PROMOTER Frank Warren states that Tyson Fury was dominating Oleksandr Usyk with a “boxing lesson” before Fury suffered a bloody nose during their heavyweight bout on Saturday night.
As the ‘Gypsy King’ stood up for the ninth round, blood started pouring out of his nose, affecting his performance for the rest of the fight.
The ninth round will be remembered for Fury struggling against Usyk’s continuous attack, forcing referee Mark Nelson to give Fury a standing eight count to save him from a potential knockdown.
After eight rounds, judge Manuel Oliver Palimo scored four rounds for Fury, while judges Craig Metcalfe and Mike Fitzgerlad scored five rounds for the Brit.
“It was an incredible fight, a spectacle. Two undefeated fighters giving their all,” said Warren, who co-promotes Fury along with Bob Arum.
“Tyson seemed to have a nose problem, which caused him to lose concentration momentarily. Until then, he was truly giving Usyk a lesson in boxing.
“I initially thought he had broken his nose, given how he kept touching it and struggling to breathe.
“But Usyk, being the warrior that he is, fought back and had that big round. It changed the dynamics. However, I believe Tyson won, I agreed with judge Craig Metcalfe’s score for Fury.”
After securing a 10-8 round, Usyk maintained his advantage and continued to put pressure on Fury. Despite a strong comeback by the former WBC champion in the final round, all three judges awarded the round to Fury. Yet, Usyk was crowned the undisputed heavyweight champion.
“I may be biased, but I truly felt Fury won,” Warren stated. “However, we’re not complaining because many people saw it differently. It was a spectacular night in the Kingdom, a fight that will be remembered.”