Patriotic fervour the spur for Ukrainian boxing legend Oleksandr Usyk
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Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk said that his late father, who fought in the Soviet Army, was the seminal influence on his career.
PHOTO: AFP
PARIS – Ukraine’s boxing icon Oleksandr Usyk said he will stay in the sport “a little longer” so he can provide “financial support to our army and civilians” and also achieve his goal of again being undisputed heavyweight world champion.
The 38-year-old, who holds all the four major belts before he relinquished the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title in 2024, has been galvanised by the war ever since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February 2022.
His exploits – especially two memorable victories each over Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, besides a win over Daniel Dubois, the current IBF champion – have helped keep his beleaguered country very much in people’s minds.
In an interview, Usyk said his late father, who served in the former Soviet Union army, was the seminal influence on his career. He said he has been inspired by “both the heroes of the past and the modern Ukrainian heroes who are now defending our homeland in the armed forces”.
“Representing Ukraine on the global sports stage, spreading the truth about the war... is a powerful motivation for me to stay in professional boxing a little longer.
“I feel great, I’m ready for any opponent and would love to take another shot at becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion again,” he said.
Usyk added that Fury is the toughest opponent he has faced “for the moment” and he can thank his late father, also called Oleksandr, for his extraordinary resilience in brutal bouts with Fury and Joshua. He remains unbeaten as a professional with 23 victories, including 14 stoppages.
His father was wounded twice during the Soviet Union’s nearly 10-year occupation of Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989.
“My father was a tough man, indeed. He taught me iron discipline, but he also taught me to believe in myself. He was the first to tell me that I would become a champion... I inherited my fighting spirit from him, though I would never compare myself to the true warriors who are now defending Ukraine on the front lines. They are the real heroes,” said Usyk.
The admiration works both ways, as some of those wounded in the conflict – including soldiers who had lost limbs – travelled to watch his rematch with Joshua in August 2022.
Usyk was dissuaded from taking up arms at the outset of the war, but he has been generous in dispensing his fortune.
“Over the past three years, my foundation has raised millions of euros from various donors to support the military, reconstruction efforts, and humanitarian projects,” he said. AFP
