Jaw-Dropping Performance from Oleksandr Usyk in Moscow

Boxing’s ultimate road warrior rolled into Moscow tonight and turned in a performance of jaw dropping brilliance against homeboy Murat Gassiev. The fight was not close; the fight was not “a 50-50 proposition” as so many pundits exclaimed pre-fight; the fight was a one-sided schooling performed by the new unified lineal cruiserweight champion of the world against a legitimately world class fighter.

Usyk rises to just 15-0 and is now locked upon the pound-for-pound top ten. Gassiev, who never stopped trying, drops to 26-1. One hopes his future is unmarred both physically and mentally by  he one sided drubbing he received just after midnight in Russia.

Usyk’s jab was beyond beautiful in form from the first bell to that signalling the end of the twelfth and final round. Gassiev’s head worked as though on a string, rattled back and away as Usyk poked out a steady stream of punches designed, as Muhammad Ali would have put it, “to mix a man’s mind.” Gassiev, who was read the proverbial riot act in the corner as early as the end of the fifth, was mixed from the very first by some of the most beautiful footwork in boxing today. More than once he was popped by a left as Usyk moved out of range, sending the charging Gassiev stumbling.

I predicted an Usyk victory but I couldn’t believe what was being revealed as the fight came to an end: Usyk is one, perhaps two levels above his nearest rival. Gassiev is nowhere near good enough to beat Usyk. They could fight fifteen times and the result would be no different. Gassiev was no test.

Usyk beat him easily.

The jab was the superstar tonight, but there was so much more. A nightmarish left hook around the corner and occasional combinations running into eight punches peppered proceedings as Usyk dominated round after round. A left lead followed by a right-uppercut in the fourth was perhaps the most beautifully formed two-piece of the evening, as delightful a reverse one-two as has been seen in boxing this year, at least by this writer.

Gassiev attempted to target the body, but so fluid was Usyk in his movement that he persistently strayed south and was repeatedly warned by the referee. Twice he tested Usyk’s chin with right hands and when he saw Usyk shrug them off, walk for three paces, confirm his feet were under him before going right back to work he must have known he was beaten. He kept swinging, kept digging, and kept shaking his head as cornerman Abel Sanchez appeared to suggest he might be pulled, but he was not in the contest.

The one unknown as the twelfth begun was what the judges might do. Two Americans and a Belgian sitting in judgement hardly reeks of conspiracy but it was a fact that a robbery was perpetrated against Frenchman Nadjib Mohammedi in favour of the Russian Fedor Chudinov earlier in the night – enough, perhaps, to introduce a moment of tension to proceedings.

Fortunately scores of 120-108, 119-109 and 119-109 crowned Usyk in deserved splendour.

It’s been my privilege to cover Usyk’s boxing from almost the very beginning of his professional career and he did nothing unusual tonight. It was just a perfect version of what he has been working on. I remember thinking of his early fights that much of his movement was superfluous. I was wildly wrong. Usyk sharpened his tools on those early opponents so that when he needed to move and punch for twelve against a quality opponent he would be able to do so.

And he was.

He was dancing at the end of twelve rounds. Without wishing to get overexcited, it was a performance fitting of his being presented with the Muhammad Ali trophy bestowed upon the winner.

Also bestowed was every meaningful alphabet strap and lineal status. Usyk will now abandon those titles. He is going to heavyweight. Don’t get it twisted: Usyk has gone from being the best cruiserweights since Evander Holyfield to one of the best heavyweights in the world as of this moment. There is nobody out there good enough to enjoy fighting this man and he will beat plenty of good big men. He is the fastest heavyweight in the world, has the highest work-rate and is unmatched for stamina in the division.

Looking upon him now we see the cruiserweight champion of the world and perhaps, also, the next heavyweight champion of the world.

Check out more boxing news on video at The Boxing Channel

To comment on this article at The Fight Forum, CLICK HERE.