When Oleksandr Usyk invites me to join him for training, it’s usually in a gym, surrounded by heavy bags and sparring partners. But this time it’s different.
In Katowice, a Polish city 585 miles from Kyiv, Usyk laces up a pair of football boots and joins Polissya Football Club’s final session before their Europa Conference League qualifier against Olympia.
‘When I was younger I always supported Manchester United’, Usyk tells Mail Sport after training. ‘I was a fan of Gary Neville and others like David Beckham. They were a hard team to play against then. But in terms of my favourite footballers, they were probably the likes of Andriy Shevchenko, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ronaldo – the old one with the teeth. Obviously Messi and the other Ronaldo were great players for me too.
‘I always wanted to be a footballer and I’ve enjoyed training with Polissya. It’s given me the chance to unwind and escape from boxing for a while. After my win against Tyson Fury in May, I didn’t celebrate in the usual way. I just had a quiet dinner with my family and spent time playing football—I haven’t even really thought about being undisputed’.
Though Usyk downplays the significance of becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999, he’s under no illusions about the challenge Fury presented. Usyk admits it was the toughest fight of his career, a battle that tested him like never before.
Usyk invited Mail Sport to Katowice, a Polish city 585 miles from Kyiv, for an interview
Usyk shared his fondness for Man United, reflected on his tactical approach to the Fury fight and discussed a possible trilogy with AJ before addressing the corruption in boxing
Usyk joined Polissya FC’s final training session before their Europa Conference League qualifier against Olimpija
‘The bout with Fury takes first place in terms of the hardest fight I have had,’ he says. ‘In terms of difficulty, tension and emotions. After every fight I write down the result and my thoughts on that fight to then reflect on them in the future. I will always see that as a hard fight’.
After retrieving the beloved Eeyore teddy his daughter Liolia had given him from the changing room, Usyk made his way to the hospital for stitches and a brain scan before opening up his journal.
Taking pen to paper in a quiet room, Usyk wrote a detailed account of the fight – ranking it above his wins over Anthony Joshua, Murat Gassiev and Tony Bellew.
‘I like to make notes immediately after my fights in order to read them and see my growth. I like to see my thoughts at the time of the fight and then after 10 years to assess whether my thoughts have changed and if I am moving in the right direction.
‘Also these records will be valuable to my boys who are now growing up. Even to my daughters, because there is a lot written about them and about my life. They can understand more about what I have achieved and the role they played in it.’
But before those stories could be written, Usyk had to deal with the towering presence of Fury, who strutted around with confidence before the fight. Usyk knew he needed to flip the script from the start and damage the Gypsy King – landing powerful left-handers at the end of the first round and the start of the second.
‘Hurting Fury early was a planned action that I worked on for nine months,’ he says. ‘It was necessary to immediately show him who the boss was in the ring. It was something I had practiced. You have a coach and a team in the corner telling you how to move. You have to stick to the plan even if something different comes into your head. You have to stick to your plan.’
‘I always wanted to be a footballer and I’ve enjoyed training with Polissya,’ Usyk said
Usyk (left) produced a stunning comeback to beat Tyson Fury (right) in May earlier this year
But, it wouldn’t be an undisputed title fight that will live on for the ages if Fury hadn’t fired back. A powerful right uppercut in Round 6 stunned the Ukrainian, hurting him and causing him to momentarily cover up. Yet, Usyk, a devout Christian who prays before every fight after being introduced to faith by his grandmother, felt a divine presence watching over him.
‘When I didn’t get knocked down by that uppercut in the sixth round, I felt an extraordinary force behind me. I could sense the presence of the force I usually pray to. It felt like there was an angel or some kind of support at my back. There was no one physically there, but the support was undeniably felt.’
But, much like how we might crave a cup of coffee to tackle that dreaded afternoon slump, Usyk needed an additional boost to power through the rest of the fight after a grueling seventh round.
‘Before entering the ring I told my coach that he should wear my cross and as soon as I ask him to let me kiss the cross, he had to give it to me. After kissing the cross at the end of the seventh round, the fight went in the other direction. It went in my direction and it became much more intense.’
Usyk came out rejuvenated at the start of Round 9, taking risks and closing the distance on Fury. He landed powerful left hooks to both the head and body before delivering a devastating combination that rocked the Gypsy King.
Critics and fans alike argued that Fury’s prolonged standing count denied Usyk a decisive knockout that would have added an extra sparkle to his crown. But, the roar of the crowd, the sight of the Ukrainian flag waving proudly in the stands, and the realisation of his historic achievement provided Usyk with all the satisfaction he needed.
‘The first thing I remember was the feeling that we had done it. I was so happy that we had done it. Then I thought about my father. I was very glad that my father could see what was going on from above.
‘If he was there, he would have carried me around the ring on his shoulders and rejoiced – he would have jumped up like this and said “Yes! That is my son”. He would have done that even though he is not an emotional person at all.’
The Ukrainian had Fury troubled in the ninth round and nearly knocked out the Gypsy King
Fury found his distance in the middle rounds and enjoyed some success before fading
The victory saw Usyk become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in this century
Yet, amid the excitement, one person remained concerned for Usyk’s well-being: Nadezhda Usyk, the Ukrainian’s mother. Having once watched her son fight for his life against pneumonia at the age of six, Nadezhda found herself wishing he would retire from the sport.
