Anthony Joshua Volodymyr Zelensky Robert Garcia Britain Russia Ukraine London Saudi Arabia Sport Boxing UK Heavyweight Anthony Joshua Volodymyr Zelensky Robert Garcia Britain Russia Ukraine London Saudi Arabia Sport

Ukraine's Usyk beats Britain's Joshua, keeps boxing heavyweight belts

france24.com

When he heard the winning words “and still,” an emotional Usyk raised his left arm and pulled the flag over his face. Six months ago, he was patrolling the streets of Kyiv with an automatic rifle and defending Ukraine from the invading Russians.

Here, inside the ring at King Abdullah Sport City arena, the still-undefeated Usyk had lived up to his billing as the sporting pride of Ukraine by beating Anthony Joshua in a closely fought rematch on Saturday to keep his WBA, WBO and IBF belts. “I devote this victory to my country, to my family, to my team, to all the military defending this country," the 35-year-old Usyk said through a translator. “Thank you very, very much." After a grueling five-month training camp, Usyk entered the arena in a blue-and-yellow top carrying the words “Colors of Freedom” and supported by words of encouragement from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his nightly video address to the nation. “We stick together," the president said. "We help each other.

We restore what was destroyed. We fight for all our people. And we cheer for those who represent Ukraine, today — definitely for Usyk, our guy!” And Usyk started as the favorite after outclassing Joshua in the first fight in London in September last year.

However, the British challenger, a former two-time champion, came into the rematch with a new game plan from his new trainer Robert Garcia: Attack Usyk's body and keep the pressure on.

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Usyk, 35, who dismantled the defending champion in London last year, faced an improved Joshua but outboxed him once again to set up a potential unification bout with Britain's Tyson Fury. "I want to chank God for the help that he gave me today," Usyk told the crowd at the 12,000-seat King Abdullah Sports City Arena in Jeddah.
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Anthony Joshua’s attempt to become a heavyweight champion again, and subsequently fire himself into boxing’s history books, has been crushed. On a hot night in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s city by the Red Sea, the 32-year-old was again defeated by the outstanding Oleksandr Usyk, and while he should take pride from putting up more of a fight than when the pair met in Tottenham 11 months ago it was, as most predicted, not enough for him to reclaim the WBA, WBO and IBF titles that the Ukrainian took from him.

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