Who Was Winning Bellew vs Usyk Before the KO?

[FlatLine]

Despite being KOd by Usyk, that may have been the finest display of boxing Bellew has ever unleashed - at least according to Haye himself who said "that's the best Tony Bellew I've ever seen!"

Bellew was ahead with 2 of the official judges and one judge had it even. So just throwing a poll out there to check if the general consensus agrees with the judges? Was Bellew indeed outboxing Usyk and winning the fight before he got stopped in the 8th round?

[_Rexy_]

I didn’t score the fight. But I could see English fans giving early rounds to Bellew since Usyk didn’t do anything to the blind eye.

[MDPopescu]

Despite being KOd by Usyk, that may have been the finest display of boxing Bellew has ever unleashed - at least according to Haye himself who said "that's the best Tony Bellew I've ever seen!"

Bellew was ahead with 2 of the official judges and one judge had it even. So just throwing a poll out there to check if the general consensus agrees with the judges? Was Bellew indeed outboxing Usyk and winning the fight before he got stopped in the 8th round?

... here is the Compubox punch stats:

https://www.boxingscene.com/oleksandr-usyk-vs-tony-bellew-compubox-punch-stats--133631

[MDPopescu]

... here is the Compubox punch stats:

https://www.boxingscene.com/oleksand...-stats--133631

... Bellew landed the "more telling power punches" in the first half...

[hugh grant]

It's a 12 round fight maybe usyk was just warming himself up.
Lennox Lewis was making Frank Bruno look elite for the first half of fight before stopping bruno.
Does that make Lewis bad or Bruno elite?

[ShamrockXpress]

Bellew won the first 3 rounds despite getting his legs stiffened briefly in the 3rd.

From that point on usyk started nicking rounds more convincingly then swept the 7th and dominted the 8th before the stoppage.

Bellew had about as much success as mchunu did early, despite what narrative the sky sports cheerleading team might try and spin

[Tony Trick-Pony]

... here is the Compubox punch stats:

https://www.boxingscene.com/oleksand...-stats--133631

Wow.

Not even close...

[Vlad_]

I had it very close before the KO.

Bellew had a brilliant start, much better than expected, and had a great 3-4 rounds in the first half. But he was fading fast and Usyk would have easily won 8-9 rounds had the fight gone the full 12.

[MDPopescu]

It's a 12 round fight maybe usyk was just earning himself up.
Lennox Lewis was making Frank Bruno look elite for the first half of fight before stopping bruno.
Does that make Lewis bad or Bruno elite?

... Yes... assessing fights after they are concluded may look easy... Now people say that Usyk had the right game plan by waiting for Bellew to fade in the later rounds...

[MDPopescu]

Wow.

Not even close...

... of course... just because people only use to count FMJr's jabs...