Tyson Fury suggested Oleksandr Usyk received an early Christmas gift from the judges after the Ukrainian retained his heavyweight titles in their championship rematch on Saturday.
Fury, who lost via unanimous decision with all three judges scoring the fight 116-112 in Usyk’s favour, expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome. The bout, held at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena, marks Fury’s second career defeat following his first meeting with Usyk in May.
“Listen, it is what it is. I’m not going to cry over spilt milk,” Fury said post-fight. “But I feel a little bit hard done by, actually a lot. There was a little bit of Christmas spirit in there. He got a little Christmas gift.”
The 36-year-old “Gypsy King” was non-committal about his future in the ring when asked if fans could expect him to fight again. “You might do, you might not do. Who knows?” Fury replied, leaving his next move unclear.
Promoter Frank Warren echoed Fury’s sentiments, labelling the decision “nuts” and suggesting that Fury would need time to decide on retirement or a return to boxing.
“That’s up to him,” said Warren. “Obviously, emotions are running high. We’ll see what happens in the future for Tyson. He’ll make up his mind.”
The victory extends Usyk’s unblemished professional record to 23-0, cementing his legacy as one of boxing’s greats. However, Fury’s frustration hints at the potential for further controversy in the heavyweight division, especially if fans call for a trilogy fight.
