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Oleksandr Usyk scored a clear win over Anthony Joshua today in London, taking the WBA, IBF, and WBO heavyweight titles and putting himself in the elite tier of the sport today, and in some ways, an elite all-time tier, to boot.
Usyk (19-0, 13 KO) was just too skilled, too clever, and too flat-out good for Joshua (24-2, 22 KO), who didn’t necessarily fight poorly, but just couldn’t stay on Usyk’s level for long enough to even have an argument to win, let alone actually get his hand raised.
It was a true big fight at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, too, with just under 70,000 in the venue rooting Joshua on, only to be quieted pretty quickly and for the majority of the fight — which is also not to say they didn’t appreciate the class performance they saw from one of the current greats in this sport.
The boxing world had its eyes on the fight, as well, and many of them had something to say in the immediate aftermath:
Usyk won the fight going away !
— Andre S.O.G. Ward (@andreward) September 25, 2021
Boxing 101 - Usyk! #JoshuaUsyk
— Lennox Lewis, CBE, CM (@LennoxLewis) September 25, 2021
Congratulations @usykaa keep your head up @anthonyjoshua
— Oscar De La Hoya (@OscarDeLaHoya) September 25, 2021
Usykk gets stronger as the fight goes on. AJ should not have wasted the first 5 rounds with Pity Pat jabs and not breaking him down.
— Claressa Gwoat Shields (@Claressashields) September 25, 2021
Called it and they called me a hater.
— Michael Hunter ll (@MichaelHunterII) September 25, 2021
USYK is a BAD motherf*cker! Goes into the opponents hometown and takes their heart!!!! #JoshuaUsyk
— Sergio Mora (@TheLatinSnake_) September 25, 2021
I’m feel I am very feel
— Jason Quigley (@jay_quigley) September 25, 2021
Fair play AJ taking that fight he could sat and waited for Fury but risked it and came up short against an unbelievable fighter, too much voices in his corner as well IMO. #AJUsyk
— Michael Conlan (@mickconlan11) September 25, 2021
Bizzare tactics from AJ. Usyk becomes a superstar! Post fight reaction #JoshuaUsykhttps://t.co/aLUMqwkxou pic.twitter.com/jHtin8EOCN
— Carl Frampton MBE (@RealCFrampton) September 25, 2021
Usyk take a bow! Wow unbelievable performance and that last round showed what he’s all about he didn’t even need to do that wow! Gutted for Joshua take your hat of to him fighting the best and not side stepping him! #AJUsyk
— Charlie Edwards (@CEdwardsBoxing) September 25, 2021
Usyk did it! @DAZNBoxing
— Gabriel Rosado (@KingGabRosado) September 25, 2021
He’s done fighter Usyk, I’ve gotta give him massive respect even though gutted for Joshua
— Anthony Fowler (@afowler06) September 25, 2021
Usyk!!!!
— Cecilia Brækhus (@1LadyCecilia) September 25, 2021
Absolute master class.. what a man @usykaa is
— Maxi Hughes (@BOXERMAXIHUGHES) September 25, 2021
Take a bow @usykaa what a class performance
— Joe Gallagher (@JoeG) September 25, 2021
Usyk can reign at heavyweight for a long time wow.
— Frank Buglioni (@FrankBuglioni) September 25, 2021
I know that @anthonyjoshua will be back. Congratulations to Usyk on that performance. #usykjoshua @SkySportsBoxing
— Richard Riakporhe (@R_Riakporhe) September 25, 2021
Usyk 8-4
— caleb truax (@GoldenCalebT) September 25, 2021
Hell of a heavyweight prize fight. #JoshuaUsyk #boxing @DAZNBoxing
All I can say is WOWOWWWWOW
— Isaac Chamberlain (@IChamberlain_) September 25, 2021
Uysk is very very special
— Nathan Gorman (@GormanBoxing) September 25, 2021
And the new… and a consensus top three pound for pound star in #boxing … OR ELSE!!!!!! #JoshuaUsyk
— Lou DiBella (@loudibella) September 25, 2021
9-3 Oleksander Usyk… has to be! Unbelievable performance from Usyk! #JoshuaUsyk
— Jamie Conlan (@JamieConlan11) September 25, 2021
Usyk just became a HOF. Respect
— DBest@It (@DemondNicholson) September 25, 2021
7-5 Usyk. Dobra walka
— Grzegorz Proksa (@GProxa) September 25, 2021