Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk 2 LIVE: Result and reaction as Usyk wins thrilling fight by split decision
Follow the reaction as Usyk beats AJ in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia before some bizarre post-fight shenanigans
Oleksandr Usyk retained his world heavyweight titles with a split decision win over Anthony Joshua on Saturday in a rematch in Saudi Arabia that was closer than last year’s first fight.
Both fighters held up the blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flag as the judges’ scores were read out at King Abdullah Sport City arena. When he was declared the winner, Usyk hid his face behind the flag. The 35-year-old Usyk kept his WBA, WBO and IBF belts six months after serving in the Ukrainian army as part of the country’s defence against Russia’s invasion.
Joshua was much improved but Usyk demonstrated his technical brilliance to triumph 115-113, 116-112, 113-115 on the scorecards. After the fight, Joshua stormed out of the ring before returning and giving a bizarre speech to the crowd.
Follow reaction from Joshua’s defeat below:
Usyk vs Joshua 2
Whittaker vs Nosic – Round 6
Nosic with a decent end to this bout, tagging Whittaker with a few solid right crosses.
Whittaker connects to the body of the Croat, however, late in the final round.
We’ll go to the judges’ scorecards.
Usyk vs Joshua 2
Whittaker vs Nosic – Round 5
Whittaker steps on the gas now, looking to assert himself.
The Briton actually stopped Nosic, who is undefeated as a pro, in the first round of an amateur meeting between the pair in the past.
Whittaker even won that contest with a jab, so perhaps he believed this rematch would be lighter work than it has been so far.
That said, the 25-year-old does look comfortable here as he and Nosic enter the final round.
“Have fun,” Whittaker is told by coach Sugarhill Steward.
Usyk vs Joshua 2
Whittaker vs Nosic – Round 4
Whittaker is starting to let his right hand go more often, to decent effect.
He’s also pawing out a slow jab, trying to tease Nosic into an overzealous entry, it seems.
Usyk vs Joshua 2
Whittaker vs Nosic – Round 3
A better round for Nosic here, the Croat landing well to the body and fighting more positively.
Whittaker times a counter right straight well, however, at the end of the round.
Usyk vs Joshua 2
Whittaker vs Nosic – Round 2
Another solid round for Whittaker, although he’s boxing more on the back foot now.
The 25-year-old exhibits some promising elusivity with his head movement and footwork, while starting to add right crosses after his jabs.
Usyk vs Joshua 2
Whittaker vs Nosic – Round 1
Whittaker light on his feet throughout the first round, switching to a southpaw stance in the final moments.
A bit of showboating from the Briton, too, as was the case in his pro debut.
A decent start for Whittaker, fighting on the front foot and behind the jab.
Sugarhill Steward, who has coached Tyson Fury for the heavyweight’s last few fights, is in Whittaker’s corner.
Usyk vs Joshua 2
Next up, Ben Whittaker faces Petar Nosic.
Whittaker was a medal-winner for Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics last summer, and he won his pro debut via second-round stoppage earlier this year.
Tonight marks the 25-year-old’s second outing as a professional.
Usyk vs Joshua 2
“‘If you lose [to Usyk], you lose to a pound-for-pound No 1, and then you regroup and you go again,’” Eddie Hearn told The Independent this summer. ‘But obviously you want to win, and if [Joshua] wins, I believe the Tyson Fury fight will happen; if he doesn’t, he goes back to being a contender again.’
“There is nothing wrong with Joshua being a contender. In fact, that status could open up the most interesting phase of AJ’s career, with the possibility of fights against the likes of Deontay Wilder, old foe Dillian Whyte, fellow Olympic medalist Joe Joyce, and up-and-comer Daniel Dubois.
“And, if all goes well, such a period could build Joshua back up to a title shot. More intriguingly, though, it could reintroduce fans to the AJ who was so enthralling in the first place: the swaggering juggernaut who provided British followers with so many entertaining evenings that guaranteed knockouts and little else.
“If that is indeed how Joshua is to be remembered – knockouts and little else – would that really be so bad?”
Full fight preview by Alex Pattle:
What if Anthony Joshua loses to Oleksandr Usyk again?
A win for the Brit could yet set up a titanic clash with Tyson Fury, but a loss could launch the most intriguing phase of the heavyweight’s career yet
Usyk vs Joshua 2
Daniel Lapin and Jozef Jurko have just gone the distance in their light-heavyweight contest.
Ukrainian Lapin dominated the bout but could not find a finish. We go to the judges’ scorecards after eight rounds...
Daniel Lapin def. Jozef Jurko via decision (80-72, 80-72, 80-72).
Never in doubt – a shutout across the board. Lapin stays unbeaten, moving to 6-0!
Usyk vs Joshua 2
On the topic of sportswashing:
Ramla Ali said this week that she views Saudi Arabia as a “very progressive country”, as she defended her decision to fight in the kingdom.
Ali will take part in the first women’s bout to be staged in the country when she faces Crystal Garcia Nova on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s rematch against Oleksandr Usyk in Jeddah.
The British-Somali fighter approaches the historical moment as a chance to inspire Saudi girls and women by “being part of change”, but human Amnesty International sees it as an example of the regime attempting to sportswash its dismal human rights record.
More here:
Ramla Ali sees Saudi Arabia as ‘very progressive’ ahead of historic Jeddah fight
The British-Somali fighter will take part in the first women’s bout in the country on the undercard of the Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua bill
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