In private conversations, she expressed her concerns to Usyk, urging him to quit while he was on top. She reminded him of his accomplishments, emphasising the fact he had achieved what few could dream of—dominating two weight classes and becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion. But, Usyk is convinced there is still more to do be done.
‘My mum tells me that after every fight. She is very worried. This is my mum. She is worried about my health and my safety. She cries, I know she is afraid. But, there is a way to go and I have more to do in boxing. I love her incredibly but my job is not done.
‘My mum is the closest person to me. I know how much suffering she went through with me when I was either sick or had some problems. I know how she experienced all this, how she did not sleep while worrying about me. I don’t want to concern her again but I have a mission to complete. I cannot just leave it.’
However, a change is on the horizon. Usyk revealed that while his father used to visit him in his dreams before major fights, he now feels it’s time for his father to rest peacefully after fulfilling their shared goal.
‘My father was always my biggest fan. It’s hard for me when he comes to visit me. It reminds me of life before. In my last dream I told him, you live there and I live here. Please, don’t come for me again. I love you but it’s hard because it reminds me of life before. Now I prefer to think of my memories.
‘I remember the first competition that I won. He walked around with such a smile. He was incredibly proud of what I was doing. I remember a story when I had already become an Olympic champion. He collected various bottles of alcohol. He had cognacs aged 20 years.
‘He chose 5 bottles and went around the village to treat people because his son won the Olympic games.’
The Gypsy King taunted Usyk throughout the fight despite being second-best on the night
Though his father will not be there in person, Usyk hopes he will be equally as proud when he steps back into the ring to face Fury for a second time on December 21 in Saudi Arabia.
‘I am looking forward to the rematch. It will be even more difficult. Look, I always set myself up for a hard fight, but never an easy one. I don’t actually need it to be easier either. I know I can beat him again.’
Usyk’s confidence is well-placed. Landing 157 punches on Fury – who is known for his elusiveness – speaks volumes. He surpassed the previous record of 127 punches set by Otto Wallin.
But, when asked what distinguishes him from Fury, the Ukrainian provided an amusing perspective.
‘Well, I have incredible front teeth and some people say that the heavyweight champion has to be handsome so I guess that’s the difference! No, the reason I have been victorious is because of how hard I work.
‘Diamonds cannot be found with ease. You cannot succeed without hard work. Everything that is given easily does not grow on trees. You have to work hard for it.
‘I have only respect for Tyson. Despite the fact that he somehow acts the way he does. He is my brother. He is an incredible boxer. He is a very strong opponent. Listen, slouches don’t reach that level. He is incredibly strong opponent.’
The winner of Usyk’s rematch with Fury is expected to face the victor of AJ vs Dubois. But will the Ukrainian, who could choose from any of the top contenders in the world, be interested in taking on another former foe?
The Ukrainian scored a knockdown in the ninth as Fury found himself held up by the ropes
Usyk and his team were emotional after the fight and posed with a Ukrainian flag (above)
Usyk previously said that he wants to give back to those who have suffered from the war
‘I don’t particularly want anymore rematches, but when we beat Fury for the second time and when Anthony Joshua beats Daniel Dubois, they will want to do a third fight. Will I do it? Of course. I have no right to deny Joshua a third fight because he gave me two incredible fights. Joshua helped me become even more famous. And if it happens with God’s help, then I am ready for a third fight with Joshua.’
In their first bout at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Usyk – stepping up from cruiserweight – outclassed AJ to win a unanimous decision to claim Joshua’s heavyweight titles.
In the rematch, Joshua, under Robert Garcia, fought more aggressively and showed improvements but still fell short losing via split decision with the scorecards reading 113-115, 115-113, and 116-112.
Afterwards, Joshua’s frustration was clear; he initially presented Usyk with the belts before tossing them out of the ring and storming off. He returned to give an erratic speech, mixing respect for Usyk with his own frustrations.
Despite the entire ordeal, Usyk holds nothing but respect for AJ, claiming he has ‘improved a lot psychologically’.
In discussing the prospect of a third fight with the London 2012 gold medalist, Usyk addresses corruption in Olympic boxing. He says he with his Ready to Fight team is committed to confronting such issues.
‘Boxing needs to change. I am focused on making Olympic boxing clean. It should be a transparent. We need fair judging and to make sure the teams are honest. But, it takes many years. And we don’t have much time. In half a year, a new Olympic cycle begins.
‘Building a programme like this takes years but we can make it work. If they are interested, great, if not we won’t force you to cooperate. We have the recipe.’
Usyk has fought and defeat British heavyweight Anthony Joshua (pictured above)
Joshua was left furious after falling to beat the Ukrainian for a second successive time
Joshua was utterly furious after the conclusion of their second fight, storming out of the ring in the immediate aftermath before making a chaotic speech
If beating Fury for a second time, facing AJ in a trilogy and fixing boxing wasn’t enough, Usyk has also committed to a career in Hollywood after being cast alongside Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson in ‘The Smashing Machine’, as a character called Sasha in a film which will be released in December.
‘I do some exercises in front of the mirror. I read out some of my poems, I practice changing my emotions or tone. Or I just improvise, talking with my second alter ego Sasha.
‘He can’t help me, but he does sometimes. It looks like schizophrenia, but I’m completely healthy!’