Parimatch Talks to Oleksandar Usyk: Joshua Analysis, Fury, Football & The Future

Hello Oleksandr. How does it feel to be a heavyweight world champion?

Thanks to God we have the victory. But there’s one additional belt, the WBC belt, in order for me to become world champion.

Usyk on defending his titles from Anthony Joshua

Many commentators claimed that Joshua was in his best condition ahead this fight. How much did you train to improve your own condition since the first bout?

Usyk: “I was in the training camp early in the year, then we had to stop because of the war.

Everyone was shocked. We had just started the training camp, we had been preparing for the fight and then we had to stop it.

After a month’s break, my team created a new plan of preparation and they did their best which I really appreciated. We were training a lot, we had three training sessions a day. It was very hard and took so much time, but I really wanted to fight.”

Ahead your fight, Amir Khan who was in your training camp said that you gained 15 kilos since your first fight. Was this a deliberate attempt to intimidate Anthony Joshua’s team or was it lost in translation?

Usyk: “I think it was the heat. It was 50 degrees in Dubai, it was too hot. Amir Khan could have been a bit affected by it, but it was a joke for certain. During my training sessions there, there were guys who said that I seemed skinny when I arrived.

When I came, I weighed 91-92 kilos, I looked thinner after being in Ukraine for a month.

But after a month at the training camp, I gained 10 kilos because I worked a lot and my diet was balanced. When Amir Khan asked me about my weight, and I said I weighed 101-102 kilos, he probably he didn’t understand my English.

But now my weight is 99 kilos because I was tired of eating a lot and regularly, I didn’t eat meat when I was training, only seafood.”

Ahead of the fight, you appeared in the clothing of a Ukrainian kozak. What made you decide to dress this way? Did it help you in the ring?

Usyk: “You know it was hard. And it all happened thanks to God.

I was talking to Volodymyr, five months before the rematch and said that I want to have kozak’s boots, hair, trousers, everything. We were preparing all these things for the image of a Ukrainian kozak long before the rematch. I felt a huge responsibility.”

The way you were boxing to exhaust Anthony Joshua during the first part of the fight and then continue throwing massive punches that you did in 8th and 9th rounds – was it planned?

Usyk: “It was not planned. You never plan to be beaten in some rounds it just happens sometimes.

The eighth and ninth rounds were so crucial, and I saw it in Anthony’s eyes like: I beat you now, he really wanted to win. He put so much into the fight so he could win, but I was thinking I cannot stop. You cannot stop, you cannot surrender.

And when the ninth round finished, I just sat in my corner. I was praying and I did not know what round it was. I did not think about that because I was not interested in it. I just had to do my job.

When my people in my corner told me that it was tenth I said: let’s go!

I saw that Joshua had become exhausted, he was obviously thinking about a way he could beat me, and he was surprised that I was strong enough to punch back.

So, thank God that everything happened like that and I won.”

During the match, a few commentators noticed that Anthony Joshua got a few punches below the belt.  What did you think about Anthony Joshua’s tactics during this match and post match behaviour?

Usyk: “During the match itself, I saw that Joshua was focused and wanted to catch me with my counterattacks. He landed power punches for me to lose my breath. I can’t say that Joshua punched me below the belt intentionally. But we know Robert Garcia, the coach who worked with Anthony could say: that’s no big deal, just do it and try to disorient him.

His post-match behaviour didn’t offend me as he was disappointed and upset. I would be also upset if I was beaten twice.

He has powerful potential for his development, but he just needs to get rid of people who prevent him progressing. These extra people around him who want to give the best piece of advice, who all want to share his success, he just doesn’t need them. He has to think about his team. But above all he is such a great guy and I wish him good luck.”

Is a trilogy fight with AJ possible?

Usyk: “If Fury doesn’t agree I think we could try to have another fight. We already had a match in London and in Saudi Arabia as well, so the next one could be at the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv.”

Usyk on a potential fight against Tyson Fury

After defeating Joshua you said: “I will fight against Fury or no one”. Tyson Fury is now reportedly coming out of retirement, but he wants to fight Anthony Joshua instead. Are there any other fighters who you are ready to fight with?

Usyk: “I don’t know anything about what Tyson Fury is doing or thinking.

We’re in negotiations talking about a match and we’re doing our best to make this bout happen. Of course, I really want to have this fight next year. But if Tyson Fury is not interested in a match next year, then it’s not possible to fight against him. I’m not interested in fighting any other boxer, so let’s wait.”

