Usyk.

To be good is to be larger than war.
It is to be more than great.
Amanda Gorman, Poet, (1998-)

Oleksander Usyk. 23 fights. Done.

Victories, as the away fighter, disadvantaged in height, weight and youth against Anthony Joshua twice, Tyson Fury twice and a stoppage of the leading contender of the next generation, Daniel Dubois, confirm a dominance for the Ukrainian few heavyweights achieve. Narrow though it proved.

A win, is a win, is a win. And Usyk collects them. And belts. And the hearts and minds of those he conquers.

His defeat of Fury was, to this observer, as a slight as it had been in their first encounter but throughout he was the fighter with the greater self-belief and superior boxing acumen. Had he not conceded 50 plus pounds it is hard not to imagine he would’ve dominated more clearly. Weight was a leveller.

The fight was absorbing. In the way technical fights between equally matched adversaries with the obvious ability to hurt each other at any moment always are. Jeopardy was present. It was writ large on Fury’s face. His respect for Usyk accelerated by their first meeting and enlarged by the sense his own self-confidence was fractured by defeat and, it would be easy to suspect, diminished returns in training.

At 36, he is younger than Usyk, but there was conspicuous evidence that his footwork isn’t as smooth, his hand speed reduced. His legs appeared stiffer. Particularly early in the fight. It may be a reflection of the limitations of those against whom his reputation as a mover was made as much as the brilliance of his Ukrainian nemesis. But before I wander into the saloon bar of revisionism about Fury’s career, a common practice in these reflective moments, he remained competitive throughout this rematch and always appeared just one accurate combination away from a breakthrough.

Fury’s problem was execution. A failure to deploy the body shots with the frequency required to affect Usyk’s resistance, glove position and energy levels was a frustration for those with a Fury pick in preview. It is the only area that may yet prove Usyk’s Achilles heel if he elects to continue, because solidly landed shots to the torso always draw a reaction from the otherwise stone-faced champion. It is fleeting, for Usyk is a master of disguise, but for the student of his career the evidence is available. As Steve Bunce noted on the BBC Boxing podcast, the trouble with converting the apparent simplicity of theory into practice is that ‘its easier said than done’.

Usyk punishes mistakes. Not necessarily concussively but he steals confidence, preys on hesitation and doubt. If his opponent has a good phase, and Fury started several rounds strongly or at least competitively, whether part of a round or an entire round, Usyk invariably makes the adjustment of tactics or tempo to wrest back momentum before it is grasped. On Saturday night he rendered Fury cautious where courage and confidence was required. The risk of a counter punch from Wilder was higher in price but lower in probability. And sadly, Fury is not the fighter of 2020.

Weight gain before Ngannou. The stupidity of that fight, and the softness of the Derek Chisora defence that preceded it cost Fury form. Rhythm. And Fury, for all his heft, for all his instinct, the natural height and innate ability, shares much with every other prizefighter that came before him. The well of youth is not infinite and inactivity burns form and longevity too. And while this was his third ‘camp’ in a little over a year, if the obviously sparse preparation for Ngannou is considered such, over the span of his career he has not invested in his body for the long term. That is the kindest phrasing available.

He fought with the look of a man who knew he was trying to reconquer the world with worn tools and that Usyk was far and away the most capable opponent of his career and one against whom those inadequacies would be most exposed. He didn’t lean, grapple, uppercut and shoot to the body. Due in part to those reasons of decline and the ensuing doubt but also, for balance of credit, because of the brilliance of Usyk.

His ability to adapt, adjust and to force tempo when it is needed is unrivalled. It is a thrill that he plans to continue. Dubois or Parker will be worthy next opponents. But it will be a shame if his greatness is eventually betrayed by age and a competitive spirit that outlives his physical prime and one he shares with both the vanquished Fury and those legendary champions of the past with whom he is now deservedly compared.