How brave Tyson Fury could not solve the Oleksandr Usyk conundrum

Oleksandr Usyk beat Tyson Fury again to retain his unified heavyweight world titles in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.

The longer it went the more it became a master class from the greatest tactician and the most dazzling technician of this and many another generation.

Having dealt Fury his first career defeat by split decision seven months ago, Usyk’s sheer will proved decisive once again as he retained his WBA, WBC and WBO titles.

‘This is what it means to be Ukrainian,’ Usyk said as he celebrated his victory. ‘I win, it’s good. I win, thank you God.’

However, Fury had a different view walking into his dressing room, suggesting he had won the fight by at least three rounds.

His manager Frank Warren wasn’t happy either, saying: ‘How come Tyson only got four rounds in this fight? It’s impossible. He’s very disappointed as I am as well. Everyone along the front [of the ring] thought it was all the same way.’

Meanwhile, IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois crashed Usyk’s interview, saying: ‘I want my shot, I want my revenge.’

Usyk responded to Dubois straight away, saying: ‘No problem. I’m ready. Next fight, no problem.’

Before they could even think about getting into limousines for the motorcades to the stadium along the impromptu race tracks which serve as highways here, there were log-jams in committee rooms for teams Fury and Usyk.

Could the Gypsy King keep his Methuselah beard, grown in his long and isolated training camp? Or should it be sheared off or trimmed in case it cushioned the Kyiv Cat’s punches or aggravated any damage to his face?

It was not decreed to be a problem. Not least since no-one seemed to know what the rule said or even if there was one in the Saudi Boxing Authority schedules.

Who should replace the judge who was too sick to travel? The Ukrainians wanted a Panamanian, the Brits a second American. Deadlock until Fury’s promoter Frank Warren suggested they toss a coin — and lost. Round one to Team Kyiv.

Not that their hero seemed remotely concerned about either issue. Certainly not the latter since, as far as he was concerned, this fight would start with the 13th round, so he had already learned almost all of what he needed to know about Fury in his 12-round victory over him here six months earlier. This Cat is cool. 

He stayed calm through that record 11 minutes and 20 seconds stare down during fight week until Tyson could not restrain himself any longer from yapping into a slew of insults.

The Kingdom Arena awaiting them, after all was said and done, is roofed in but with temperatures plummeting after dark in this month in which snowfall in the desert was recorded for the first time in Saudi history, it was still a chilly enclosure.

As for those single-bar heaters known as human beings, this is a Kingdom of the night.

Scorching heat most of the year dictates that work, play and the national sport of shopping start in the late afternoon at the earliest. With the peak-hour for restaurant reservation closer to eleven than seven. As for the boxing, since big fights like this come to the ring around 2 am the place doesn’t fill up much if anything before the witching hour.

Almost on the stroke of midnight the locals came trooping in, warming up the hall and the atmosphere. Screen shots of Fury and Usyk arriving revealed their preference for the champion. Fury always has his following but their were fewer fellow travellers than usual. A potential fight of the year is all well and good but back home it’s Christmas week and not all the lads can get pass-outs from their good ladies.

The dressing room camera zoomed in on bare-chested Fury gloved up. Visible evidence there of how he has ascended to a career-high weight of 20 stones. His gesture to the festive season was to walk to the ring dressed as Santa. Hopefully the first of many points scored before Usyk re-joined him in combat. That beard was bushier than ever, Usyk’s shaven head in gleaming contrast. In size, it really was David v Goliath.

Fury’s first right sent Usyk staggering back across the ring. Fury’s fast start was negated by some darting two-fisted interventions from the champion.

Fury’s intent was in welcome contrast to his showboating at the start of the first fight. Crisp jabs from Fury and a couple of hefty rights in the second round got him on the scorecard. Was he going for a quick finish, you wondered?

Tyson ran at Usyk at the start of the third round. It was he who was supposed to go for the body but Usyk cleverly reversed that with attacks on the huge form in front of him.

In the fourth, the crowd roused as Usyk sent spray flying but Fury’s work edged the round. It was a tight affair, with plenty of tension in the arena.

Soon Fury went to work with left-right combinations and despite clever replies, the Briton was level again.

But the champion showed what he was made of with some wonderful work in the sixth, speeding in and out towards a climax of three shuddering left hooks that worried his opponent.

A more watchful round followed from both, but Usyk nipped in and out for the more telling of the few punches exchanged.

Usyk complained about a butt in the eighth. The referee was unconvinced but the Ukrainian exacted his own retribution with a succession of left hooks that rocked the challenger.

Now the crowd was really getting more into the contest, as it looked ever more likely we would go the distance.

More vintage work by Usyk in the ninth kept driving Fury back, and the British fighter might just have been slowing now.

In the 10th round of an increasingly absorbing encounter, Fury finally unleashed a huge right but Usyk had him reeling at the end from a sustained barrage.

The left, a sinister punch, was raising concern now for Fury, one after the other, sending him reeling around the ring in a daze.

And so to the last. A desperate Fury went for a Hail Mary right — and ate more leather for his trouble. Fury was gallant and fought back but lacked the sharpness to have any real effect.

At the finish, Usyk knelt to the crowd in supplication. Fury raised a fist in hope.

We didn’t have long to wait for the verdict. All three judges scored the fight 116-112 in favour of Usyk.