Usyk vs Bellew: The Richest Cruiserweight Fight In History
Tony Bellew was enjoying his honeymoon in Mykonos after marrying the mother of his three children, Rachael Roberts, when he watched on a phone in a bar, Oleksandr Usyk claim the undisputed cruiserweight title with a unanimous decision over Murat Gassiev in Moscow. In his broken English, the new champion from Ukraine called out the only challenger left to him before his inevitable move up into the heavyweight division; Tony Bellew.
The thirty-four-year-old Bellew, who had won the British, Commonwealth and WBC silver light-heavyweight titles and the cruiserweight WBO International and European belts after his failed WBC light-heavyweight title challenge to the hard-punching Adonis Stevenson, also captured the WBC cruiserweight title in front of his home city fans at Goodison Park stadium, the home of his beloved Everton FC. His back-to-back victories over David Haye at heavyweight cemented his legacy in the sport and secured him and his family financially.
The WBC granted Bellew Champion Emeritus status in pursuing financial reward against Haye, meaning he could challenge for his old belt whenever he saw fit. The callout from Usyk whetted the appetite, but he had a bigger opponent to face before he could return to the ring — his wife. “She wasn't happy, but what can you do? Shit hit the fan for a few days. I think on that honeymoon when she saw me watching on the phone she knew.”
The fight was officially announced on 14th September 2018, and was billed as He Who Dares, and would be the first time on British soil that all four major world title belts would be on the line. Bellew, at the time of the announcement, was ranked the WBC’s number four heavyweight contender to champion Deontay Wilder. “I’m going up against the monster,” stated Bellew of Usyk at the press conference, “the man no one really wants to fight.”
“I’m not monster. I am white rabbit,” replied the undisputed cruiserweight champion.
Usyk, born in Simferopol, Crimea, Ukraine on 17th January 1987, played football as a youngster before lacing up the gloves at fifteen. He had a 335-15 amateur record, which included the accolades of 2008 European Championships light-heavyweight winner, the heavyweight gold medalist in the 2011 World Championships, the London 2012 Olympic heavyweight champion and winning all six of his bouts in the 2012/13 in the World Series of Boxing.
Usyk joined the Klitschko brothers' K2 Promotions and made his professional debut on 9th November 2013 with a fifth-round technical knockout over Mexican cruiserweight Felipe Romero in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Usyk remained undefeated and in December 2014 captured the WBO Inter-Continental cruiserweight title with a ninth-round TKO against South Africa’s Danie Venter, to go 6-0 (6 KOs). He successfully defended the title three times before challenging Poland’s Krzysztof Glowacki in September 2016 for his WBO cruiserweight title in Gdansk.
Usyk had to negate the full twelve-round distance for the first time to become a world champion with a unanimous decision, going 10-0 (9 KOs), beating the record of twelve fights set by Evander Holyfield in July 1986 when he defeated Dwight Muhammad Qawi over fifteen rounds for the WBA belt. The Ukrainian defended his championship twice — a ninth-round stoppage of South Africa’s Thabiso Mchunu in December 2016 and a unanimous decision against undefeated American Michael Hunter in April 2017 - both in the States.
On 8th July, the draw for the cruiserweight World Super Series was announced, and Usyk, regarded as the best in the division, was seeded by the tournament organisers and officially picked Marco Huck, ranked sixth in the world, as his first opponent. Usyk stopped Huck in front of the German’s home fans in the tenth round to successfully defend the WBO title for the third time and proceed to the semifinal stage of the tournament.
In January 2018, Usyk travelled to Latvia to face the local WBC cruiserweight king Mairis Briedis in Riga. The defending WBC champion won the vacant belt in April 2017 with a unanimous decision over Marco Huck. Briedis defended the belt with a points victory against Mike Perez to join Usyk in the semifinal of the World Super Series.
Both champions fought a close twelve-rounder, with one judge scoring it 114 apiece and the other two siding with Usyk by 115-113. "Those are the most difficult rounds I've had in my career,” Usyk admitted, “and we will work on the improvement of my style.”
