Oleksandr Usyk is the best boxer of 2024. Top 5 of the most grandiose victories of the Ukrainian in the ring

Oleksandr Usyk is the best boxer of 2024. Top 5 of the most grandiose victories of the Ukrainian in the ring

Kyiv  •  UNN

 • 196652 views

The WBC and BoxingScene recognized Oleksandr Usyk as the best boxer of 2024. From Olympic gold to the status of the absolute heavyweight champion - an overview of the Ukrainian's main victories.

Oleksandr Usyk was recognized as the best boxer of the past year. The first place was immediately given to our heavyweight by the most influential boxing organization and a well-known foreign website. Thus, the WBC (World Boxing Council) did not see any competitors to the Ukrainian. The WBC noted that Usyk became the first absolute heavyweight champion for the first time in 25 years since the legendary Lennox Lewis, and the first absolute champion in the "four versions era" in the same weight category. (That is, he collected all the most important belts in boxing: WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO), reports UNN.

Image

Oleksandr Usyk also received the palm of the championship from BoxingScene, one of the most authoritative portals in the world of boxing. Its journalists recognized the Ukrainian's two victories over the British Tyson Fury as fundamental to the formation and development of fistic sports.

Also, Usyk is currently ranked first in the unofficial ranking of all boxers regardless of weight category (Pound-for-pound) according to ESPN and the American magazine The Ring. Both ratings are the most important among all sports journalistic publications.

So, without exaggeration, Oleksandr Usyk can already be called a boxing legend and the face of modern sport. The titles of Olympic champion and twice absolute champion in two weight categories speak for themselves. With this in mind, we decided to compile and write about the top 5 most grandiose victories of the Ukrainian in the ring.

Oleksandr Usyk vs Clemente Russo

Boxing final of the Olympic Games in London in the category up to 91 kg

Image

The first significant fight in Usyk's career took place when he was an amateur at the Olympics in the summer of 2012. Back then, Oleksandr defeated Italian Clemente Russo, a boxer who had already been an Olympic champion in 2008 in Beijing.

Our boxer lost the first round 1-3. It seemed that the experienced opponent would not let go and would bring the three-round fight to victory. However, the second round was unexpectedly won by Usyk  - 7:5. Before the decisive segment of the fight, the judges had a draw  - 8:8. So, the last round  had to decide the outcome of the fight. The Ukrainian, thanks to his incredible endurance and footwork, managed to win  . So, 6:3 in the third round, and 14:11 overall. Oleksandr Usyk took the gold medal. He became the third boxer to become an Olympic champion in the history of Ukraine after Wladimir Klitschko and his godfather Vasyl Lomachenko.

Oleksandr Usyk vs Murat Gassiev

Fight for the title of absolute world champion (WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO) in heavyweight (up to 90.7 kg)

Date: 18.07.2018

Venue: Moscow (Russia)

Image

After winning the Olympics, Usyk immediately turned to professional boxing. In September 2016, he won the WBO title in Poland from a local champion. Oleksandr defeated Krzysztof Golovacki on points. Then the Ukrainian was invited to take part in the Muhammad Ali Cup tournament of the World Boxing Super Series. The title of the best was fought by 8 heavyweights (up to 90.7 kg).

In the semifinals of the championship, Usyk also defeated Latvian Mairis Briedis on points and unified two titles, with the WBO belt joining the WBC belt.

But the first serious test for the Ukrainian came from another unified champion, the Russian Murat Gassiev. It was the Cup final and the fight for the absolute champion. Ironically, the Ukrainian entered the ring against the Russian in Moscow during the ATO, so the fight could not avoid political overtones.

From the opening round to the end, the initiative belonged to Oleksandr. The slower opponent could not keep up with Usyk's constant movements. The Ukrainian simply smashed Gassiev with a variety of series, alternating blows from the head to the body and vice versa. In the last rounds, the fight began to resemble a real mockery of Murat. However, the referee did not give a waiver to record a technical knockout. Oleksandr Usyk won on points.  All three side judges gave this fight to our boxer.

Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua

Fight for the title  of world champion (WBA, IBF, WBO) in super-heavyweight (over 90.7 kg)

Date: 21.09.2021

Venue: London (UK)

Image

After his victory over Murat Gassiev, Usyk knocked out the British Tony Bellew and decided to gain muscle to move up to the super heavyweight division. This decision was understandable, as the super-heavyweight division has always been considered "royalty." Winning a championship in it  meant immortalizing himself in history as one of the best boxers of all time.

Oleksandr Usyk began his journey among the "great boxers" in the fall of 2019. At first, he knocked out American Chazz Witherspoon in a lackluster fight. In his next performance, a year later, he met with the popular British fighter Dereck Chisora. The fight was extremely difficult. The Ukrainian barely snatched the victory from his opponent on the judges' notes. Many analysts and fans recognized Derek's victory and at least a draw. After that, almost all foreign journalists began to write Usyk off, saying that Chisora was a pensioner who had lost many fights before and still looked no worse than the vaunted Olympic champion. However, Usyk did not pay attention to the criticism and in September 2021, he made one of the biggest sensations of the decade.

