The holder of three prestigious IBF/WBO/WBA world titles, as well as the holder of The Ring magazine belt and the second-rate IBO heavyweight title (over 90.7 kg), Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) gave a big press conference in Kyiv.
The Ukrainian champion recently arrived in Ukraine after defeating former British unified champion Anthony Joshua (24-3, 22 KOs) in a rematch. Oleksandr answered questions from the Ukrainian media about a possible fight against the WBC champion Briton Tyson Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs), the war in Ukraine and the fight at the Kyiv Olimpiysky stadium.
– Tell me how the owner of the four belts feels. Do you count them?
No, I’m just looking. Yes, thank God, there is a victory, there is an additional belt, but I really want the WBC.
– Where is he?
— [улыбается] The gypsies have taken over. Some king.
– Your thoughts in the context of the war that we now have are very interesting. What is your opinion that Russian betting companies continue to operate in Ukraine, especially such as 1xbet?
“Let them close everything and kick them out. What is the problem? Only Ukrainian ones will work. Everything is quite simple, I think. Don’t work with them at all, don’t go in, don’t look at all.
– Which of the boxing stars was interested in you not only in boxing, but asked about the war in Ukraine, if there were such, of course?
– Yes, almost all the guys with whom I communicate. They are interested in how things are in the country, how I am doing. When it all started, a lot of people were interested. Tony Bellew, Derek Chisora, many boxing athletes with whom I boxed and did not box were a little worried, supported and asked how they could help me personally and the country. Such human contact.
– If Fury doesn’t work out or Fury comes off, do you have thoughts about ending your career, or is it just a focus on Fury?
“Now I don’t want any fight with Fury at all. I just want to enjoy being at home. I want to fight with him. It will be very loud. He says that he is the king of kings, beats everyone, beats everyone, calls them homeless and all that. I, just in case, registered [смех и аплодисменты в зале]. And I have a permanent place of residence. Yes, once I did not have a residence permit, but now I have everything clearly. There is even a house. So I would like to be with him. There will be a tough fight. Of course, I also think about the end of my career, but I also want to box. Do you want to know where to box? At the Olympic. Here at the Olympic, you can box and say: “I thank you very much, but we will continue to work in a different direction.” Here at the Olympic, you can already tie. You can even slap Fury there a second time.
- Fury thrashed Usyk. Calls to fight in December – video
– Is it possible to fight with Fury at the “Olympic”? Is it realistic to satisfy the fee that Fury requests, or will it be impossible at the Olympic?
– He speaks at home there for 500 lyams, something else. He is a lunatic. I speak in a good way. I don’t offend in any way. 500. I also want 500, so what? I won’t box Fury, give me 500! I think at the “Olympic” with him at the moment – it’s impossible. Even if everything, thank God, we will be quiet. Anyway, I don’t think he will. He feels that there is a little land here, which gives strength. When I go, I lie on the ground, I lie a little. She gave me strength, and I went. And where will he take it? There are even our local gypsies, they are for me [смех в зале]. They are not for him. Especially the song that I go out to. Vasil Zhadan sings this song. And imagine, we will gather horses, riders with sabers. And he: “I don’t understand. I’m not the king, but this one?” No, I don’t think it’s possible with him. Maybe pull another one? Say: “Well, let’s take courage.” promise him something. Maybe some area [смех в зале]. You can give a horse for sure. Well I do not know. You can dream about it, but I think it’s only in dreams. But they do come true.
What are you dreaming about, Sasha?
– so that I do [щёлкает пальцами], but again – this is a lie, this cannot be. To make all the weapons in the world disappear. Everything, even the one I have [аплодисменты в зале].
– You said earlier that with those with whom you are friends, you try not to touch on political things. What unites you is not politics, but friendship since childhood. I have a question – with those people whom you had in mind, do you communicate with them now?
– I don’t talk to a lot of people.
– And for what reasons can you tell?
— Due to the invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine. Here are the reasons.
***
“It’s good what people are saying about Fury. I think he will agree to the fight. What he talks about, he already sells it. I mean duel. Let it work a little. We will work here for the country, and he will work there for the world when this duel takes place. And as far as I know, we talked with the Saudis, who organized the second fight with Joshua. They are very interested in having this fight again in Saudi Arabia. And I think it’s totally awesome. Moreover, they want to make another stadium. Something for about 80-90 thousand people. Class. I think it’s very awesome.
- Either Fury or?.. Oleksandr Usyk on the fight for the WBC title
Do you consider Tyson Fury the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time?
– He is a very strong athlete, world champion. He has not a single defeat, but to consider him great somehow … Muhammad Ali – yes, this is a magnitude. No, I do not consider him the best, the coolest. I don’t consider myself like that, and I don’t consider many boxing athletes like that either. Good tops, but not great. There is no greatness in them. Muhammad Ali is great.
Is your trilogy with Anthony Joshua possible? Perhaps after the fight, Joshua himself or someone from his team approached you with this question: “Let’s do a third fight, like Canelo – Golovkin or Fury – Wilder?”
— Eddie Hearn said something about it, but I don’t want to take the competence of the judges who judged. The Englishman gave it to me, the Ukrainian gave it to me, and the American gave it to Anthony. But when I reviewed the fight… Well, four, five maximum rounds can be given to Anthony. But separate, unanimous – is there a victory? Thank God. Don’t wave your hands after a fight. They’ve already done it all. If Fury doesn’t agree or somehow swims somewhere, it seems to me that we can make the third fight just at the Olimpiyskiy. They were in London, they were in Saudi, you can shy away at the “Olympic”.
Oleksandr Usyk also spoke about the turning point of the rematch with Joshua.