Was Tyson Fury Knocked Out Against Oleksandr Usyk? Deontay Wilder Gives His Verdict

The biggest fight in the last two decades, wrapped up on May 18, with Oleksandr Usyk emerging as the new undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. But it seems to have left a lasting impact on the entire community. After negotiations spanning years, Usyk and Tyson Fury were brought to the square circle by His Excellency Turki Alalshikh in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. And what followed was legendary, yet Deontay Wilder feels Usyk was robbed of a knockout! 

As both fighters battled for the coveted undisputed status, the fight seemed like it could go either way. But when the ninth round came around, Usyk landed a flurry of shots on the Brit, sending the 6ft 9in heavyweight stumbling across the ring held up by the ropes. The referee ended up giving Fury a standing ten count, which basically is a knockdown, but ‘The Bronze Bomber’ feels it could have been a knockout. 

Deontay Wilder: A jealous rival or a fair judge?

According to an X post from talkSport editor Michael Benson, Wilder said, “I thought it was a great fight. I think Usyk got robbed of the knockout in the ninth round for sure. Gifts were given.” Wilder went toe-to-toe with Tyson Fury in their epic trilogy, losing two after their first encounter ended in a draw. Despite much effort from the Tuscaloosa resident, the Englishman withstood much of the offensive to emerge victorious.

So, one could argue that Wilder’s bias toward his former rival, who not only defeated him once but twice, may have affected his judgment. On top of this, there are the cheating allegations Wilder made against Fury after he lost the fights. Nevertheless, many in the community had a similar opinion about the standing ten count that was given to Fury instead of letting the fight go on. 

The reality of the situation is that when the referee halted the fight, there was barely any time left in the round. Had the referee allowed the fight to continue, Fury would likely have managed to survive the onslaught. Yet, the intervention resulted in Usyk scoring a solid knockdown, a pivotal moment that would later significantly contribute to his victory.

Nevertheless, expressing his thoughts about the fight, Wilder later added, “But at the end of the day [Usyk] won and big congratulations to him.” On the other hand, Tyson Fury seems to have activated the rematch clause in their contract, and some sources say that fans might get to see the two heavyweights back in the ring sometime in October this year. 

While even Oleksandr Usyk has agreed to stay true to his word and give Fury his shot at a rematch, a former unified super-middleweight champion has other ideas for Usyk. 

Former English world champion urges Oleksandr Usyk to retire

Following the victory against Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk has achieved everything there is to achieve in the sport of boxing. He was promoted to the pound-for-pound number one spot by Ring Magazine; he achieved undisputed titles in two weight divisions. So, his career in boxing seems to have come full circle at the age of 37, and Carl Forch feels the same way! 

While appearing in the latest episode of talkSPORT’s ‘The Verdict’ podcast, Froch said, “He’s got nothing to prove. He’s beaten AJ twice, he’s now beaten Tyson Fury. He is the generational great for me. Usyk is the main—he is the leader of the pack.” Emphasizing his point, Froch said, “In my opinion, he should retire, he’s done everything he needs to do, he’s made enough money, he’s mastered the game, he’s completed boxing.”

With days left for his own test against Zhilei Zhang, Deontay Wilder seems happy about the outcome of the undisputed fight. Maybe he is hoping for a fourth shot at defeating Tyson Fury. Regardless of that, do you think Oleksandr Usyk was robbed of a knockout?