Revolutionizing boxing: AI referee to officiate historic Usyk-Fury match
Photo: Oleksandr Usyk / Facebook
For the first time in boxing's history, an AI-powered judge will be present at the rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.
The head of the General Directorate of Entertainment of Saudi Arabia, Turki al-Sheikh, reported that on X.
According to Turki al-Sheikh, an AI judge will oversee the match for the first time in professional boxing history. He explained that the AI referee will be impartial and immune to human mistakes. However, using AI will not impact the bout's outcome, as traditional judges will also be present.
For the first time ever, an AI-powered judge will monitor the fight 🤖 Free from bias and human error brought to you by The Ring. This groundbreaking experiment, which won't impact the official results, debuts during the biggest fight of the century, #Usyk2Fury, on December 21 🥊… pic.twitter.com/RdslVlBLRC
— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) December 17, 2024
The complete list of referees for the Usyk-Fury 2 match is still unknown. In June, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman requested six judges to officiate the rematch between the two boxers.
It should be noted that the second fight between Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk and Briton Tyson Fury will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, December 21. After Usyk's victory in the first fight, the WBA, WBO, and WBC world champion belts will be at stake.
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Recently, the head of the General Directorate of Entertainment of Saudi Arabia, Turki Al-Sheikh, revealed the date of the second heavyweight fight. The rematch is scheduled for December 21. The fight will be held in Riyadh.
Promoter Bob Arum confirmed that Briton Fury has exercised the rematch clause.
The only question that has not yet been resolved is whether all four belts will be at stake in the second fight. Usyk's team has already asked the IBF to make an exception so that the title of absolute world champion is at stake in the second fight against Tyson.
If the IBF agrees to Usyk's team's request, the Ukrainian will remain the absolute world champion until the rematch against Fury.
If Fury refuses to fight, Usyk will have at least three candidates for opponents. After the Briton Dubois (interim IBF champion), two more heavyweights are next in line – regular WBA champion Charr and interim WBO champion Parker.
It should be noted that on the night of May 19 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a heavyweight fight for the absolute world boxing champion took place between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.
The Ukrainian boxer emerged victorious in a remarkable showdown, cementing his position as the undisputed world champion. This marked the first battle for the title of absolute world heavyweight champion in the era of four belts. Usyk successfully defended his WBA, WBO, and IBF championship titles and attempted to claim the WBC title from Fury.
