The World Boxing Council (WBC) has its first undisputed heavyweight champion in the four-belt era. Oleksandr Usyk beat Tyson Fury by split decision, causing the internet to go wild.
Bill Simmons, founder of The Ringer, was especially jumping for joy, via his X account.
“Usyk!!!! I thought he won 115-112 but split decision is fine,” Simmons said. “Cannot get over the ref stopping a knockout in progress with a knockdown that wasn’t ever a knockdown… but whatever. We did it @iamrahstradamus!!!”
Simmons was partially right, as one judge scored the fight 115-112 in Usyk's favor. Another one scored it 114-113, and the third one scored it 113-114.
Simmon's sentiments undoubtedly echoed everyone in the gambling community who bet on Usyk. However, Drake may not be feeling too hot, as he lost $565,000 betting on Fury, via Daily Mail. The pop star would've made over $1 million had the result gone the other way.
This had fans once again joking about the “Drake curse,” as he lost similar amounts from Anthony Joshua's defeat of Francis Ngannou, as well as Dricus Du Plessis' win over Sean Strickland at UFC 297.
“The only things certain in life are death, taxes and Drake’s curse,” Boxing Kingdom tweeted.
The most controversial reaction may have came from Fury himself. The 35-year-old said that people are only siding with Usyk because his country is at war, via The 44.
“I believe I won that fight,” Fury said. “I believe he won a few of the rounds, but I won majority of 'em…His country's at war, and people are siding with the country at war, but make no mistake, I won that fight.”
Usyk is from Ukraine, which has been grappling with Russian invasion for over two years. Many fans took exception to Fury's claim, saying that he was simply deflecting blame. @TristanGHill had a particularly funny roast.
“im not a genius or anything but I think the round where he looked like bambi on ice might have lost him the fight not the war,” he tweeted.
@Redlx even thought that the referees bailed Fury out by not calling it a technical knockout.
“Any other fight would’ve put that as a tko but guess the ref had cash in his back pocket,” he tweeted.
Regardless, Fury is focused on the next fight.
“I'll be back, I've got a rematch clause,” Fury continued.
Will that rematch actually come to fruition? If so, when?
Fury wants to fight Usyk again in October
Promoter John Warren supported Fury's claim, via Reuters.
“That's what the contract says. It's what he wants. It's his call, it's Tyson's call. So whatever he wants to do, it's up to him,” Warren said.
Usyk said he'll be ready for it, which will be music to boxing fan's ears after the 12-round thriller.
“We'll go back to our families and I'll see him again in October,” Fury said. “We'll go back, rest up. I believe I won the fight but I'm not going to sit and cry and make excuses. We'll run it again in October.”
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