Tyson Fury recently fell short of becoming the best heavyweight of the current era.
‘The Gypsy King’ was a long-reining WBC and lineal champion who was widely thought to be on a different level from many of his competitors.
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His combination of size, skill and ring IQ meant he had never lost a boxing match since turning pro. He had registered impressive knockout wins over the likes of huge puncher Deontay Wilder, but then he came up against Oleksandr Usyk out in Saudi Arabia in May.
In a close fight, the one separating factor for the judges was a difficult ninth round for Fury in which he got caught with some big shots. He lost the round 10-8, and ultimately lost the fight on a split decision which meant Usyk became the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis had the title some 25 years ago, and also relieved Fury of the lineal title he had held since beating Wladimir Klitschko many years before.
Speaking to Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, about his incredible comeback story, Fury named his final contest with Wilder as ‘the best heavyweight fight ever’.
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“This Wilder III I think it’s the best heavyweight fight that there has been.”
His promoter Warren agreed.
“That is the best heavyweight fight I’ve ever been to live.”
Fury claimed he only had four weeks’ notice for the fight and had a difficult camp that included the premature birth of his child, which made his dramatic knockout victory all the more impressive.
He has a chance to right the wrong of his first fight with Usyk when the pair do it all again in December and both men have promised to be better than before.
