What a weekend for Ukraine boxing! Oleksandr Usyk did what nobody else has done before and that’s defeating Tyson Fury. History was made in that fight as Usyk became the first undisputed heavyweight champion in the four belt era.
The last time the heavyweight division saw a undisputed champion, it was in 1999 when Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield. That fight was a tale of two halfs as Fury dominated the first half of the fight and Usyk took control of the second half of the fight. Things really took a change for the better when Usyk stunned Fury with an overhand left which sent him wobbling throughout the ring before the referee declared that the ropes were the only thing keeping him up and started the ten count. Usyk victory was not only a victory for himself. But a victory for the whole country of Ukraine who is still fighting a war against Russia.
Unexpected champion
As monumental as Oleksandr Usyk upset victory was, there was another champion that emerge from Ukraine that night. Usyk’s Olympic teammate Denys Berinchyk won the WBO lightweight championship by upsetting Emanuel Navarrete by split decision on Saturday in San Diego. Berinchyk completely outworked Navarrete throughout the fight, his volume of punches kept the champion off balanced throughout the whole fight. Navarrete hasn’t lost a fight since July 26th 2021. This weekend definitely goes down as Ukraine’s biggest boxing weekend ever!
Not to be forgotten
To add on the victories from Ukrainian boxers from this weekend, the previous week Vasiliy Lomachenko won the vacant IBF lightweight title in dominating fashion against George Kambosos Jr. That makes three champions from the month of May from Ukraine. This has not been a bad month at all for the Blue and Yellow as they have reign supreme in the boxing world.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
