Oleksandr Usyk has defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
Usyk (22-0) added Fury’s WBC title to his own WBA, IBF and IBO belts with a spectacular late rally highlighted by a ninth-round knock-down in a back-and-forth bout between two previously unbeaten heavyweight champs. Two judges favoured Usyk, 115-112 and 114-113, while the third gave it to Fury, 114-113.
“It’s a great time. It’s a great day,” Usyk said.
Usyk started quickly, but then had to survive while the confident, charismatic Fury dominated the middle rounds. Usyk rallied in the final rounds, just as the Ukrainian Olympic gold medallist has done so many times in his career, taking control with a dominant eighth round and nearly stopping Fury in the ninth.
Usyk hurt Fury (34-1-1) with a left hand and eventually sent him sprawling into a corner in the final seconds of the round, getting credit for a knock-down right before Fury was saved by the bell. Fury made it to the 10th, but he struggled to mount a consistent attack after nearly getting stopped.
Fury kissed Usyk on the head after the final bell. Fury also said he wants the rematch in October.
“I believe I won that fight,” Fury said. “I believe he won a few of the rounds, but I won the majority of them, and I believe it was one of those what-can-you-do, one of them ... decisions in boxing. We both put on a good fight, best we can do.
"You know, his country is at war, so people are siding with a country at war. But make no mistake, I won that fight, in my opinion, and I’ll be back. I’ve got a rematch clause.”
Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk celebrates after beating Britain's Tyson Fury on May 19, 2024. (Francisco Seco/AP Photo)
The 37-year-old Usyk is the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis held the honor for five months in 1999 and 2000. He is also now the lineal heavyweight champion by beating Fury, who beat Wladimir Klitschko to earn that distinction in 2015.
Usyk is six inches shorter than the 6-foot-9 Fury, and he weighed in 30 pounds lighter than the hulking British star this week. The size difference didn't matter to Usyk, who has used his athleticism and skill to counter every challenge he has faced since moving up from cruiserweight to heavyweight in 2019.
Usyk upset Anthony Joshua to win three title belts in 2021, and he kept them through two defenses while angling for the ultimate payday of a fight against Fury in Saudi Arabia.
Usyk landed 41 per cent of his 407 punches, while Fury landed just 31.7 per cent of his 496 punches, according to CompuBox statistics. Usyk both threw (260 to 210) and landed (122 to 95) more power punches.
Usyk has now joined the elite club of fighters who held every major world championship belt at heavyweight — and he is the first to do it in the four-belt era, which began in 2007. The list of undisputed champions includes Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Floyd Patterson, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and Mike Tyson.
The most recent undisputed heavyweight champ was Lewis, who beat Evander Holyfield in late 1999 and enjoyed a five-month reign. He soon lost a title because of the territorial squabbles that have beset boxing for the past quarter-century and routinely prevented the biggest fights from happening.
Fury and Usyk both asked for this matchup, and they finally got together in the ring largely because of the involvement of Saudi Arabia, which made the financial rewards simply too great for the fighters’ typically recalcitrant promoters and the sanctioning bodies to reject. Fury will reportedly make more than US$100 million for the bout.
To reach the lucrative Western pay-per-view audience, the bout didn’t begin until 1:45 a.m. on Sunday morning at Kingdom Arena.
Usyk was aggressive from the opening bell, repeatedly getting inside his taller opponent’s defenses to land body shots. Fury was his usual carefree self, even putting both arms on the ropes in a corner and pretending to dodge punches when Usyk advanced.
But Fury picked up his attack from the third round, working his size advantage and his typically unpredictable movement to throw right hands behind his sharp jab. Fury appeared to hurt Usyk with body shots right at the belt, and he rocked Usyk twice in the sixth with vicious uppercuts.
Usyk rallied, bloodying Fury’s nose and face with a left hand. Usyk then punished Fury in the ninth, hitting him with another concussive left before battering the British star around the ring. Fury sagged into a corner while barely staying on his feet with about 10 seconds left in the round.
The referee could have stopped the fight, but he ordered Usyk away for a standing eight-count interrupted by the bell.
On the undercard at Kingdom Arena, Australia’s Jai Opetaia retained his IBF cruiserweight title with a clear unanimous decision over Mairis Briedis. Ireland’s Anthony Cacace also claimed the IBF super featherweight title when he stopped Joe Cordina in the eighth round.
Earlier, 41-year-old former light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev returned to the ring for only the second time since 2019 with a decision loss to Sweden’s Robin Sirwan Safar.weight champion by beating Fury, who beat Wladimir Klitschko to earn that distinction in 2015.
