Boris Becker & Elina Svitolina share their feelings on Oleksandr Usyk's controversial win over Tyson Fury to retain Heavyweight World titles

Boris Becker and Elina Svitolina shared their reactions as Oleksandr Usyk successfully defended his Heavyweight World titles, defeating Tyson Fury for the second time in a row. Despite the unanimous decision, Fury dismissed the outcome, calling it a “Christmas gift” from the judges to Usyk.

On December 21, Usyk faced Fury for the second time this year in Riyadh. Their first bout was a closely contested battle, where Usyk retained his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring heavyweight titles while claiming the WBC heavyweight title. This victory made him the first undisputed Heavyweight champion in nearly 25 years.

In June, Usyk vacated the IBF title to secure a rematch with Fury. Though his undisputed reign was brief, his undefeated streak continued as he improved his record to 23-0 with another victory over Fury in Riyadh on Saturday.

After the bout, German tennis legend Boris Becker celebrated Usyk’s achievement by sharing a post that called the latter’s back-to-back wins “mission complete” and added:

“Word”

Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina also joined in the celebration, sharing videos of the fight on her Instagram Story, accompanied by a Ukraine flag emoji.

Elina Svitolina's Instagram Story (Image: Instagram @elisvitolina) — Elina Svitolina’s Instagram Story (Image: Instagram @elisvitolina)

Tyson Fury, however, voiced his disagreement with the decision after losing to Oleksandr Usyk, stating during the post-match press conference:

“I thought I won that fight. I thought I won both fights but I’m going home with two losses on my record. There’s not much I can do about it. I can just fight my heart out. I will believe till the day I die that I won that fight.”

When asked if Usyk’s performance reflected the resilience of Ukraine, Fury said (via The Guardian),

“I didn’t feel no spirit. I felt a bit of Christmas spirit in there and think he got a Christmas gift from those judges.”

“Clearly the better fighter tonight!” – Boris Becker congratulates Oleksandr Usyk on beating Tyson Fury

Boris Becker at the Laver Cup 2024 (Image: Getty)

Tyson Fury disagreed with the judges’ decision in his loss to Oleksandr Usyk. The British fighter felt he won the fight but German tennis legend Boris Becker disagreed with the sentiment. Becker took to X and wrote:

“Clearly the better fighter tonight! @usykaa won deservingly! Ukraine”

After losing to the Ukrainian in a split decision earlier this year, Fury reportedly underwent a grueling 12-week training camp in isolation. However, his preparation and commitment were called into question by Becker, casting doubt on the intensity of Fury’s efforts.