The deepest cut of all for Tyson Fury is the realisation that he will never beat Oleksandr Usyk.
If it was only because he will never have the chance to fight Ukraine’s embodiment of heroic national defiance again, he could live with that. Albeit not in peace.
If it was because he truly was robbed by the judges here on Saturday night, he could rationalise that. Delusional or not.
If it was because his two tumultuous reigns as world heavyweight champion have been pushed ever deeper into history, he could find solace in that legacy. Pride in his accomplishments the balm for everyman’s ego.
No, what sent him into the desert dawn raging against the dying of the light and the forces of darkness he imagined to be ranged against him was the knowledge hidden deep inside that it is his nemesis who will forever be remembered as the greatest boxer of their generation. Not himself. And rightly so.
The unpalatable truth is that Usyk has reached a perfection in technical skills, a profound mastery of strategy and a virtuosity in the Noble Art which amount to a pinnacle shimmering a fingertip beyond Fury’s reach. Even at 6ft 9in.
What next for Tyson Fury after defeat by Oleksandr Usyk? Surely a date with Anthony Joshua at Wembley, writes Jeff Powell
Fury had the physical advantage but came up short to Usyk technically on Saturday night
Usyk defended his three world titles and proved himself as the best heavyweight of this era
The enormous chasm of physical difference between them exposed Fury as living in denial as he departed the desert of Arabia.
Fury isn’t just your run-of-the-mill bigger. He stands six inches taller, telescopically longer of reach and, most astounding of all this night, four stones heavier than Usyk. Yes, four whole stones at his career high of 20 stones and one pound.
That is an advantage so colossal as to be unpermitted in the other divisions of the hardest game for fear of death. It is also somewhat the equivalent of trying to race a Ferrari in a mini-minor.
The Kyiv Cat made nothing of it, scampering around the Gypsy King until he hardly knew which way to turn. He was distracted to the point where he pretty much forgot why he put on all that extra bulk during a three-month training camp while still maintaining fight fitness.
All that spartan sacrifice, for what?
The expectation was that Fury the bearded wonder would lean on Usyk the grandmaster like 20 sacks of potatoes, squeezing and brawling and rough-housing the strength out of him. Instead, for the second time, he tried to outbox the maestro.
If that hotchpotch plan was the design of his trainer, SugarHill Steward, he needs to find a replacement – and quickly, since he clearly intends fighting on even though the Usyk trilogy is no longer on the cards.
Frankly, to all intents and purposes, that Aladdin’s Cave of great fortune evaporated into a mirage here in the ninth round of their first world heavyweight title collision six months earlier.
After Anthony Joshua’s (left) defeat by Daniel Dubois, he seems the logical next step for Fury
Fury left open the possibility of retiring after his loss to Usyk, but there is huge clamour for a Battle of Britain with AJ
Fury was furious and baffled at his defeat but the judges were unanimous in their verdict
That was the moment Usyk sent Fury reeling against the ropes and in need of rescue by a standing eight count. That was when Usyk knew he could hurt Fury, when already secure in the knowledge that Tyson could not hurt him. That is why he says this second fight was ‘the easier’ of the two.
Let me, from my vantage point of safety outside the ring, second that proposition. I scored the close first fight a draw, although I could not reasonably argue with Usyk being awarded a marginal victory. This second time around I have it 117-112 for the Einstein of boxing, who clearly had Fury’s number by the end of the first fight.
Mail Sport’s Jeff Powell scored the fight 117-112 in favour of Usyk
This is in accord to within a point with the three official judges voting in unanimous unison at 116-112. Artificial Intelligence, being applied for the first time only as an experiment, had Usyk ahead 118-112.
So, patriotic impulses in the Kingdom Arena and on social media notwithstanding, why the concocted controversy?
Partly because of jingoism on some broadcast airways. Not least because of Fury’s reaction to the decision. He held his disappointment in check for a minute or two while he applauded his conqueror and kissed him on his shaven head.
Then he stormed away from the ring to exclaim: ‘I will believe all my life that I won this fight by three rounds.’ Then he added: ‘I also know I won the first fight.’
Such outbursts are only natural in the heat of defeat and his ongoing respect for Usyk was evident when he absolved him from all blame for what he deemed another miscarriage of justice, his record now blemished with its first two losses.
That was worthy but he would have garnered more dignity by far had he paused while in the ring to bite the bullet of a microphone, offered congratulations and declared himself privileged to do battle with the best on the planet.
The anger and disbelief at Fury’s defeat was partly concocted by jingoism on the airwaves
Usyk is among the greats after twice beating AJ and Fury, reducing them to rage and bafflement – all away from home
The chance to become a three-time unified champion is tempting, with Daniel Dubois holding the IBF belt which he gave up
Because there is nothing artificial about Usyk’s intelligence, nor the vaulted status he continues to enhance with each successive fight. Almost lost amid the howls of protest, champions of the past viewed this triumph as endorsement of what surely will be his impending elevation to the pantheon of all-time greatness. Britain’s longest-serving undisputed champion Lennox Lewis and longest-ever reigning world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko were among them.
The credentials are impeccable, most notably of all given how he has risen up from lighter rank to dominate the land of the he giants.
From Olympic gold he set about becoming the undisputed world champion at cruiserweight, at a time when that division was as powerful as it has ever been. That he achieved with title victories against formidable rivals, all away from home.
Again outside his own country he has vanquished the best of the heavies. Fury and Anthony Joshua twice. Reducing AJ to tears of self-rage and babbling confusion after their second fight and now the Gypsy King to his bewildered incomprehension.
Where exactly he will be placed among the legends cannot be determined until he has run his bedazzling race to glory. With he and Fury moving deeper into their 30s it is tempting to wish they retire before their esteem is damaged.
Usyk has the chance prior to turning 38 next month to join Rocky Marciano as the only world heavyweight champions to retire undefeated.
Fury is 36 and already owner of a formidable body of work, not only as a remarkable athlete and multi-talented two-time world champion. He has also driven interest in the sport he loves by bringing outlandish salesmanship, outrageous entertainment and the totally unexpected to the public gaze. So much to be proud of.
But no. They won’t leave it here. There is too much inordinate wealth yet to be prised from the Saudi treasure chest.
Rocky Marciano is the only world heavyweight champion to retire undefeated so far
Fans have been waiting a long time to see Fury take on Joshua and the fight would pack Wembley, even if they both appear to be past their peaks
Keep standing by for Fury versus Joshua. The result here renders it virtually sure they will finally come to their Battle of Britain, no doubt on a roaring party night at Wembley Stadium next year in what will be advertised as a grand farewell for one or both. Alcohol permitted even if under the generous auspices of the Riyadh Season.
What, if anything, is left for Usyk to prove his Hall of Fame greatness?
Well, Dynamite Daniel Dubois. The young Londoner who has lost once to the Cat in debated circumstances holds the only one of the four belts not in the Usyk domain at the moment. He climbed into the Kingdom ring to demand a rematch for a recent defeat.
The chance to become unique as undisputed world champion three times is likely to be an offer Usyk cannot refuse.
So another meeting of size and power against speed and sleight of hand appears to be in the offing. Selfishly I want to sit back and relish watching this genius at work as often as possible before even his time runs out.
And no matter if it is a fascinating though less than epic fight in its own right – which is exactly what we were given the privilege of savouring on Saturday night.
