Boxing: Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua in London
By Dayo Badmus,
Unbeaten Ukrainian, Oleksandr Usyk has defeated Nigerian-British boxer, Anthony Joshua to win WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles.
Oleksandr Usyk became WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion with a points victory over Anthony Joshua in London.
The Ukrainian conceded height, reach and power advantages to Joshua, but defied them all as his ring craft, speed of movement and relentless work rate earned him a well deserved win.
Joshua was behind from the first round and while that had been expected by many, the bigger man was never really able to assert and land the blows required to either earn a late stoppage or turn the tide on the cards.
Only from round 10 did the fight really begin to open up but so too did Joshua’s right eye and as time ran out, Usyk continued to prove out of reach, landing more quick combinations in the 11th as Joshua’s forlorn search continued.
It was now clear that only a knockout would do for the Br itish fighter but it was Usyk who finished the stronger, again finding the target with the straight left and piling on the pressure, threatening to force a stoppage himself with a late barrage.
Come the final bell, two things appeared certain: Usyk had won a clear and unanimous decision, and the rematch clause would be activated.
“This means a lot,” said the new unified champion, speaking to Sky Sports via a translator.
“The fight went exactly the way I expected it to go. There a couple of moments that Anthony pushed me hard, but nothing special.
“I had no objective to knock him out. At the beginning I hit him hard and tried to knock him out, but my trainer said just stop and do your job.”
As for a rematch, he added: “I’ve been working so hard in preparation for this fight. I miss my children, I miss watching them play. I want to go home, I want to be with my family. I’m not thinking about the rematch at the moment.”
