Usyk says title win was for the ‘whole of Ukraine’ after Joshua victory

JEDDAH: Oleksandr Usyk was in an emotional mood after retaining his WBA, WBO, IBF, and IBO world heavyweight boxing belts on a night that saw him beat Britain’s Anthony Joshua in a split decision in Jeddah.

Almost 10,000 people went to “Rage on the Red Sea” held at the King Abdullah Sports City Arena, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud also in attendance.

Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal congratulated the Ukrainian champion and praised his British opponent on his performance.

The prince also thanked both fighters for putting on an unforgettable bout for the Jeddah crowd and the millions around the world watching.

Usyk showcased why he is widely considered the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, delivering yet another boxing masterclass by utilizing his speed, skill, movement, and punch precision – leading to an eventual win.

While one ringside judge surprisingly scored the bout 115-113 in favor of Joshua, the two others sided with Usyk 115-113 and 116-112, extending the defending champion’s undefeated record to 20-0, with 13 knockouts.

Usyk said this fight was different from the first clash with Joshua as he felt he was fighting for the “whole of Ukraine.”

“The victory was extremely important for me, my teams, and my country,” he said at the press conference. “It was definitely a different fight in spite of my ability to control my emotions. I was worrying a bit since, in round eight, I believe I saw in Joshua’s eyes that he was feeling victorious and in round nine he surprised me. I just kept telling myself, ‘You cannot stop, you cannot stop.’ Some big things were at stake tonight and, in the end, the belts are coming back to Ukraine.”

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