Frank Warren pays £630,000 at auction for unique ‘Ring of Fire’ watch commemorating Oleksandr Usyk’s undisputed heavyweight title fight against Tyson Fury
- Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury via split decision after an enthralling fight
- Usyk was crowned the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world
- To commemorate the occasion, three custom ‘Ring of Fire’ watches were created
Legendary boxing promoter Frank Warren won the race to acquire a custom-made luxury watch commemorating Oleksandr Usyk’s undisputed heavyweight title fight against Tyson Fury.
The Ukrainian defeated the Gypsy King in a blockbuster clash on Saturday night in Saudi Arabia, where I won via split decision after the judges scored the match 115-112, 113-114, 114-113.
It meant Usyk became the first boxer since Lennox Lewis in 1999 to unify the heavyweight division after taking the WBC title from Fury, which was added to his WBA (Super), WBO, IBF and IBO titles.
To mark the momentous occasion, dubbed the ‘Ring of Fire’, watchmakers Jacob & Co. – in collaboration with design studio Big Time Creative Shop, owned by General Entertainment Authority, a Saudi government department – created a custom design for each fighter. their own unique timepiece.
In addition, a third custom watch was auctioned by Sotheby’s to raise money for Make-A-Wish International, an international children’s charity that grants wishes to children with serious illnesses.
Boxing promoter Frank Warren won the race to acquire a custom-made luxury watch commemorating Oleksandr Usyk’s undisputed heavyweight title fight against Tyson Fury
The watch consists of several intricate components to celebrate the world title fight
Watchmakers Jacob & Co. crafted custom timepieces to mark this momentous occasion
The timepiece contains figurines of each of the boxers, as well as red and blue gloves
And Warren, Fury’s co-promoter, got his hands on this unique design after paying $800,000 (£630,000) at auction ahead of the fight.
The ‘Ring of Fire’ watches are designed as a tribute to the boxers, each featuring figurines of the pair and red and blue boxing gloves.
The auction of the ‘Ring of Fire’ watch took place on Friday and was organized by Sotheby’s in Boulevard City in Riyadh.
In addition to the high-end watch, several other coveted boxing-themed items were available.
After winning the auction, Warren expressed his joy when he said: “I am thrilled to have acquired an iconic piece of boxing history.”
Gareth Jones, Managing Director of Sotheby’s in Italy and Switzerland, added: ‘On the eve of this historic sporting moment, it was an honor to represent Sotheby’s by bringing down the gavel on this beautiful Jacob & Co. watch in support of Make-A-Wish.
Usyk defeated the Gypsy King via split decision after an impressive performance in Saudi Arabia
The victory made the Ukrainian the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world
‘We hope the money raised will make a significant difference to the lives of children around the world living with serious illness.’
Luciano Manzo, CEO of Make-A-Wish, also paid tribute to the auction on Friday, saying: ‘Tomorrow the world will witness the most anticipated heavyweight boxing match of the century. However, children with serious illnesses around the world are fighting bigger battles every day.
“With this incredible donation and the exceptional support of His Excellency, Turki Alalshikh, Jacob & Co and Sotheby’s, many more children will be able to experience the healing power of wishes granted by Make-A-Wish.”