The victory set up a July 2018 date with fellow finalist Murat Gassiev in Russia at Moscow’s Olimpiyskiy. Gassiev, born in Russia with Armenian nationality, stopped Cuban Yunier Dorticus with 8 seconds remaining of the final round to add the IBF belt to his WBA cruiserweight title he won from Denis Lebedev in December 2016.
Usyk put on a masterclass of boxing, only dropping a round on two of the judges cards as he won the Muhammad Ali Trophy and emulated Evander Holyfield to capture all the belts at cruiserweight with a shutout 120-108 on one card and two scores of 119-109. The new champion was asked in the ring if he was going to stay at cruiserweight or venture up to the top division. “First of all,” he said through his manager Egis Klimas, “we need to take a rest after this difficult fight. After that, we will sit down with my team and take the decision. At this moment, I heard that Tony Bellew is looking for a fight with the winner of (the) Muhammad Ali Trophy. I hope he would see me talking, ‘Hey, Tony Bellew! Are you ready?’”
“Is that at heavyweight or cruiserweight?” asked Ronald McIntosh.
“If he doesn’t want me to go down, I will go up for him.
“I will take extra spaghetti for dinner.”
On hearing his name being mentioned, Bellew defied his new wife’s wishes of retirement, and took the bait Team Usyk was dangling, and agreed to face the new undisputed king of the cruiserweights on 10th November 2018 at the Manchester Arena.
“I'm scared of stopping to be honest,” said Bellew on finishing his career.
“I couldn't ask for more. I've got a good life, I've got a beautiful wife, three beautiful kids, a fucking big lovely house, a couple of boss cars and a shit load of money.
“I'm happy and I'm just a tit to be risking it all. But I'm risking it all for a dream that only I can see.
“I know I've got to stop because otherwise I'll be divorced, there'll be an annulment, mate. She will do it, she really will. It has caused enough problems and headaches doing this one. But I'm going to win.”
Victory over Usyk would see Bellew become Britain’s first four belt undisputed world champion at any weight, and a perfect way to hang up the gloves, though it is never easy for a boxer to walk off into the sunset, especially after a win. There is always that one more challenge. “Without boxing I won't have that release. When I'm training I don't think about anything else. I just love fighting, I love fucking punching things. I like hurting people.
“It's not nice, it's horrible. I've got a horrible bastard side. I get to let it go every time I go in the gym.
“So although I hate the running and making weight and all that, which is a load of shite, I hate it. But when it comes to punching people and punching things and hurting them, I genuinely enjoy that.
“I'm scared of it stopping. I'll probably be in with a psychiatrist by the time I've finished. I could probably do with one.
“I'm quite open and honest, I'm round the fucking bend. I really am. But on November 10, I have to be round the bend just one more time.
“Fingers crossed on November 10 I chin him, I beat him, and I just decide that's enough.
“I was hoping David Haye would beat the fight out of me in the second fight. I was hoping I'd say, 'he's knocked 10 tonnes out of me there but I've beaten him in the end.’”
“But doing him so easy, it was easy to be honest, it has had the wrong effect on me because now I just want to beat everyone. I really do. I'm going to start on November 10.”
Usyk made no secret that his desire was to step up to heavyweight and conquer another division. He was at ringside, soaking up the atmosphere in the Wembley Stadium to witness, along with the almost 80,000 in attendance, unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua’s seventh round TKO victory over Russia’s Alexander Povetkin. “Wembley was crazy stuff,” said an impressed Usyk. “The songs, the noise... best fans ever. My hair was up all the way. And the fight was a thrilling fight for myself, I loved the way he finished it.
“One reason we have agreed to fight Bellew is to get to Joshua. It is exactly part of the strategy and why we have this cooperation with Eddie Hearn. He has Tony, he has Anthony, he has Dillian Whyte and a couple more nice heavyweights.
“It's the best way, the shortest — not the easiest — way to fight Anthony (Joshua). I would need to have a fight at heavyweight first.
