memory as he slipped in and out of range, unable to land any meaningful blows beyond his lead right hand.
Joshua was staying in front of him at all times, staying calm and keeping his hands high until the chess game that had developed was punctured by a series of rapid exchanges.
But he was already beginning to slow and a raggedness had disrupted his shape as Usyk continued to pepper his face with jabs that were now finding their mark with greater ease.
Having landed a hurtful left to the body, Joshua hesitated with his follow up and the chance to step up his assault was gone, but the body had been a valuable target.
At the end of the ninth he returned to his corner with a smile on his face having placed Usyk under sustained pressure, launching a barrage of shots that sent the Ukrainian scuttling backwards.
It was a dominant round and just as Usyk was landing freely in the 10th he was stopped in his tracks by a hurtful straight right in an explosion of action.
There was nothing in it heading into the penultimate round as the fight ebbed and flowed, Usyk landing more frequently but Joshua’s work showing greater power.
Usyk’s volume of punches was noticeably greater, a by-product of his superb conditioning, but both fighters needed a big final round.
It was the scrappiest round of the evening, more of a wrestling match than boxing contest, but Usyk’s work rate was still far higher as the decision went to the scorecards where Joshua was dealt his final blow of the night.
Joshua's anger and strange speech
Joshua returned to the ring having initially thrown the belts out and took the microphone to address the crowd and praise Usyk.
“I am giving you my story,” the Briton said in his post-fight comments.
“I was going to jail. I got bailed and started training my arse off, because if I got sentenced then I would not have been able to fight.
“I could have done better, but it showed the hard work he must have put in to beat me. Please give him a round of applause as our heavyweight champion of the world.
“I’m not a 12-round fighter. I am a new breed of heavyweight, Mike Tyson, Sonny Liston – they say ‘he doesn’t throw combinations like Rocky Marciano,’ because I am 18 stone, I am heavy.
“It is hard work. This guy here is a phenomenal talent. We are going to cheer for him.”
Usyk on Tyson Fury
Usyk, speaking via a translator, dedicated his victory to Ukraine.
“I want to thank everyone who prayed for me and thank God for the help he gave me today,” the champion said.
“I devote this victory to my country, to my family, to my team, to all the military people who are defending the country. Thank you very much.”
On the contest with Joshua, Usyk said: “This is already history.
“Many generations are going to watch this fight, especially the round where someone tried to beat me hard, but I withstood it and turned in a different way. Thanks to God.”
Looking towards his next fight and a possible contest for the WBC belt, Usyk said: “I am sure that Tyson Fury is not retired yet. I am convinced he wants to fight me.
“I want to fight him and if I am not fighting Tyson Fury, I am not fighting at all.
“Only God knows whether I will fight him or not, but all these gentlemen here around me, my team, they are going to help me.”