Once upon a time, the world stopped to watch when the heavyweight championship was at stake. Oleksandr Usyk's unanimous-decision triumph over Tyson Fury in Riyadh on Saturday was barely noticed. There were pockets of interest in the fighters' Ukrainian and English homelands. But beyond that, the response was muted. Indeed, the promotion all but wrote off the US market by scheduling the fight opposite the first round of the College Football Playoff tournament. That meant there was even less media attention for Usyk-Fury II in America than would otherwise have been the case and fewer fans buying the pay-per-view. That's a shame because it was an important fight and a good one.
It's hard to say that Fury has a "larger than life personality" because, at 6ft 9in tall and weighing 280lb, Tyson is extremely large. But his personality is equal to his size. He's loud. He's profane. He's mercurial. And he can fight.
Unlike Fury, Usyk doesn't stir passions. Outside of Ukraine, he could walk unnoticed down almost any street in the world. He has thrived and surprised in the heavyweight ranks by beating larger, harder-punching men like Fury (twice), Anthony Joshua (twice) and Daniel Dubois. He is an exemplary sportsman.
Oleksandr doesn't trash talk - "I'm just going to fight in the ring and that's all. How is trash talk going to help me? That's not how a man behaves."
He has consistently turned the other cheek to Fury's insults - "I have much respect for Tyson Fury. He's big with good skills. Tyson is my greedy belly friend. He is like my brother."
And at times he sounds like a poet - "Love is the strongest motivator. And if that doesn't help, you need more love."
Fury and Usyk first met in the ring on 18 May of this year. Tyson was expected to grab and maul and push and shove and rough Oleksandr up on the inside. But he was never able to impose his size and strength on his smaller foe.
Denne historien er fra December 24, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December 24, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Stokes faces three months out but vows to fight back
Ben Stokes said he was prepared to go through \"blood, sweat and tears\" for England after it was announced he will undergo surgery in January and is out of action for at least three months with a torn hamstring.
'Huge blow' Saka's hamstring tear leaves Arsenal scrambling for options
Mikel Arteta has said he and Arsenal must find a way to cope without Bukayo Saka after confirming the England forward is set to be sidelined for \"many weeks\" due to the hamstring injury he sustained against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
'We have to change for the better': Kulusevski on what's next for Spurs
Forward says his side need to evolve after Sunday's painful defeat to leaders Liverpool
Juric vows 'death metal football' style for Saints
Southampton's new manager, Ivan Juric, says he plans to implement an aggressive style of play similar to death metal, his favourite genre of music.
Liverpool's lead at the top is due to much more than good luck
They may have faced some teams at the right time but Slot has improved players to the extent it is their title to lose
Amorim given free rein over Rashford call
Ruben Amorim's exclusion of Marcus Rashford from Manchester United's past three match-day squads is solely his decision, with the head coach under no pressure from Sir Jim Ratcliffe's football department.
'We do what the police cannot': Fanprojekte face battle to survive
A German court case threatens the existence of projects that play a crucial social-work role with football fans
'It's opened my mind': inside the FA's all-female coaching course
WSL stars past and present have signed up to an A licence course that aims to boost the number of female coaches
Clayton edges past Mansell in sudden-death thriller
Jonny Clayton won a sudden-death leg in the deciding set to edge past Mickey Mansell and book his place in the third round of the PDC world championship after an epic contest at Alexandra Palace.
Fury ceased clowning to push Usyk to his limits but this special champion always finds a new gear
Once upon a time, the world stopped to watch when the heavyweight championship was at stake. Oleksandr Usyk's unanimous-decision triumph over Tyson Fury in Riyadh on Saturday was barely noticed.