Canada's ambassador to Russia says while Ottawa has 'grave concerns' about the Kremlin's 'longer-term trends,' the war in Ukraine is 'a primary barrier to a change in the relationship.'
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.
The Stanley Cup was passing through town Friday, and Lanny Legend took it upon himself to take it for a surprise visit.
Jurors resumed deliberations Saturday on whether a man should be sentenced to death after being convicted days earlier of the murders of his wife and his girlfriend’s two youngest children in Idaho.
The family of one of Robert Pickton's victims says the convicted serial killer suffered an incredibly violent death at the hands of another inmate.
A Mennonite father who killed his one-year-old son with an axe may be allowed to travel to parts of southern Ontario in the coming months
Few people can say they accidentally purchased a nude beach — but Shelley can. When she saw a piece of land she could fondly remember camping on was up for sale, she inquired about it and ended up purchasing it. She soon found that there were already inhabitants on it.
There's a luxury 'tree home' for sale in Calgary.
A Chinese spacecraft landed on the far side of the moon Sunday to collect soil and rock samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side.
Car 14 is a luxury passenger car that once made regular runs from London to Port Stanley starting in 1917.
Vancouver was well represented at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Ottawa this week.
Brockville Police says a pedestrian has died following a collision with a train that was heading to Toronto.
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.
The Stanley Cup was passing through town Friday, and Lanny Legend took it upon himself to take it for a surprise visit.
The family of one of Robert Pickton's victims says the convicted serial killer suffered an incredibly violent death at the hands of another inmate.
A Chinese spacecraft landed on the far side of the moon Sunday to collect soil and rock samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side.
A Malaysian climber likely died of exposure and altitude-related illness earlier this week after sheltering for days in a snow cave with minimal survival gear near the top of Denali, North America's tallest mountain in Alaska.
Embracing Donald Trump's strategy of blaming the U.S. justice system after his historic guilty verdict, Republicans in Congress are fervently enlisting themselves in his campaign of vengeance and political retribution in the GOP bid to reclaim the White House.
Israel’s prime minister on Saturday called a permanent ceasefire in Gaza a "nonstarter" until long-standing conditions for the ending the war are met, appearing to undermine a proposal that U.S. President Joe Biden had announced as an Israeli one.
Over 260 people were in attendance for a record-breaking drag queen story time event in Phialdelphia.
United States Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin told a gathering of top security officials Saturday that war with China was neither imminent nor unavoidable, despite rapidly escalating tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, stressing the importance of renewed dialogue between him and his Chinese counterpart in avoiding "miscalculations and misunderstandings."
Canada's ambassador to Russia says while Ottawa has 'grave concerns' about the Kremlin's 'longer-term trends,' the war in Ukraine is 'a primary barrier to a change in the relationship.'
Defence Minister Bill Blair says Canada will be sending Royal Canadian Navy vessels to support the Indo-Pacific Strategy in the coming days.
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
The World Health Organization says member countries approved a series of new steps to improve global preparedness for and response to pandemics like COVID-19 and mpox.
The Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary has become one of the few hospitals in Canada to offer an adaptive gaming system for patient therapy.
Health Canada recalled various items this week, including more unauthorized products, counterfeit drugs and bassinets.
A Chinese spacecraft landed on the far side of the moon Sunday to collect soil and rock samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side.
Vancouver was well represented at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Ottawa this week.
A last-minute problem nixed Saturday’s launch attempt for Boeing's first astronaut flight, the latest in a string of delays over the years.
Eminem appears to be killing off his alter ego in his latest project, an album titled, 'The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace).'
Jennifer Lopez has cancelled her 2024 North American tour, representatives for Live Nation confirmed to The Associated Press.
A daughter of actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt filed paperwork to legally remove "Pitt" from her name on the day she turned 18.
The first day of June means the minimum wage for most workers in B.C. is now $17.40 per hour, as the province's annual inflation-based hike takes effect.
Live Nation is investigating a data breach at its Ticketmaster subsidiary, which dominates ticketing for live events in the United States.
A B.C. traveller will receive more than $1,300 in compensation from WestJet for a missed flight connection following a decision from the province's small claims tribunal.
As the Edmonton Oilers battle the Dallas Stars in the Stanley Cup Playoffs' Western Conference Finals, there's some beef brewing off the ice as well.
Over 260 people were in attendance for a record-breaking drag queen story time event in Phialdelphia.
It’s that familiar smell that comes after a light rain, petrichor. And it turns out, there’s a good reason we can detect it.
Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., just eight kilometres from Hamilton Golf and Country Club, shot a 3-under 67 to sit in a tie with Fox and American Ben Griffin for second at the 2024 RBC Canadian Open.
Real Madrid wins the Champions League after beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the final.
The Stanley Cup was passing through town Friday, and Lanny Legend took it upon himself to take it for a surprise visit.
Richard D'Agostino says he was aghast to find out that it was going to take him over an hour to get to Dollard-des-Ormeaux from downtown Montreal.
The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday sued South Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor Co., an auto parts plant and a labour recruiter over illegal use of child labour in Alabama.
A new study finds fewer Canadians say they're interested in buying an electric vehicle as concerns remain about limited driving ranges, high prices and a lack of charging stations.
A hefty donation by a renowned local activist to the University of Winnipeg has created what is believed to be the most comprehensive two-spirit archives in all of Canada.
Leanne Van Bergen discovered a skulk of 10 baby foxes, and two mothers, had made themselves at home on her property in Beausejour.
An 81-year-old Waterloo, Ont. woman thought she’d never ride a horse again after a brain bleed led to severe physical complications.
A CP24 camera caught the moment a driver frantically got out of her car as it was being dragged by a truck on Avenue Road Wednesday afternoon.
Prince Edward Island is celebrating its first-ever International Day of Potato on Thursday.
The president of Covered Bridge Chips in New Brunswick is hoping to have his factory rebuilt for late 2025 following a devastating fire last year.
Students and staff at Winnipeg’s Westwood Collegiate had a unique problem to solve this month; how do you lead ducks to water from the school’s courtyard when 12 of them can’t fly yet?
Debby Lorinczy remembers her father as an amazing person and as a man who also made an amazing discovery.
Abigail Strate is a member of the Canadian national ski jumping team and an Olympic bronze medallist. She's also a certified beekeeper.
Four people are in hospital after a serious car crash near the Surrey-Langley border on Saturday morning, according to police.
A B.C. conservation organization is looking for volunteers to spend a few evenings this summer counting bats to help biologists monitor populations across the province.
In an attempt to curb infrastructure crashes such as overpass strikes, all dump trucks of a certain height operating in B.C. are now required to have warning devices installed in-cab to alert drivers when the dump box is raised.
During the pandemic, the Ontario government started to hand out cash to parents to help offset the cost of at-home learning while schools were shuttered.
Dozens of people gathered at a newly-renamed park in Toronto’s east end Saturday morning to celebrate the life of its namesake, Caroline Huebner-Makurat, who was struck and killed by a stray bullet 11 months ago.
A TTC streetcar was derailed and three people were injured, two seriously, in a crash involving a vehicle in downtown Toronto Saturday morning.
One person suffered life threatening injuries following a crash along Stoney Trail Saturday afternoon.
The Stanley Cup was passing through town Friday, and Lanny Legend took it upon himself to take it for a surprise visit.
Hundreds of people and their dogs are expected in North Glenmore Park for the Calgary Humane Society’s annual Dog Jog Saturday.
After a Barrhaven woman suffered a stroke and was left completely paralyzed four years ago, she’s inspiring friends and family by defying the odds, as she celebrates a number of firsts this year.
Two young children and three adults were seriously injured in a major collision on Highway 417 between Palladium Drive and Carp Road in Ottawa's west end Friday afternoon.
As another school year wraps up, the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) held its annual Drivers Appreciation Day on Saturday to commemorate those in charge of that big yellow bus.
The few customers looking for an edible option at a Quebec cannabis store (SQDC) will have noticed some new options on the shelves though the weed-infused poutines sauce, jerky and sausages are not increasing the bottom dollar.
Montreal police (SPVM) are investigating after a young man was stabbed in The Village neighbourhood on Saturday morning.
Quebec Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette added his voice to the Bloc Québécois and Conservatives in Ottawa who are outraged by comments made by Liberal MP Angelo Iacono, who said Quebec would benefit from becoming an officially bilingual province rather than having only French as its official language.
Few people can say they accidentally purchased a nude beach — but Shelley can. When she saw a piece of land she could fondly remember camping on was up for sale, she inquired about it and ended up purchasing it. She soon found that there were already inhabitants on it.
A 40-year-old man was killed in a crash in Old Strathcona early Saturday morning.
Fecal matter prompted a health warning for Lake Summerside in south Edmonton on Friday.
Team Canada's Billy Gooderham says he's thrilled to be able to compete in the first-ever Sail Grand Prix event held on Canadian Waters.
