Oleksandr Usyk wins heavyweight rematch to silence Tyson Fury in Riyadh

Oleksandr Usyk remains the shining king of boxing’s dark and chaotic world. The great Ukrainian retained his three titles as the heavyweight champion of the world when he defeated Tyson Fury on points in a defining contest in the early hours of Sunday morning in Riyadh. Usyk boxed with clinical authority to win clearly by a score of 116-112 on all three cards.

The pace was unrelenting and, ultimately, Usyk was just too fast, too smart and too skilled for Fury. His movement, accuracy and precision of punching were simply too much for Fury, who tried valiantly and had his moments of success. But Fury flagged and he looked exhausted at key moments of the bout as Usyk pulled away to secure his ­comprehensive victory.

Fury walked out initially to Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You, looking a little like Santa himself in a red and white gown and with his big bushy beard that he had allowed to grow wild and free all through his long training camp. Usyk, meanwhile, strode fast to the ring with a deep seriousness of purpose and an expression of ferocious intensity etched across his face. Once between the ropes he knelt down in his corner and prayed.

The names of both fighters were chanted by small pockets of the crowd as they walked to the centre of the ring for the referee’s final instructions.

Fury, weighing over 50 pounds more than Usyk, was notably fleshy around the midriff as they stalked each around the centre of the ring. Usyk, despite being much the smaller man, was intent on finding a way to get on the front foot but Fury pumped out his jab effectively and shaded the first two rounds. But Usyk set sharp puzzles of movement and he won the third and the fourth when he briefly rocked Fury.

Oleksandr Usyk carries his title belts as he celebrates after winning the WBA, WBO, and WBC world heavyweight title fight against Tyson Fury. Photograph: Frank Augstein/AP

There was still parity halfway through the fight but, from the seventh round on, Usyk began to dominate. The massive weight difference seemed to work against the hulking Fury, who began to tire and take in deep gulps of breath. Usyk’s lateral movement and clinical punching saw him stretch ahead and in the last third of the bout there was little doubt that he would retain his titles.

This was another extraordinary achievement for Usyk. The former undisputed world cruiserweight champion replicated the feat at heavy­weight – which is clearly a division above his natural weight – and he remains the WBA, WBC and WBO champion. Boxing politics meant the IBF belt was stripped from him in the summer and handed to Daniel Dubois – whom Usyk beat last year. But there can no be doubting either the gravitas or the lustre of the true champion.

Having suffered a split-decision loss to Usyk in their first fight in May, Fury had locked himself away in a 12-week training camp to prepare himself for the rematch. He apparently did not speak even once to his wife, Paris, throughout the isolation of that brutal training regime and insisted this past week that his focus on Usyk has been searing and relentless.

But Fury also piled on extra weight in a clear strategy to use his immense bulk to dominate Usyk physically. Allied to his height advantage – with Fury being half a foot taller than Usyk – the 36-year-old from Morecambe in Lancashire was intent on trying to rough up the indomitable champion. Fury’s strategy didn’t work against a superior fighter.

Earlier this week, the 37-year-old Usyk had to be coaxed into considering his impact on the battered morale of his country. While trying to downplay his status, Usyk told a moving story of how news of his victory last May spread down the frontline of Ukrainian soldiers. Their weariness turned to elation as they heard that he had overcome all odds to defeat Fury.

A second straight victory over his giant opponent will feel all the sweeter now. Usyk raised his arms high, relief and joy coursing through him. This remarkable champion and his ­beleaguered yet defiant country deserve to exalt in his enduring supremacy.