The May 18th, 2024, Ring of Fire event was headlined by Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk in a bout that would determine the new Undisputed Heavyweight Boxing Champion. This is the first time an Undisputed champion has been crowned in the Heavyweight division in over 24 years.
It is also the first time that a fighter has claimed all four WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO championships in the division. The fight also had the IBO championship on the line, a title that is considered a top championship but not on the same level as the other four world titles.
This fight ended in a split decision win, as one man walked out with all five championships.
Hot Start for Fury
The first three rounds of the fight started strong for both Usyk and Fury, as all of them could have gone both ways. They were feel-out rounds where they were testing each other’s strengths and trying to understand each other’s fighting styles. It could be argued that the first three rounds were slightly picked up by Usyk as he was landing more punches and stayed in control.
Once the fourth round started, though, Fury picked up the pace tremendously, landing perfect jabs and amazing shots to the body as well. This continued for multiple rounds throughout the fight, as he dominated four straight to give him a huge lead on the scorecards.
Rounds 4 through 7 were easily Fury’s, as Usyk was not hitting nearly as many shots as Tyson was, and was landing with much less strength behind the punches as well. Tyson kept up the pace throughout these rounds and certainly felt confident in his shots.
These rounds were some of the best of Fury’s career, as he showed excellent precision striking and kept up the pace.
Usyk’s Legendary Comeback
Despite the hot start by Tyson Fury, Usyk started to make a comeback in the 8th round. It was a close round that could have gone either way but it was certainly one that Usyk needed after he was losing the fight heavily up to that point.
The momentum of the fight definitely shifted in the 9th, though. Usyk started to land volume shots that were doing great damage to Fury.
However, the most important sequence came late in the 3rd, as Usyk started landing huge shots to the body and the head that were wobbling Fury heavily. He landed with such strength and precision that the ref even called for a standing count, giving Usyk a 10-8 advantage in Round 9.
From then on, the fight was mostly Usyk’s, as he was doing just enough in the championship rounds to bring them in his favor. He continued to land significant shots that were clearly doing damage to Fury and had an amazing comeback in this fight.
New Undisputed Heavyweight Champion
This bout ended in a split-decision win for Usyk. However, it seemed pretty clear that Usyk took that fight home, and it should have been a unanimous decision victory. The final scorecards were 114-113 Usyk, 114-113 Fury, and 115-112 Usyk.
Usyk had a dominant performance here tonight and made a comeback that will be talked about for ages. He has cemented his legacy with this win, keeping his undefeated record and becoming the first-ever man to defeat Tyson Fury.
Fury requested a rematch in his post-fight interview, and Usyk seemingly accepted the challenge. These two could be seen clashing once again in another fight that might end up being as exciting as this one was.
Oleksandr Usyk has become the new Undisputed Heavyweight Champion, a title that hasn’t been crowned in over 2 decades. He has also become the first fighter to hold all four world titles at once and will certainly go down in history.
About The Author
Shayan Malik has always been an avid fan of sports. He is currently studying sports communication, as he is hoping to take his sports knowledge to the next level. He enjoys writing about combat sports such as MMA and Pro Wrestling, as well as Boxing.
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