Oleksandr Usyk entered the ring December 21 with the proverbial weight of an entire nation on his broad shoulders. Ukraine’s Usyk, whose country has been at war with Russia for nearly three years, knew he needed to beat Tyson Fury more convincingly in their immediate rematch than he did when he won what was at least a debatable split decision May 18 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The former undisputed cruiserweight champion responded to that intense pressure by defeating Fury definitively that night, at least according to judges Gerardo Martinez, Patrick Morley and Ignacio Robles.