So the dust has just about settled on yet another extraordinary event in Riyadh. While the main event didn't quite have the drama of their first battle, Oleksandr Usyk v Tyson Fury 2 was still a high quality, intense affair that fans could not take their eyes off right until the final bell.
It was close again, but Usyk confirmed his status as the best heavyweight on the planet with a unanimous win on the cards.
After two defeats on the bounce, Fury is at a bit of a career crossroads. ‘The Gypsy King’ had his first senior amateur bout almost 20 years ago, and much water has passed under the bridge since those early days.
Whatever he chooses to do from here on in, after years of graft, sacrifice, blood, sweat and tears Fury has cemented his place in the heavyweight boxing pantheon.
As pro wrestling icon Ric Flair used to flamboyantly remind us "To be the man you gotta beat the man...."and Fury beat the man in Dusseldorf in 2015 when he snapped Wladimir Klitschko’s nine-year unbeaten streak to become the lineal heavyweight champion and follow in the footsteps of fistic immortals such as John L. Sullivan, Joe Louise, Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson.
That bravura performance rarely gets the credit it deserves, but it’s there in the history books forever now.
He reached his zenith in Germany, and then spent over two years in the wilderness battling personal demons.
The manner in which Fury battled substance abuse and mental health issues during that high profile hiatus from boxing - before losing over eight stone and somehow regaining a world heavyweight title - is testament to the enduring character and innate natural brilliance of one of heavyweight boxing's biggest and loudest stars.
From the precipice of oblivion, he bravely journeyed back to the heavyweight Holy Land, which he reached with that stunning rematch victory over Deontay Wilder in 2020 to reclaim the world title.
Love him or hate him, you cannot deny that it takes a special kind of fighter to return to the heavyweight summit for a second time like he did, after going through what he went through.
Fury is a complex soul and can be a walking contradiction at times. At various points in the last few years, he has insisted that money is the only thing that motivates him in his career - contradicting previous quotes that he was in the sport to define his legacy.
There is no question that despite the bravado and swagger, these back-to-back defeats to Usyk will have hurt him.
The man himself claimed that he got over the pain of losing the first fight to Usyk on the May flight home to Manchester, a matter of hours after their first encounter.
Mark Robinson/Matchroom
But what he endured in such a rigorous camp for the rematch – living a spartan existence in Malta with brother Shane, trainer SugarHill Steward and a couple of sparring partners while cut off from the outside world – told an entirely different story.
There’s no shame in losing to Usyk, an Olympic champion who had over 350 amateur fights and who has reigned as undisputed world champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions.
Late on Saturday night Usyk had – for the second time in less than eight months – survived the ultimate inquisition of himself and his violent art. What a fighter he is, the man from Ukraine.
Could Fury yet become a three-time world heavyweight champion? Listen, if Charlie Chaplin once anonymously entered a Charlie Chaplin lookalike contest in Monte Carlo and came third, then just about anything is possible.
An all-British tear-up against Anthony Joshua in 2025 won’t do quite the numbers it might have done had it been made five years ago, but it still sells out Wembley in no time and would still be a fascinating watch for purists and casuals alike.
Before Saturday, ‘The Gypsy King’ had been knocked down eight times as a professional and always got up, so you underestimate him at your peril.
Whatever else might one day be said about Fury, it should never be said that he is without courage.
But there is a nagging feeling that Fury’s biggest battle now will not be for any WBC, WBA or IBF belts, but with himself. He has said many times he needs routine, and that the gym is his sanctuary.
Whether its roadwork, hitting the heavy bag or moving around in sparring with a heavyweight prosect, these are all activities that kick off endorphins and instantly boost one’s mood.
Any GP or healthcare professional will tell you that physical activity can boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress.
Fury has no desire to return to that dark place where he was at roughly eight years ago, and so you can expect to see him carry on training. And fighting. And training. And fighting.
Unlike most fighters however, who are truth be told only doing it for financial reasons, Fury craves the jarring and often brutal routine that top level boxing demands.
The French poet, writer, and journalist Theophile Gautier once said “All passes, art alone endures.” Belts or no belts, ‘The Gypsy King’ will endure for his art. The ride will go on.
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