“I tell you why because this fight has to become the No 1 fight for the whole world. That is why I need to build up my profile at heavyweight.”
Bellew had other ideas and set about to get his 2103/4 pounds (95.59 Kg) frame for what he weighed against Haye in May 2018 and boiled down to 1991/4 pounds (90.38 Kg), with Usyk weighing in at 1981/4 pounds (89.92 Kg) the day before their 10th November clash.
The crowd at the Manchester Arena were at fever-pitch when Michael Buffer announced the fighters. Bellew, as challenger, was announced first. The sound of heart beats emitted around the arena, and a quote, “Are you not entertained” from the film Gladiator quickly followed as bomb sirens then sounded before Bellew walked out to the Z-Cars theme tune, a BBC television series that ran from 1962 to 1978.
The music of the series was from an old Liverpool folksong called Johnny Todd and the theme tune was adopted by Everton Football Club when actor Terrence Edmond, an Everton fan, who played PC Sweet in the series, came to watch his team play with a few of the other cast members in the middle of the 1963-64 season. In recognition of their attendance, the football club played the theme tune when the players walked onto the pitch, and it stuck ever since.
Bellew looked relaxed as he climbed through the ropes, as he dared for greatness and awaited the arrival of the defending champion. The crowd’s cheers erupted to boos for the eight-to-one favourite Usyk. Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This by Joseph Williams, featuring Shadow Royale greeted the boisterous crowd before the familiar Ukrainian’s song Браття by Василь Жадан (Brethren by Vasyl Ivanovych Zhadan).
After the stare-down, when it was just the two gladiators and the referee in the ring, Usyk repeatedly crossed himself before bouncing confidently in his own corner awaiting the bell to ring. The challenger flicked out a few jabs as they both tentatively moved around the ring non-committal. Bellew looked to take the initiative and was busier, although nothing significant landed from either participant as the southpaw champion was happy to find his range.
Round two was still cagey. Usyk found his range with a few right leads, only to be countered by the challenger’s own jabs and right hands to the midsection, a place of vulnerability identified by Bellew during the build up of the contest. At the one minute and 50 second stage of the round, Bellew began talking to his man and aggressively banged his gloves against his sides in an attempt to get the Ukrainian to engage. The crowd loved the antics, but the champion ignored the bait.
Usyk started the third with some fast jabs with the challenger happy to evade them and counter with a right hand. The Ukrainian was finally moving forward and looking busier but he was getting caught too often by the Liverpudlian’s right hand counter. Usyk responded with a left of his own, though Bellew made it clear the shot had little effect on him. Bellew steamed forward and sloppily got caught with another left. Again, he gestured that the punch had little behind it and the cat and mouse affair continued, though it was Bellew who was out-foxing the champion, which reflected in the three judges unanimously scoring the first three rounds to the challenger.
Early in the fourth, Bellew walked onto a left lead from Usyk and for the first time in the contest looked a bit disorganised. He retreated to the ropes for refuge as the champion chased him. Bellew was forced to retaliate and offered a smile at the advancing Ukrainian.
The challenger retook the ring’s centre, showing great head movement as he found his rhythm once more. The champion was having a better round, though it didn’t all go his way. Bellew landed a big right off the ropes and Usyk was troubled but not hurt. The Ukrainian acknowledged another right before closing the challenger to the ropes. Bellew tried to counter once again, missed, but found time to lean nonchalantly on the ropes as if taking a break and showing Usyk he didn’t have a care in the world. The crowd loved the challenger’s showmanship and Usyk showed great sportsmanship in allowing his man to regroup. Both fighter’s defensive skills were on display and the crowd showed their appreciation to end the round.
“Switch back on,” berated Bellew’s trainer David Coldwell before the fifth round started. Though the challenger tried to heed his coach’s words, he found himself most of the round on the ropes, soaking up the champion’s constant pressure.
The Ukrainian continued to push forward in the sixth, again keeping Bellew on the back-foot for most of the round. The challenger managed to land a couple of right handers but got careless and allowed himself to take a hard left at the bell, which seemed to stagger him.
