WATCH: Referee in charge of Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk confronted for “slowest count ever” by former heavyweight champion
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk put on a fight for the ages when the pair clashed in Saudi Arabia on May 18. Both men entered the ring undefeated, with hopes of becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999.
After Fury dominated much of the first six rounds of the fight, the tide changed as Usyk continued to adjust to his opponent's gameplan. The Ukrainian landed a massive left hand in the ninth round that looked like it had knocked 'The Gypsy King' out on his feet, and the fight appeared close to being over.
But the referee intervened with about ten seconds to go in the round and gave the former WBC champion a standing 10-count. The official's intervention saved Fury, in the eyes of many, and the referee was confronted for his actions after the fight by Derek Chisora.
Chisora, a former opponent of both Usyk and 'The Gypsy King', took aim at Mark Nelson, the referee in question, for the speed of his 10-count. The moment was captured by The Stomping Ground, with journalist Charlie Parsons interviewing the former WBA champion when the incident occurred.
'Del Boy' said this:
"Hey ref! Ref, ref, ref! That was the slowest count in boxing history, bro! You know that. Get your maths right, bro. It's 1-2-3-4-5-6. It is what it is. First of all, that was the slowest count in boxing history. Do you understand? But other than that, the fight was great."
Watch Mark Nelson confronted for giving Tyson Fury a 10-count below:
Eddie Hearn says Oleksandr Usyk is "up there" with the greatest ever after Tyson Fury win
Oleksandr Usyk has made his case as the No.1 pound-for-pound boxer on the planet following his split-decision victory over Tyson Fury in the main event of the Ring of Fire card, held on May 18.
'The Cat' became just the third male boxer to achieve undisputed world champion status in two weight classes, having previously held all four titles at cruiserweight, before his move to heavyweight.
Leading boxing promoter Eddie Hearn shared his thoughts on the bout, following the result, where he hailed Usyk as one of the sport's greatest. He said this:
"[He ranks] Right up there. You talk about a complete legend of the sport, and again, undisputed cruiserweight world champion, undisputed heavyweight world champion. Just a phenomenal fighter."
Watch Hearn reflect on Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk below from 4:30: