Oleksandr Usyk's Thrilling Win vs. Tyson Fury Whets the Appetite for Eventual Rematch

It's a tale as old as time. A song as old as rhyme.

Two elite fighters are on a collision course. The hype machine goes berserk.

And another "fight to save boxing" winds up a colossal dud.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

It's among myriad reasons why the sweet science has slid off its mainstream perch and into the background outside of its most significant of events.

Which is why there was a lot of pressure on Saturday night.

Not only was the duel between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury a big one because of their shared positions in the pound-for-pound gilded class, it was ramped up to heavyweight proportions because of its first-of-the-21st century competitive tagline.

Supremacy in the sport's most glamorous division.

For the first time since Lennox Lewis in 1999, the winner at Kingdom Arena was to hold belts from all recognizable organizations—not to mention the lineal title and acclaim from The Ring as well—at last invoking the sport's most cherished adjective:

Undisputed.

And whaddya know? For the first time since the era of Lewis, Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe and Mike Tyson ground to a grey-haired halt, the heavyweights delivered.

Usyk and Fury sacrificed blood, spit and sweat across 12 spirited rounds in the Saudi desert, ultimately going to the scorecards for a split decision that was as narrow, and fair, as the 36 minutes of ring combat had been.

One judge saw it 8-4 for Usyk. Another had it 7-5 for Fury. Which left it to a deciding card offered by Mike Fitzgerald, who gave each man six rounds apiece but leaned a single point in Usyk's direction thanks to a particularly brutal barrage in Round 9.

The B/R card matched Fitzgerald's round for round, which meant, on the sport's biggest night in years, the judges got it right, too.

Like many classic bouts before it this one was a study in ebbs and flows, with Usyk coming out quick and busy for the first two rounds before Fury, taller by six inches and heavier by nearly 40 pounds, began asserting himself with heavy, impactful blows.

The incumbent WBC champ had all the momentum at the midway point and slightly past, in fact, before Usyk girded himself after a rough seventh with a return to high punch output and effective footwork in the eighth.

Still, the most telling and ultimately decisive round was that ninth, which Fury seemed to be controlling until a hard combination of shots set him reeling across the ring like a cactus in a windstorm. Only the ropes and referee Mark Nelson prevented a finish at that point, and, though he again showed remarkable recuperative powers and never seemed in imminent danger the rest of the way, Fury wasn't able to reassert himself either.

Instead, Usyk surged against a sturdy but compromised foe—he was down by one, three and three points after seven rounds, but pulled even on two cards after the ninth and won five of a possible nine rounds (across three cards) down the stretch. And, by simply avoiding huge shots, was able to stake claim to four-belt status for a second time.

A beginning, middle and end fitting of a high-profile event, in which Fury threw more shots (496-407) but Usyk landed more (170-157) and at a higher percentage (42-32).

"It's a great time, it's a great day," said Usyk, who didn't attend the post-fight press conference thanks to a possible broken jaw. "I don't have words."

The always unpredictable Fury kept it classy, too, kissing Usyk's forehead and lauding him for the effort, though he did suggest he thought he'd done enough to win himself.

"I believe I won that fight. He won a few of the rounds but I won a majority of them," Fury said, implying that sympathy for Usyk's war-ravaged Ukrainian homeland might have curried favor with the judges. "I won that fight in my opinion."

And with that, another boxing tradition set sail:

The rematch.

Because the initial fight contract allows for the now-former champ to call for an immediate return bout if so desired, he began beating the drum before leaving the ring that the two should meet again in the fall.

Usyk, for the initial record at least, seems down with the idea.

"Yes. Of course. Rematch," he said. "I'm ready for rematch."

Though sequels often don't mirror originals in terms of compelling nature, this one's got a (pun intended) fighting chance to do so, simply because it's not at all unreasonable to suggest Fury can win the second time around.

He seemed in control when he fought on the front foot, clearly hurt Usyk to the body, and frequently rattled him to the head. In fact, had it not been for the knockdown and the two-point swing it created, the split decision would have been a draw. And had he pulled even or even won the ninth, he'd have heard his name called by Michael Buffer.

"Yes, for sure. It was a good fight," Fury said. "We get it back on in October."

It may be a lot to ask, but here's hoping it'll be just as needed next time, too.