The constant pressure from Usyk began to pay dividends as Bellew looked a tired fighter in round seven. He was once again backed up, and although he managed to get a combination off, Usyk just smiled at him and applied more pressure.
Bellew looked even more tired in the eighth. His nose and mouth were bleeding and he was getting caught more consistently with the Ukrainian’s left hands. Another left had the British fighter in trouble and a one-two put Bellew down and out at the two minute mark.
Usyk sank to his knees in celebration and immediately went over to Bellew to offer his respects. At the time of the stoppage both judges Alejandro Lopez Cid and Steve Gray had Bellew in front 68-65 and 67-66 respectively whilst Yury Koptsev could not split them at 67 apiece.
“I tried to go for it because I thought I was behind. He's a brilliant fighter, he's hard to pin down. I fought the very, very best, and he's just better than me. Usyk is pound-for-pound material, the best I've ever fought. Anyone who fights him is in trouble. That's definitely the end (of my career)," said Bellew afterwards.
“I was trying trying to control myself in the first rounds, to control my boxing rather than just fighting. I had the most difficult year in my life, now I want to relax and spend time with my family and after that I will think about the future. We need to put goals in front of us and move towards them," said the defending champion.
“With promoter Eddie Hearn we can do great things in boxing. Usyk definitely needs to fight Anthony Joshua," said Usyk’s manager Alexander Krassyuk.
Though Bellew was good to his word and stayed retired with a record of 30-3-1 (20 KOs), Usyk also was good to word and moved up to heavyweight to eventually defeat Anthony Joshua twice to become the unified heavyweight champion, and on 18th May 2024, he went one step better and claimed the undisputed heavyweight championship with a points victory over the defending WBC champion Tyson Fury.
All the best fight fans
Lea
Boxing Books are available on Amazon, Kobo, Apple Books, Smash Words, Google Play, Barnes & Noble, and most other digital stores: https://linktr.ee/leroy_fight_writer
Tony Bellew was enjoying his honeymoon in Mykonos after marrying the mother of his three children, Rachael Roberts, when he watched on a phone in a bar, Oleksandr Usyk claim the undisputed cruiserweight title with a unanimous decision over Murat Gassiev in Moscow. In his broken English, the new champion from Ukraine called out the only challenger left to him before his inevitable move up into the heavyweight division; Tony Bellew.
The thirty-four-year-old Bellew, who had won the British, Commonwealth and WBC silver light-heavyweight titles and the cruiserweight WBO International and European belts after his failed WBC light-heavyweight title challenge to the hard-punching Adonis Stevenson, also captured the WBC cruiserweight title in front of his home city fans at Goodison Park stadium, the home of his beloved Everton FC. His back-to-back victories over David Haye at heavyweight cemented his legacy in the sport and secured him and his family financially.
The WBC granted Bellew Champion Emeritus status in pursuing financial reward against Haye, meaning he could challenge for his old belt whenever he saw fit. The callout from Usyk whetted the appetite, but he had a bigger opponent to face before he could return to the ring — his wife. “She wasn't happy, but what can you do? Shit hit the fan for a few days. I think on that honeymoon when she saw me watching on the phone she knew.”
The fight was officially announced on 14th September 2018, and was billed as He Who Dares, and would be the first time on British soil that all four major world title belts would be on the line. Bellew, at the time of the announcement, was ranked the WBC’s number four heavyweight contender to champion Deontay Wilder. “I’m going up against the monster,” stated Bellew of Usyk at the press conference, “the man no one really wants to fight.”
“I’m not monster. I am white rabbit,” replied the undisputed cruiserweight champion.
Usyk, born in Simferopol, Crimea, Ukraine on 17th January 1987, played football as a youngster before lacing up the gloves at fifteen. He had a 335-15 amateur record, which included the accolades of 2008 European Championships light-heavyweight winner, the heavyweight gold medalist in the 2011 World Championships, the London 2012 Olympic heavyweight champion and winning all six of his bouts in the 2012/13 in the World Series of Boxing.