The New Brunswick government has reached a tentative agreement with a local union representing social workers among other professions in the province.
The IWK Telethon for Children marks 40 years this June.
The City of Winnipeg is asking the public if homeowners should have to pay for throwing contaminated items in their trash and recycling carts.
Osborne Village residents will have to find a new spot to get their caffeine fix, as the River Avenue Starbucks location is closing up shop for good.
From Stars Wars costumes to mashed potato bars to mid-week soirees, Manitoba couples are finding ways to personalize their weddings in new and creative ways.
What started as a weekly tradition of weekend bargain hunting for old-fashioned antiques has now flourished into a massive treasure trove for Robert Baron and Karen Wilhelm.
An investigation is underway in Regina after an injured man died in hospital on Saturday.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders released quarterback Mason Fine and receiver Brayden Lenius on Saturday as the team announced its final roster cuts.
A Mennonite father who killed his one-year-old son with an axe may be allowed to travel to parts of southern Ontario in the coming months
Canada is getting not one – but two – celestial shows over the next few days. Keep an eye on the sky for the northern lights and parade of planets!
Habiton Solomon, who was wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for a fatal 2023 shooting in Kitchener, Ont., is now in police custody.
Dozens of teams and hundreds of rescuers gathered at Prairieland Park for the mining skills competition, an event that brings together some of the best-trained rescuers who specialize in mine rescues.
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.
Saskatchewan teachers and the province are set to resume negotiations on Wednesday.
Greater Sudbury Police Service is looking for two motorcyclists – one of whom may be “seriously injured.”
The family of one of Robert Pickton's victims says the convicted serial killer suffered an incredibly violent death at the hands of another inmate.
A 22-year-old driver was travelling more than 150km/h on Highway 11 in Benoit Township east of Timmins, Ont., on Friday.
Not many junior hockey players have the opportunity to win a championship in their final junior hockey game — but three over-age London Knights players have that chance Sunday night.
To brighten your week with good news, CTV London Meteorologist Julie Atchison is showing us the sunny side of things.
The early morning hours Sunday might see some rainfall — but that's expected to end in the early afternoon.
Barrie celebrated the start of Pride month with a special Pride march and festival in the downtown core on Saturday.
The Innisfil Indian Association held their first-ever Holi Rangotsav, the festival of colours.
Continued construction at the Innisfil Beach Road exit of Highway 400 will close certain areas of the interchange from Saturday evening through Sunday morning, allowing crews to remove the existing Highway 400 northbound bridge.
Since the start of this year, multiple search efforts have been conducted to locate Scott Kersey who was last seen on Dec. 29, 2023.
Windsor police officers say they have arrested two people and seized loaded shotguns from apartment units in the city's core.
After 78 years in Windsor, the doors at Playdium Lanes have closed for a final time.
A B.C. conservation organization is looking for volunteers to spend a few evenings this summer counting bats to help biologists monitor populations across the province.
The first day of June means the minimum wage for most workers in B.C. is now $17.40 per hour, as the province's annual inflation-based hike takes effect.
A B.C. traveller will receive more than $1,300 in compensation from WestJet for a missed flight connection following a decision from the province's small claims tribunal.
Mounties in Kelowna have deemed a fire that ripped through an automotive repair business in Kelowna over the weekend suspicious in nature.
Mounties in Kamloops are appealing for information after two recent reports of a man chasing children in a park.
Firefighters in Kelowna were busy on Sunday morning, knocking down two “major” structure fires.
The Okotoks Dawgs won their first road victory of the season Friday, defeating the Brooks Bombers 10-2.
The Brooks Bandits spread the scoring around Friday night, en route to a 5-2 victory over the Surrey Eagles in the opening game of the Rocky Mountain Challenge.
Fire trucks, garbage trucks, excavators and more will be on display Saturday in Lethbridge at the Big Truck Petting Zoo.
Provincial police say medication was stolen from a residence in Blind River, Ont., on Thursday.
Six people are facing drug and several other charges after police in Sault Ste. Marie raided a residence on Wellington Street West on Thursday evening.
A man wanted for first-degree murder in Alberta was arrested this week after police deployed a spike belt on Highway 17 near Schreiber, Ont.
Health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador say they are only weeks away from a solution to move unclaimed human remains out of roadside freezers and into a nearby hospital.
The company behind a popular independent television station in Newfoundland and Labrador says it was hit by a cyberattack.
A skull was found along a backroad near St. John's more than 20 years ago. Now, police have finally identified the victim of the homicide.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
