Usyk By Split Decision Over Joshua / Retains WBA/IBF/WBO Heavyweight Titles … And Other Bout Results

By Tom Donelson (BWAA)

Author, Member Boxing Writers Association of America and contributor to www.dmboxing.com since 2008

Oleksandr Usyk took a break from defending his country against the Russian Horde to defend his title against Anthony Joshua in a rematch. Their first fight saw Usyk outbox Joshua, and Joshua wanted to win back his titles and a possible match with fellow Briton Tyson Fury. –

While Joshua performed better, I had this fight 117-111 for Usyk but you could easily have this fight 115-113 or 116-112 with several of the earlier rounds close and one judge found seven rounds for Joshua. The last four rounds showed the toughness of both men.

In the ninth round, Joshua landed twenty-eight punches and dominated the round, looking like he took the fight in hand. The tenth round saw Usyk landing thirty-nine punches as he took the fight back. Usyk clinched the fight as he dominated the eleventh and twelfth round. Usyk landed seventy-nine punches to Joshua 29 over the final three rounds.

Usyk has three belts and Fury the other. They are the two best heavyweights in the world. Fury Is a natural heavyweight who is light on his feet at 6’9” and Usyk was the cruiserweight champion and moved up to the heavyweight division. Both fighters are undefeated and approach the fight game differently. Fury is a boxer but if he needs to, he can go for knockout whereas Usyk is a fluid boxer. Fury who is rotating between retiring or wanting to fight. Somehow, a 150 million dollar pay day might be enough to get Fury attention for a unification bout.

Brandon Lee easily beat Will Madera and he easily won eight rounds, but he nearly lost the fight in the third round. In a round that he was ahead in, he got clipped with a left hook that sent him down with less than thirty seconds left. Madera came out in the fourth and connected on the double punches, but Lee survived and then continued from the fifth round to dominate the fight.

Two Dominican fighters won titles. First Hector Garcia won a unanimous decision as he took most of the early rounds. I had the fight eight rounds to zero after the first eight rounds for Garcia as he boxed effectively and control the pace. Roger Gutierrez was tentative for the first nine rounds as his championship was slipping away. From the tenth round, he pushed the action and forced Garcia to the rope often. He won the last three rounds but not enough to keep his title. He waited to late to make his move.

The closet fight was Alberto Puello and Batyr Akhmedov as this fight was close. Puello dominated the early rounds with his reach and accurate right jab and hook, but Akhmedov pressured dominated the later rounds. I had the fight even 114-114 but it could have been 116-112 either way. The last round was symbolic as both fighters landed fifty-two punches nearly evenly split.  The stats favored Akhmedov and could make a better case for him winning but the judges had it for Puello. Hopefully, they will fight again.

Omar Figueroa faced Sergey Lipinets in a crossroad fight for both. Figueroa had lost two in a roll and both fighters were moving down to 140 pounds since this was their best weight versus the welterweights. Figuero was one of those fighters who threw punches in bunches but at 32, he was far past his prime as this fight showed. He was thirty-two going on forty-two and simple couldn’t get his punches off and he simply got peppered all fight.  Lipinets in the eight rounds landed 172 punches and average 0f 21 punches and Figueroa only landed forty-four punches the entire fight. Lipinets looked good and his decision to move down was wise one based on this fight. His jab was piston like, and his clubbing right often shook Figueroa to his core. Figueroa corner threw in the towel as he was taking too much punishment and showed no evidence, he could stop Lipinets.   It is often the fate of a boxer when they fight one fight too many and Figueroa fought that one fight too many. He knew it and announced his retirement from the sport.

One thought on “Usyk By Split Decision Over Joshua / Retains WBA/IBF/WBO Heavyweight Titles … And Other Bout Results

  1. On point synopsis Tom. I had Usyk up 7 4 1. Due to the fact that Fury had walked away and AJ won, lost and rewon the title before losing to Usyk, I considered the real champs to be AJ, Ruiz, AJ, Usyk, albeit Fury the most accomplished. That being said, Fury v Usyk could treat fans to a Holyfield v Bowe type of bout. It needs to happen. I personally favor Fury, but look forward to watching.

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