Oleksandr Usyk outboxed Anthony Joshua on Saturday and even won the decision on all three cards. The idea that Joshua "couldn't lose" a decision was proved wrong. Money talks, but it doesn't jab, dodge, and bewilder the way Usyk did to Joshua in winning yesterday.
Usyk holds interim belt—for the next two weeks
Usyk jumps from #23 to #2 in our rankings, capturing Joshua's interim SportsRatings Heavyweight title, while idle fighters #1 Tyson Fury and #5 Deontay Wilder will battle for the third time on October 9th, and that one is a true title fight.
In other words, both men will be fighting for the title—the winner will be #1. If Joshua had defeated Usyk and then Wilder beat Fury, Wilder would only be #2. But with Joshua out of the way, if Wilder beats the odds and wins the trilogy fight he will finally be at the very top.
SportsRatings Heavyweight Boxing Rankings for September 26, 2021
| -3 Yr |
-1 Yr |
-6 mo |
Sept Rank |
Oct Rank |
Fighter |
Rating
|
Rated Record | September results; •October schedule |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | TYSON FURY | 49.20 | 18-0-1 | --last rated win -19 months; •10/9 vs. #5 DEONTAY WILDER [for HW title] |
| -- | 39 | 26 | 23 | 2 | OLEKSANDR USYK | 35.64 | 3-0-0 | UD 12 #2 ANTHONY JOSHUA [new Interim HW champion] |
| 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | ANTHONY JOSHUA | 33.42 | 17-2-0 | L UD 12 #23 OLEKSANDR USYK |
| 6 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 4 | DILLIAN WHYTE | 26.35 | 14-2-0 | |
| 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | DEONTAY WILDER | 25.54 | 18-1-1 | --last rated win -22 months; •10/9 vs. #1 TYSON FURY [for HW title] |
Of course if Fury wins he will still be #1, and he will no longer be inactive and thus will reclaim his title.
Remember all the people saying Fury was crazy for agreeing to fight Wilder again with the Joshua battle looming? Looks like maybe it was Joshua who was crazy not to wait.
Whyte Still Waiting in the Wings
And as usual lost in the shuffle among the title fighters is #4 Dillian Whyte, who earned a title shot about 100 years ago but has been delayed by the Fury-Wilder draw, the Joshua loss to Ruiz, the Ruiz-Joshua rematch, the Fury-Wilder rematch, losing to Povetkin, delay in rematch with Povetkin, the Fury-Wilder trilogy delay, and now once again the Joshua loss to Usyk and certain accompanying rematch. Maybe now he can get a fight with Fury soon? Unless Wilder wins, making the series 1-1-1 and necessitating yet another go-around...
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