Dubbed the “biggest fight of the 21st century,” the showdown concluded after 12 rounds, with “The Cat” Usyk clinching victory by a contentious split decision of 115-112, 113-114, 114-113. Following the bout, many argued that if the referee hadn’t paused to give “The Gypsy King” time to recover in the 9th round, he would have been knocked out.

Former WBA champion David Haye expressed dissatisfaction with referee Michael Griffin for granting Fury excessive recovery time after being knocked down by Usyk in the 9th round.

Haye believed Usyk deserved the knockout win, stating, “If Fury did that to Usyk, the fight would have been over early. The referee prevented Usyk’s opportunity and gave Fury 20 seconds to fully recover, which is poor from my perspective. Even Fury’s fans have to admit that.”

Alex Krassyuk, Usyk’s manager, echoed Haye’s sentiment. Krassyuk remarked, “There’s no disrespect to the referee, but I think he prevented a knockout in the 9th round. Nevertheless, it was still a great fight, and I hope to see more in the rematch.”

As for “The Gypsy King” Fury, contemplating his future after his first career defeat, he said, “I’ll go home, have some food, drink a couple of beers, spend time with family, walk the dog, and Frank Warren and I will discuss the future. I don’t fight for money; I fight because I love this sport.

“In a few months, I’ll be 36 years old, and I’ve been boxing since I was a kid. Let’s see where things go from here. You fight 100 fights, suffer brain damage, and end up in a wheelchair? As long as there’s love, I’ll continue; otherwise, I’ll pack it in.”