He was opposed by the boxing and world pop culture star, champion heavyweight Anthony Joshua. The very same Joshua who took away the championship belts by knocking out our own Wladimir Klitschko in 2017. No one gave Usyk a chance. The organizers of the fight generally believed that it was a passing fight for Anthony. Before the fight, the Briton looked as if he had just returned from a resort: as relaxed and even detached from what was happening as possible.

Joshua paid the price for underestimating the Ukrainian and his own sluggishness. From the very first three minutes, Usyk took an incredible pace, brandishing his opponent's spinning backhand. Anthony couldn't just hit him, Oleksandr's speed was so great. The local champion was completely lost in the second half of the fight. He just stood in front of the challenger and caught punches to the face. In the final 12th round, the Ukrainian's punch almost "turned off Joshua's lights." Still, the Briton made it to the bell. So, once again, all three judges gave the victory to Usyk. Oleksandr became the new unified champion in the "king's division".

In August, the Ukrainian confirmed this title by defeating Anthony Joshua for the second time. This time, by a split decision of the sports thesis.

Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury

Fight for the title of absolute world champion (WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO) in the super heavyweight division (over 90.7 kg)

Date: 24.05.2024

Venue: Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)

Image

In August 2023, Oleksandr Usyk knocked out another British contender, Daniel Dubois, in Poland. It seemed that the Ukrainian had achieved everything, but to complete the story, he lacked a fourth title. The WBC belt belonged to Tyson Fury. So the fight for the title of absolute heavyweight champion began to be organized in the fall of that year.

It was supposed to take place for the first time in February 2024. However, the Briton disrupted it. Tyson's eyebrow was cut during one of the sparring sessions. The fight was postponed to May. Usyk was not the favorite of the bookmakers. Tyson was predicted to win the absolute championship. According to analysts, he was supposed to be the second Briton after Lennox Lewis to collect all the belts and become the king of boxing. The "royal division" had not seen an absolute champion for almost a quarter of a century.

The battle itself began cautiously on both sides. No one wanted to force things. After the second round, the Briton took the initiative. From the third to the sixth three minutes, he broke down the Ukrainian's defense. Once he landed a clean uppercut - Usyk took the lead, but the Briton was unable to finish off his opponent.

In the second half of the fight, despite being behind in points, Oleksandr began to increase the pace of the fight. This came as a surprise to the tired Tyson . He did not think that his opponent, who was on the verge of defeat, would literally resurrect and start taking round after round. In the 9th round, Oleksandr caught Fury with a precise punch to the head. The Briton was knocked down so hard that he could barely stay on his feet - the ropes saved him. However, this did not prevent the referee from opening the score, recording a knockdown.

Usyk also took all the last championship rounds. But the judges, given the fight organizers' open favoritism for Tyson, could have given the victory to him. This halfway happened, with one of the  representatives of the femme fatale seeing the British victory. Two  saw the Ukrainian's victory. Thus, Oleksandr Usyk defeated Fury by split decision and became the absolute champion and the best boxer of his generation for the second time.

Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson F'yuri 2

Fight for the title  of world champion (WBC, WBA, WBO) in super-heavyweight (over 90.7 kg)

Date: 21.12.2024

Venue: Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)

Image

After Oleksandr's victory over Tyson, the IBF officials demanded that the champion defend his belt against Daniel Dubois. Usyk had already defeated the Briton, so he refused to give up the title. Moreover, boxing fans and analysts wanted a new fight against Fury. For some reason, some even believed that the judges had cheated the Briton and that he had actually won. Others saw a draw. And some, although they recognized the Ukrainian's victory, still believed that the fight was too close.

The WBC also wanted a rematch, so Usyk had almost no other options. So, the second fight against Fury became inevitable and took place at the end of 2024.

Before the fight, Tyson deliberately gained weight. He was planning to box as a number one. According to the British team, Usyk was not supposed to have an inch of free space, they just wanted to "score" the Ukrainian,  and then knock him out.

Alexander, realizing that such a picture was unfolding in the ring, immediately began to attack Tyson. The main thing was not to give the British the center of the quadrangle. With deceptive leg movements and a huge number of punches, Usyk took the role of first fiddle in the rematch. Tyson was unable to control the fight. However, it was also very difficult for the Ukrainian. Fury did a better job of defense this time. Most of Usyk's punches missed the target.

The rounds were too equal to count. Some of them could have gone either way. But in the last four , Usyk was a little better. Tyson did not finish the final again. His endurance let him down again. Functionally, our champion was still better. That's why the judges gave Usyk a unanimous decision. In their opinion, the Briton took only 4 rounds against the Ukrainian's 8.

So, in 2024, Oleksandr Usyk won two great victories over a man who had never lost before.

In 2025, the Ukrainian wants to continue boxing. According to rumors, Usyk will return in the summer. His opponent may be the winner of the Daniel Dubois-Joseph Parker match. The fight will take place in February. But whatever happens next, Oleksandr is already a sports legend and one of the greatest boxers in history.