Usyk joined the Klitschko brothers' K2 Promotions and made his professional debut on 9th November 2013 with a fifth-round technical knockout over Mexican cruiserweight Felipe Romero in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Usyk remained undefeated and in December 2014 captured the WBO Inter-Continental cruiserweight title with a ninth-round TKO against South Africa’s Danie Venter, to go 6-0 (6 KOs). He successfully defended the title three times before challenging Poland’s Krzysztof Glowacki in September 2016 for his WBO cruiserweight title in Gdansk.
Usyk had to negate the full twelve-round distance for the first time to become a world champion with a unanimous decision, going 10-0 (9 KOs), beating the record of twelve fights set by Evander Holyfield in July 1986 when he defeated Dwight Muhammad Qawi over fifteen rounds for the WBA belt. The Ukrainian defended his championship twice — a ninth-round stoppage of South Africa’s Thabiso Mchunu in December 2016 and a unanimous decision against undefeated American Michael Hunter in April 2017 - both in the States.
On 8th July, the draw for the cruiserweight World Super Series was announced, and Usyk, regarded as the best in the division, was seeded by the tournament organisers and officially picked Marco Huck, ranked sixth in the world, as his first opponent. Usyk stopped Huck in front of the German’s home fans in the tenth round to successfully defend the WBO title for the third time and proceed to the semifinal stage of the tournament.
In January 2018, Usyk travelled to Latvia to face the local WBC cruiserweight king Mairis Briedis in Riga. The defending WBC champion won the vacant belt in April 2017 with a unanimous decision over Marco Huck. Briedis defended the belt with a points victory against Mike Perez to join Usyk in the semifinal of the World Super Series.
Both champions fought a close twelve-rounder, with one judge scoring it 114 apiece and the other two siding with Usyk by 115-113. "Those are the most difficult rounds I've had in my career,” Usyk admitted, “and we will work on the improvement of my style.”
The victory set up a July 2018 date with fellow finalist Murat Gassiev in Russia at Moscow’s Olimpiyskiy. Gassiev, born in Russia with Armenian nationality, stopped Cuban Yunier Dorticus with 8 seconds remaining of the final round to add the IBF belt to his WBA cruiserweight title he won from Denis Lebedev in December 2016.
Usyk put on a masterclass of boxing, only dropping a round on two of the judges cards as he won the Muhammad Ali Trophy and emulated Evander Holyfield to capture all the belts at cruiserweight with a shutout 120-108 on one card and two scores of 119-109. The new champion was asked in the ring if he was going to stay at cruiserweight or venture up to the top division. “First of all,” he said through his manager Egis Klimas, “we need to take a rest after this difficult fight. After that, we will sit down with my team and take the decision. At this moment, I heard that Tony Bellew is looking for a fight with the winner of (the) Muhammad Ali Trophy. I hope he would see me talking, ‘Hey, Tony Bellew! Are you ready?’”
“Is that at heavyweight or cruiserweight?” asked Ronald McIntosh.
“If he doesn’t want me to go down, I will go up for him.
“I will take extra spaghetti for dinner.”
On hearing his name being mentioned, Bellew defied his new wife’s wishes of retirement, and took the bait Team Usyk was dangling, and agreed to face the new undisputed king of the cruiserweights on 10th November 2018 at the Manchester Arena.
“I'm scared of stopping to be honest,” said Bellew on finishing his career.
“I couldn't ask for more. I've got a good life, I've got a beautiful wife, three beautiful kids, a fucking big lovely house, a couple of boss cars and a shit load of money.
“I'm happy and I'm just a tit to be risking it all. But I'm risking it all for a dream that only I can see.
“I know I've got to stop because otherwise I'll be divorced, there'll be an annulment, mate. She will do it, she really will. It has caused enough problems and headaches doing this one. But I'm going to win.”
