Oleksander Usyk retains boxing heavyweight title.

 Oleksander Usyk retains boxing heavyweight title.

There was no other way of dressing this one up. The whole of  Ukraine has suffered so much death, loss and  grief, horrifically wasted moments in its history, that it only seemed fair that boxing should come to its rescue. This was redemption on a colossal scale. The sun does indeed shine on the righteous and deep in the sweltering heat of the desert of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia provided the perfect and exotic backdrop to this fascinating, intriguing, ultimately enthralling heavyweight contest between Oleksander Usyk of Ukraine and Tyson Fury of England. Oh to be a fly on the wall of Anthony Joshua, another British prizefighter par excellence. 

And yet for the second time Usyk of Ukraine had far the greater technical range in his pugilistic repertoire and Fury had no answer to the Ukranian's tactical superiority. This time around, Usyk underlined his professionalism in no uncertain terms with the boldest and most dangerous signature. Boxing has often produced champions from poverty stricken, humble backgrounds, boxing that provided the perfect escapism from a life of horrendous crime, the gangland culture, a troubled youth that never seemed to go away. 

Both Usyk and Fury though looked as though a healthy appetite for food had still left its obvious evidence on their well endowed waistlines. Not for a moment should there ever be a suggestion that both men were just paunchy, portly and desperately overweight boxers just out to line their pockets with  several million in their bank balances. But this was an important and critical night for heayweight boxing and money may seem incidental to a generation of boxers who have known nothing but a life of wealth and luxury.  

This was clearly a nice little earner for both men but there can only be one winner and Usyk once again confirmed his overall excellence and boxing virtuosity. For Fury, boxing can be grossly unfair and cruel although even he must have recognised that this is the one that got away from him. When the bell went for the final round, Fury, cheerfully confident of victory, then shook his head dejectedly as the announcement of his defeat boomed out across Saudi Arabia. Even the camels must have privately sympathised with Fury's plight. 

But this was a stirring, compulsive watch and, for lengthy periods of this heavyweight battle royale, you were reminded once again that boxing is not a pretty sight for those of a nervous disposition. Both Usyk and Fury are big units, formidable figures of mighty muscularity and just a couple of pounds of flesh around their respective stomachs. Their torsos may have been wobbling around their midriffs ever so slightly although a boxer's physique has little to do with his expertise in the ring. 

Here were two juggernauts locked together in conflict, crashing into each other's very personal territory and showing little signs of leniency or forgiveness. Both men were ruthless and uncompromising, silent assassins growling and snarling under their breaths, destructive knock outs on their minds and no room for sentiment whatsoever. Their childhood and backgrounds were consigned to some meaningless corner of this fight. You can always see sinister menace on their faces when boxers climb through the ropes of a major contest and this one was no different.

Fury, of course, has always been boastful and arrogant but quietly respectful of his opponent whoever they are. Yesterday, bearded and hirsute, Fury was all mouth and trousers or maybe shorts would be the more appropriate terminology. He talked a good fight, of course and he eye balled his Ukranian counterpart as if he were the devil incarnate. There was no love lost but there never is when boxing gets lost in hype and propaganda. 

Tyson Fury, the man from Styal in Cheshire, never disguises his love of his roots and there were sporadic moments when Fury seemed hell bent on proving his aggressive point. There was a brutal belligerence and hungry intent about the British heavyweight. Fury just charged out of his corner like a man possessed, hunching and crouching, then jabbing almost consistently, feeling out Usyk's emotional and physical resources like a man exploring a dripping cave in the middle of nowhere. 

And for the next 12 rounds the Englishman kept darting in and out of the darkness and then retreating when he could sense a grizzly bear on the horizon. Fury kept moving the Ukranian around the ring, probing for the decisive opening but just provoking Usyk into action and warfare. There were tentative Fury jabs, fleeting body shots that just seemed to scrape Usyk's chest and stomach and then a private acceptance that this wouldn't be his night. 

At first there was caution and calculating aggression from both men, holding each other at arms length with cunning and careful circumspection.  By round four, seven and eight, Fury was struggling under the weight of Usyk's stunning and staggering punches to head that rocked the Cheshire man as if a fatal bullet had just brushed his forehead. Fury was never out on his feet but, for all the world, it looked as though he'd been hit by a bulldozer. At times he looked dazed and horrified at the audacity of the Ukranian's shooting gallery of upper cuts and ferocious assaults. 

With Fury now running out of petrol and purpose and his tank in dire need of being filled, there was a  renewed style and conviction about Usyk that we may have privately feared. By the 12th round, Fury looked as if he was simply and desperately hanging on for survival. The valiant spirit was ebbing away and the Ukranian capitalised on Fury's increasing vulnerability, flinging out hurtful and painful blows that left the British fighter helpless.

To his credit though Fury took this fight all the way to the bitter end. In the end, this was the inevitable conclusion. The fight had to be resolved by the judges and referees and we all knew which way this one would go. It would not be in Fury's favour since fate was not on his side. Usyk was declared the outright winner and Fury could only reach out to his devoted fans and apologise to them. He'd given it his best but that was never going to be good enough. 

For a moment, you recalled the bullish defiance of Frank Bruno and Lennox Lewis, the bravery and endurance of Henry Cooper and even Joe Bugner. But, for the heavyweight powerhouses of Britain, some nights are somehow destined to end in failure. You thought now of Anthony Joshua who may be itching to get back into the ring if only to emphasise his enduring qualities. But Tyson Fury sadly slipped away into the Saudi winter heat and disappeared into the good night. Boxing hadn't betrayed him as such but form deserted him and that must have been a considerable disappointment for him.