Joshua showed he had made some real adjustments since their clash in September 2021, fighting in a lower position and not falling for Usyk’s traps in the early rounds. This made it difficult for Usyk to really roll early as he maintained his constant lateral movement, but without the same offensive openings presented as they had in the first meeting. Usyk began to change his game plan starting in Round 4 as he began to understand Joshua’s approach. Instead of allowing Joshua to lead the fight and apply pressure, Usyk began to circle more and fire combinations with the intention of touching Joshua more than hurting him with any shot. In response to Usyk’s adjustment, Joshua began to fall into the same traps as the first meeting, chasing Usyk and losing wildly at times. It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Usyk, however, as Joshua made a big adjustment of his own, focusing his attack on Usyk’s body. A steady diet of hooks and uppercuts to the torso slowed Usyk’s movement and opened up the head. That led to Joshua’s biggest moment of the fight — and the most likely opportunity for him to score a stoppage. In Round 9, Joshua pounded Usyk around the ring, seemingly stunning the champion multiple times throughout the frame. Usyk stayed on his feet, however, and showed true championship qualities in the final three rounds of the fight. Starting in Round 10, Usyk stepped up his performance significantly, tagging Joshua with heavy shots multiple times. Joshua’s lower stance disappeared and he began fighting with very straight, slow legs as Usyk took over and secured a well-deserved victory. The official post-fight scorecards read 115-113 and 116-112 for Usyk with a 115-113 card inexplicably reversed for Joshua. After holding three of the four recognized world heavyweight championships, Usyk was asked the obvious question of whether he intended to become the undisputed champion following the WBC belt currently held by Tyson Fury. Fury has repeatedly claimed to be retired from boxing, although many believe he could die back in the ring with the promise of an undisputed title fight. “I’m sure Tyson Fury hasn’t retired yet,” Usyk said during his post-fight interview. “I’m convinced that Tyson wants to fight me and I want to fight him. If I don’t fight him, I’m not fighting at all. Only God knows if I will or not.” CBS Sports was with you throughout the event in Saudi Arabia, so be sure to catch live scores and highlights below.
Usyk vs Joshua 2 fight card, results
Oleksandr Usyk (c) def. Anthony Joshua by split decision (115-113, 113-115, 116-112) Filip Hrgovic or. Zhilei Zhang by unanimous decision (115-112, 115-112, 114-113) Callum Smith def. Mathieu Bauderlique by knockout in the fourth round Badou Jack def. Richard Rivera by split decision (96-94, 94-96, 96-94)
Usyk vs Joshua 2 scorecard
Usyk (c)10991010101099101010116Joshua9101099991010999112