Victory over Usyk would see Bellew become Britain’s first four belt undisputed world champion at any weight, and a perfect way to hang up the gloves, though it is never easy for a boxer to walk off into the sunset, especially after a win. There is always that one more challenge. “Without boxing I won't have that release. When I'm training I don't think about anything else. I just love fighting, I love fucking punching things. I like hurting people.
“It's not nice, it's horrible. I've got a horrible bastard side. I get to let it go every time I go in the gym.
“So although I hate the running and making weight and all that, which is a load of shite, I hate it. But when it comes to punching people and punching things and hurting them, I genuinely enjoy that.
“I'm scared of it stopping. I'll probably be in with a psychiatrist by the time I've finished. I could probably do with one.
“I'm quite open and honest, I'm round the fucking bend. I really am. But on November 10, I have to be round the bend just one more time.
“Fingers crossed on November 10 I chin him, I beat him, and I just decide that's enough.
“I was hoping David Haye would beat the fight out of me in the second fight. I was hoping I'd say, 'he's knocked 10 tonnes out of me there but I've beaten him in the end.’”
“But doing him so easy, it was easy to be honest, it has had the wrong effect on me because now I just want to beat everyone. I really do. I'm going to start on November 10.”
Usyk made no secret that his desire was to step up to heavyweight and conquer another division. He was at ringside, soaking up the atmosphere in the Wembley Stadium to witness, along with the almost 80,000 in attendance, unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua’s seventh round TKO victory over Russia’s Alexander Povetkin. “Wembley was crazy stuff,” said an impressed Usyk. “The songs, the noise... best fans ever. My hair was up all the way. And the fight was a thrilling fight for myself, I loved the way he finished it.
“One reason we have agreed to fight Bellew is to get to Joshua. It is exactly part of the strategy and why we have this cooperation with Eddie Hearn. He has Tony, he has Anthony, he has Dillian Whyte and a couple more nice heavyweights.
“It's the best way, the shortest — not the easiest — way to fight Anthony (Joshua). I would need to have a fight at heavyweight first.
“I tell you why because this fight has to become the No 1 fight for the whole world. That is why I need to build up my profile at heavyweight.”
Bellew had other ideas and set about to get his 2103/4 pounds (95.59 Kg) frame for what he weighed against Haye in May 2018 and boiled down to 1991/4 pounds (90.38 Kg), with Usyk weighing in at 1981/4 pounds (89.92 Kg) the day before their 10th November clash.
The crowd at the Manchester Arena were at fever-pitch when Michael Buffer announced the fighters. Bellew, as challenger, was announced first. The sound of heart beats emitted around the arena, and a quote, “Are you not entertained” from the film Gladiator quickly followed as bomb sirens then sounded before Bellew walked out to the Z-Cars theme tune, a BBC television series that ran from 1962 to 1978.
The music of the series was from an old Liverpool folksong called Johnny Todd and the theme tune was adopted by Everton Football Club when actor Terrence Edmond, an Everton fan, who played PC Sweet in the series, came to watch his team play with a few of the other cast members in the middle of the 1963-64 season. In recognition of their attendance, the football club played the theme tune when the players walked onto the pitch, and it stuck ever since.
Bellew looked relaxed as he climbed through the ropes, as he dared for greatness and awaited the arrival of the defending champion. The crowd’s cheers erupted to boos for the eight-to-one favourite Usyk. Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This by Joseph Williams, featuring Shadow Royale greeted the boisterous crowd before the familiar Ukrainian’s song Браття by Василь Жадан (Brethren by Vasyl Ivanovych Zhadan).
After the stare-down, when it was just the two gladiators and the referee in the ring, Usyk repeatedly crossed himself before bouncing confidently in his own corner awaiting the bell to ring. The challenger flicked out a few jabs as they both tentatively moved around the ring non-committal. Bellew looked to take the initiative and was busier, although nothing significant landed from either participant as the southpaw champion was happy to find his range.
