Usyk vs Fury was a masterclass but it revealed a harsh truth about boxing for both men

Oleksandr Usyk is the modern heavyweight king and has left in his wake the ruins of every giant boxer he has faced in the ring.

On Saturday night in Riyadh, Usyk once again fought to a standstill in a grueling clash with Tyson Fury. It was their revenge and it was personal and brilliant.

After 12 rounds, Usyk won a strangely wide unanimous decision to retain his championship belts and his crown as heavyweight king. The three identical scores of 116-112, meaning Usyk won eight and Fury only four of the completed rounds, were tough on Fury, but the good man had his hands up.

Usyk once again had to find a way to overcome his size, reach and weight disadvantages to win; Fury was about five inches taller and 55 pounds heavier. Usyk has mastered the art of beating big men using his feet, his timing, and ultimately his desire to win.

In the end, as Usyk fell to his knees in prayer and Fury stooped to kiss his great opponent’s head, both men bore the scars and bruises of the fight. Usyk’s face was swollen, red, but his icy gaze remained in place. It’s not easy being king in the land of giants, but Usyk found a way.

Fury never put a foot wrong, but simply got beaten repeatedly and found once again that Usyk had an answer to all his usual tricks.

Fury was never quite able to use the extra weight to push Usyk, never quite able to set Usyk up for a sickening uppercut, which was the punch that hurt Usyk in their first fight in may. And Fury was smarter, never injured or in danger of being stopped like he was in their first fight. It was, indeed, masterful on the part of both.

Fury left the ring convinced he had won by a few rounds and his promoter, Frank Warren, was furious at the one-sided scores. “It’s amazing,” he said ringside. “How can you only give Tyson four rounds? It’s ridiculous. However, there were no cries of “steal” and that was a relief as the word is thrown around every week every time a fight goes 12 rounds. It was a close fight throughout, and Usyk knew enough to win the close rounds.

As expected, Usyk finished stronger, winning many rounds in the second half of the fight; a judge, much to Warren’s dismay, awarded Usyk each of the final six rounds. Fury did slow down, but he was never in danger of collapsing from the 19 pounds of extra flesh he had gained since their first fight. He looked big, not slow.

Usyk, who turns 38 next month, proved once again that skill is still king in the boxing business. Fury tried many different tactics, used a quality jab and threw booming right-handed crosses, but each time Usyk adjusted, moved his feet, moved his head and countered or attacked from a different position. It’s lazy to call it physical failures, but it was calculated and captivating.

They will each have to make big decisions next year and a third fight cannot be ruled out. Another option for both is Daniel Dubois, the IBF champion, who made an appearance at the end to ask Usyk for a rematch; Usyk gave up and stopped Dubois last year. Usyk lost the IBF title outside the ring, but retained his WBC, WBO and WBA belts against Fury.

The harsh truth is that Fury and Usyk both showed signs in the fight that their careers are nearing their inevitable end and that their final days are not too far beneath the distant neon ray of history. They each gave so much during their lives dedicated to the boxing ring and all its beauty, wealth and cruelty.

Now, they must each choose the right exit strategy from a sport that has never cared about reputation or past glories. We must never let them become shells, names for hire in this bloody game and see them end up as failed heroes; there are too many in the crowd gathered and invited to all the fights in Riyadh.

Usyk can certainly continue to defy the unwritten laws of boxing and slay some more giants; Fury has tougher decisions to make in a fight against time. The truth is that neither needs to fight again to prove anything; the problem is that all fighters, especially at this level, feel like they still have something to prove.