Deontay Wilder has expressed his belief that Oleksandr Usyk was denied a rightful stoppage in the ninth round of his recent bout against Tyson Fury. Earlier this month, Usyk outpointed Fury to become the first undisputed heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999. While Fury started strong, Usyk gained momentum after the halfway mark and came close to stopping Fury in the ninth round.

During the critical moment, referee Mark Nelson intervened, offering Fury a count after determining that the ropes had held him up. The fight resumed briefly before the bell rang, preventing Usyk from capitalizing on his advantage and forcing Fury to cling on until the final bell, which ultimately led to Fury’s defeat on the judges’ scorecards.

Wilder, a former heavyweight world champion himself, believes Fury was fortunate to escape a stoppage. “I thought it was a great fight. I was on the fence about who would win,” Wilder said ahead of his fight with Zhilei Zhang this weekend. “Oleksandr’s bite was bigger than Fury’s. I think he [Usyk] got robbed in the ninth round of a knockout for sure… gifts were given.”

In the aftermath of the fight, Fury has signaled his intention to trigger the rematch clause in his contract, having initially been non-committal about a second fight. “There will be a rematch and that will be confirmed and announced in due course,” confirmed Fury’s promoter Frank Warren.

Warren is optimistic about the rematch, believing it could surpass the original fight in excitement and intensity. “They both know each other now, and they’ll be looking to use what they’ve gained from the fight as an advantage,” he said.

Warren also emphasized that while Fury’s legacy in boxing is already significant, a victory against Usyk, who remains undefeated in 22 fights, would further cement it. “His legacy is there. He wants to win and he’s got to win. He believes in himself and it would cement his legacy. Everyone thinks Usyk is the best out there, so let’s see what Tyson does.”

As the boxing world eagerly awaits the official announcement of the rematch, fans and analysts alike are keen to see how Fury will respond to his first professional defeat and whether Usyk can maintain his undisputed status.