Fury’s promoter Frank Warren said that they want to have a bout at the end of this year. Is this date possible for you? You mentioned it took a long period of training to fight Joshua. Factoring in a rest, how much time do you need to prepare for it? Is there a particular date or month?

Usyk “No, for this year it’s impossible, and there are two reasons.

The first is that I have some old injuries that I need to recover from, so I need a few months for that. The second reason is that I don’t want to have a fight in December.

I spent a half of the year in the training camp in the gym, I howled at the moon.

But I want to spend time with my children and I have lots of things to do here in Ukraine since I’ve returned.

I need to visit the guys from the Armed Forces of Ukraine and to support them. I have lots to do here, so boxing will have to wait for a while. Next year I think it will happen.”

How difficult will it be to persuade Tyson Fury to agree to a bout?

Usyk: “He’s talking about 500 million pounds for the fight. He’s a lunatic, but in a good sense I mean. I’d also want 500 million, but it’s something crazy.

Fury is talking and he’s already selling the fight. So, he’ll agree on it because it would be such an impressive bout.

And as we were talking with the organisers of the fight against AJ in Saudi Arabia, the promoters were already interested in organising a bout against Fury at another stadium with capacity of 80-90 thousand.

Hopefully it will take place here in Ukraine, although it’s just a dream at the moment. But dreams can come true.”

If you’re not able to fight against Fury will you finish your career? Will you retire? 

Usyk: “Tyson Fury has said that he is the King of all Kings, and he will beat and kill everyone, he’s calling everyone bums. I want to fight against him, but I am not thinking about Fury at this moment.

I just want to rest. I want to enjoy being home, and just to relax and be happy. Also to do something in my garden, to repair the electricity in my house.

Speaking about my future retirement, I’m thinking about it and talking about it with my sons. I really want to have a fight at the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv, a bout there could be the point when I’m ready to finish my career.

My son Kyrylo, said to me: when you become an absolute world champion you won’t continue to fight? I know that my son is worrying about me. Maybe this is the time I should give all my attention to my family.”

Do you consider Fury the greatest boxer? And talking about the ranking of the top three boxers of all the world, what is your top three?

Usyk: “Look, each era has its own heroes and when people begin to imagine how someone could beat another boxer in their best condition, I just don’t understand it.

Fury is a great boxer, he’s a world champion and he has no defeats, but do I consider him the greatest? Muhammad Ali is the greatest.

But I can tell what I don’t like about the athletes now. They attract attention with scandals because they’re not smart enough and I don’t know why it is like that.

And no, I don’t consider Fury the greatest, but I also don’t consider myself the greatest.”

Usyk on moving down weight class, Fighting Joe Joyce, Football and more

You have previously hinted about a match with Canelo, would you consider returning to cruiserweight?

Usyk: “I was thinking about returning to cruiserweight and getting a few more of the world belts.

You know, being a heavyweight means you have to be really heavy. You must eat a lot. It’s not hard to fight with these giants, but it’s really hard to eat all the time.

And now I work much more than I did as a cruiserweight, particularly in the training camps. I had to swim ten kilometres and train hard. At this moment I just want to stop and take a rest.

A half of a year of training is hard work. I didn’t see my family for such a long time, I didn’t see my wife, children or anyone.”

On your Twitter you invited Joe Joyce to come to Kyiv and have a fight at the Olympic Stadium. Are you ready to fight against Joe Joyce?

Usyk: “I can probably do it. But after Fury.”

Speaking of football. We remember the great game you took part in during the Winter Cup that took place in Turkey. While we are waiting for Tyson Fury, would you consider helping FC Polissya to reach the Ukrainian Premier League?

Usyk: “Of course, I am ready to help them, I can fight someone if it helps. I really appreciated Gennadiy Butkevych for inviting me to play in the match. It was my dream to play for a professional football club.”

You say that “you howled at the moon” and that for a large part of the year you were separated from your family. This sounds mentally exhausting. Do you think you could be suffering for your sport, possibly from professional burnout?

Usyk: “I can be flustered but never depressed.

And when you don’t see your children for a long time, you miss them so much. My family, my wife, it’s hard for them to be away from me.

But I don’t have depression, I don’t smash windows and I don’t throw the bottles.

When I feel bad I sing songs, write poems and talk to God. When I feel bad I pray and it helps me.”

You can find the latest Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk odds at Parimatch ahead of their potential fight which is predicted to take place in 2023.

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