Round two was still cagey. Usyk found his range with a few right leads, only to be countered by the challenger’s own jabs and right hands to the midsection, a place of vulnerability identified by Bellew during the build up of the contest. At the one minute and 50 second stage of the round, Bellew began talking to his man and aggressively banged his gloves against his sides in an attempt to get the Ukrainian to engage. The crowd loved the antics, but the champion ignored the bait.
Usyk started the third with some fast jabs with the challenger happy to evade them and counter with a right hand. The Ukrainian was finally moving forward and looking busier but he was getting caught too often by the Liverpudlian’s right hand counter. Usyk responded with a left of his own, though Bellew made it clear the shot had little effect on him. Bellew steamed forward and sloppily got caught with another left. Again, he gestured that the punch had little behind it and the cat and mouse affair continued, though it was Bellew who was out-foxing the champion, which reflected in the three judges unanimously scoring the first three rounds to the challenger.
Early in the fourth, Bellew walked onto a left lead from Usyk and for the first time in the contest looked a bit disorganised. He retreated to the ropes for refuge as the champion chased him. Bellew was forced to retaliate and offered a smile at the advancing Ukrainian.
The challenger retook the ring’s centre, showing great head movement as he found his rhythm once more. The champion was having a better round, though it didn’t all go his way. Bellew landed a big right off the ropes and Usyk was troubled but not hurt. The Ukrainian acknowledged another right before closing the challenger to the ropes. Bellew tried to counter once again, missed, but found time to lean nonchalantly on the ropes as if taking a break and showing Usyk he didn’t have a care in the world. The crowd loved the challenger’s showmanship and Usyk showed great sportsmanship in allowing his man to regroup. Both fighter’s defensive skills were on display and the crowd showed their appreciation to end the round.
“Switch back on,” berated Bellew’s trainer David Coldwell before the fifth round started. Though the challenger tried to heed his coach’s words, he found himself most of the round on the ropes, soaking up the champion’s constant pressure.
The Ukrainian continued to push forward in the sixth, again keeping Bellew on the back-foot for most of the round. The challenger managed to land a couple of right handers but got careless and allowed himself to take a hard left at the bell, which seemed to stagger him.
The constant pressure from Usyk began to pay dividends as Bellew looked a tired fighter in round seven. He was once again backed up, and although he managed to get a combination off, Usyk just smiled at him and applied more pressure.
Bellew looked even more tired in the eighth. His nose and mouth were bleeding and he was getting caught more consistently with the Ukrainian’s left hands. Another left had the British fighter in trouble and a one-two put Bellew down and out at the two minute mark.
Usyk sank to his knees in celebration and immediately went over to Bellew to offer his respects. At the time of the stoppage both judges Alejandro Lopez Cid and Steve Gray had Bellew in front 68-65 and 67-66 respectively whilst Yury Koptsev could not split them at 67 apiece.
“I tried to go for it because I thought I was behind. He's a brilliant fighter, he's hard to pin down. I fought the very, very best, and he's just better than me. Usyk is pound-for-pound material, the best I've ever fought. Anyone who fights him is in trouble. That's definitely the end (of my career)," said Bellew afterwards.
“I was trying trying to control myself in the first rounds, to control my boxing rather than just fighting. I had the most difficult year in my life, now I want to relax and spend time with my family and after that I will think about the future. We need to put goals in front of us and move towards them," said the defending champion.
“With promoter Eddie Hearn we can do great things in boxing. Usyk definitely needs to fight Anthony Joshua," said Usyk’s manager Alexander Krassyuk.
Though Bellew was good to his word and stayed retired with a record of 30-3-1 (20 KOs), Usyk also was good to word and moved up to heavyweight to eventually defeat Anthony Joshua twice to become the unified heavyweight champion, and on 18th May 2024, he went one step better and claimed the undisputed heavyweight championship with a points victory over the defending WBC champion Tyson Fury.
All the best fight fans
Lea
Boxing Books are available on Amazon, Kobo, Apple Books, Smash Words, Google Play, Barnes & Noble, and most other digital stores: https://linktr.ee/leroy_fight_writer
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