Oleksandr Usyk dismissed Frank Warren’s criticism of the judges’ decision in his unanimous victory over Tyson Fury, suggesting Warren might be biased or blind, while emphasizing his respect for Fury as a formidable opponent.
Oleksandr Usyk thinks Frank Warren might need to get his eyes checked. Seriously.
Warren, who heads Queensberry Promotions and promotes Tyson Fury, was not pleased with the judges in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. After Usyk won a unanimous decision over Fury, Warren stormed into the ring, scorecard in hand, questioning the wide margin. All three judges had it 116-112 for Usyk.
Later on, Usyk was asked about Warren and Fury’s post-fight comments. Fury felt confident he’d done enough to win and joked Usyk got a “Christmas gift” from the judges. Usyk suggested it was Warren whose judgment might be off.
“Uncle Frank, I think [is] blind,” Usyk said through a translator. “If Tyson says it’s a Christmas gift, OK, thank you, God—not Tyson. Thank you, God. Thank you, my coach Yuri, thank you, my coach Kuba, thank you, my team.”
“Listen, Frank [is] a crazy man, I think. It’s in my opinion. OK, no problem. I win.”
With this victory, Usyk remains the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world—well, almost. He vacated the IBF title to face Fury again instead of a mandatory challenger dictated by IBF rules. Now he holds two wins over Fury. Earlier this year in May, he handed “The Gypsy King” his first-ever defeat via split decision.
Warren’s beef with the scores stems from the second half of the fight where Fury was awarded just two rounds across all three scorecards.
“One judge gave Usyk the last seven rounds; he didn’t give Tyson one round,” Warren argued before reporters during Usyk’s media time. “I’ve been doing this for years and I’m biased—I know—because I’m in Tyson’s camp, but how can anybody say he never won one round out of the last seven?”
Usyk? He wasn’t thinking about scores at all during or after the fight.
“I do not think about it,” he said simply. “Listen, I win. It’s enough. How many rounds I win or don’t win—it doesn’t matter now. And still.”
Having gone toe-to-toe with Fury for 24 rounds now, their legacies are intertwined forever. Fury ruled the heavyweight division since beating Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 until Usyk dethroned him.
Usyk has crafted his own unique legacy too. He became the undisputed cruiserweight champion in 2018 before moving up to challenge Fury. Through all this, he’s formed a bond with his legendary rival.
“This is my best friend,” Usyk joked before getting serious: “I very respect this guy because I think it’s very tough—my opponent. Tyson Fury makes strong; he continues [to motivate] me. But Tyson is a great opponent; he’s a big man and a tough boxer—a good man.”
“Tyson talks a lot; it’s just show,” Usyk added with respect. “Twenty-four rounds—now it’s already history.”