Usyk Stops Witherspoon in Heavyweight Debut

Oleksandr Usyk’s heavyweight debut got off to a slow start, but ended as most expected — with him stopping Chazz Witherspoon before the final bell.

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Usyk and Witherspoon both got off to a slow start, as both felt the other out. Usyk’s jabs and straights in the opening frames looked there but without much power. He also ate several shots from Witherspoon, though those also didn’t have much behind them.

Usyk slowly began to get into a rhythm, and by the fourth round, he was tagging Witherspoon and cutting off the ring from him. And as the rounds continued to pass by, more of Usyk’s power began to show, and Witherspoon looked troubled by the halfway point of the fight.

After another round of eating Usyk’s power, Witherspoon could take no more, and the fight ended in a corner retirement after the seventh round.

Oleksandr Usyk def. Chazz Witherspoon via TKO (corner retirement) (Rd. 7, 3:00)

WBA (Super) light heavyweight championship: (c.) Dmitry Bivol def. Lenin Castillo via unanimous decision (120-107, 119-108, 119-108)

Otha Jones II def. Eric Manrqiuez via majority decision (38-38, 40-36, 39-37)

WBA/WBC female super lightweight championship: (c.) Jessica McCaskill def. Erica Farias via majority decision (94-94, 97-91, 96-92)