From the 1880s to the present undisputed era, one championship reigned supreme around the heavyweight division: The lineal championship. Today, boxing has evolved into four prestigious sanctioning bodies producing championship belts: WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO. Far removed from the eras of John L. Sullivan and Jack Johnson, the "sweet science" has evolved immensely. A new breed of longer, more robust heavyweights emerging from different parts of the world have arrived. Yet, the competition is still stern, and the glamor of heavyweight boxing remains as fierce as ever.
Today, we stand on the cliffside of witnessing heavyweight boxing history as the undefeated WBC champion Tyson Fury faces undefeated former undisputed cruiserweight champion and current WBA, WBO and IBF titleholder Oleksandr Usyk, Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (ESPN+ PPV, noon ET). It will be the first battle for undisputed heavyweight supremacy in the four-belt era. The last heavyweight undisputed title holder was Lennox Lewis over two decades ago (three-belt era). In this upcoming battle, will it be a repeat of the 1915 match between heavyweight champ Johnson and Jesse Willard, where size prevailed? Or will it mirror Jack Dempsey's electrifying victory over Willard in 1919, showcasing skill over stature?
Fury and Usyk stand at the summit of modern boxing greatness and history, commanding the attention of the entire world with their skills and talent. Let's look at the matchup and how the fight can play out.
