Oleksandr Usyk Repeats, Wins Split Decision Over Anthony Joshua To Retain Titles

Oleksandr Usyk dug deep when he needed to, cementing his position as an elite fighter as he repeated his win over Anthony Joshua as he held on to his WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles, adding The Ring belt too, with a split decision at the King Abdullah Sports City Arena in Jeddah.

It was a sensational fight, fast-paced and credit to Joshua who emptied the tank and kept trying. But Usyk was the more accurate, the busier and when he needed to find the answers, he found them.

Glenn Feldman scored it 115-113 to Joshua, but Steve Gray had it by the same to Usyk and  Viktor Feschenko had It wider, 116-112.

Joshua looked devastated at the end, as his frustrations came out as he grabbed the ring microphone and gave an impassioned speech to the crowd. And part of the frustration will be that he knew he was so close.

In the ninth round, he hurt Usyk repeatedly, had him rocking and holding on. But Usyk rode the storm and came back strong in the tenth and the final two rounds. Great champions are made of stuff like that.

Afterwards Usyk said he was only interested in fighting again if Tyson Fury was in the other corner. Eddie Hearn said Joshua would rebuild – he didn’t look finished.

Joshua went into their first fight last September as favourite, but failed to really impose himself on the smaller man, being regularly beaten to the punch.

Bringing in Robert Garcia as his co-trainer was an admission that he had to be more aggressive this time, although it was difficult to gauge the difference that could be made in just a few months.

Joshua had talked about being nervous ahead of the fight, but he looked calm as the bell sounded. And as Usyk buzzed around flicking jabs into the air, Joshua prodded around looking for an opening.

Two lefts got through from Usyk before Joshua landed a body shot. Usyk then landed a jab and a good left to end the round.

Joshua looked busier at the start of the second, landing a right to the body out of the traps. Joshua then landed a left hook to the body and one upstairs, and while Usyk was scoring with the jab, when he tried a combination at the end of the round, he walked into a good right to the body.

They both had successes in the third round, Usyk moving around and scoring with the left, but Joshua walked through those punches to land his own right. In the final seconds of the round, Joshua landed a clubbing right but Usyk then dived in with a left that landed too.

Usyk had a good fourth, landing a series of left and, while Joshua tried to fire back, Usyk landed a good left just before the bell.

The Ukrainian was finding his rhythm now, countering Joshua over the top of any shot that fell short, although he was slowed down by a low punch that he was warned for. Usyk, though, looked comfortable, landing a good lead right hook and then a left, while Joshua eventually got home with a right at the end of the round.

Joshua had some much-needed success at the start of the sixth round and when he forced Usyk back to the ropes, he opened up, landing four punches. But that inspired a reply from Usyk, who again stung Joshua with his left hook.

The seventh was a more cagey round and Joshua had some success at range, but Usyk came back in the second half of the round, stinging Joshua again with his long left.

In the eighth, Joshua landed a good left to the body but was slow to follow it up. But he was beginning to put some pressure on Usyk and after another good body shot landed, it was Usyk who looked to hold. But Usyk finished the round well, sending water flying from Joshua’s head as he landed a left hook.

Then came the ninth and Joshua landed an early left hook as he looked to get closer. Then he landed another hook and an uppercut and Usyk was suddenly in trouble for the first time in 21 rounds between them. Usyk backed away and Joshua kept after him, landing to body and head, forcing Usyk round the ring. But Usyk survived.

And the minute’s rest was good for Usyk who landed a series of hooks and suddenly had Joshua in deep trouble. Joshua’s legs stiffened as he took shot after shot, and while he fired back with one good right that made Usyk hold, soon Usyk was on top of him again, hitting him with a series of hooks as Joshua backed into the ropes.

Joshua tried to fire back at the start of the eleventh, but Usyk’s handspeed was too much for him. Joshua fired back with a crunching right to the body. But Usyk was busy, buzzing Joshua time and again and then driving through lefts that had him on unsteady legs.

At the start of the last round, Joshua landed a body shot and a good right, but when he fell in behind a right, Usyk countered him with three punches. Joshua fired back with another right, but Usyk would not back off and landed a good body shot. Joshua was throwing everything into the finish but Usyk was finding the final answer.

At the final bell, Usyk dropped to his knees in prayer. Joshua followed him and as they helped each other they embraced at the end of an epic heavyweight fight.