General Director of the promotion company K2 Promotions Ukraine Alexander Krasyuk gave
interview for the British boxing portal.
In a conversation with a reporter, Oleksandr spoke about the significance of the upcoming rematch between the unified heavyweight champion (over 90.7 kg) from Ukraine Oleksandr Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs) and former British champion Anthony Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs), which is scheduled for August 20 in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia). Krasyuk also expressed his opinion about the impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine on Usyk’s training.
– How much will Usyk’s victory over Joshua mean for Ukrainians in the current conditions?
“She will mean a lot, a lot indeed. Usyk is a national hero in Ukraine. This is the most popular athlete at the moment. Many people follow him on social media, many people follow his interviews, many people take part in his career and follow his career. During this difficult period that Ukraine is going through, because right now people in Ukraine are tired, people in Ukraine are scared, people in Ukraine are emotionally exhausted, so they need a kind of explosion of positive energy. Usyk’s fight is one of the things that can make people happy. Therefore, everyone in Ukraine expects a revenge and everyone wants it to win, because Ukraine now needs victories.
– How does this affect Usyk? Does it distract him or does it give him more fuel? We saw earlier how he went to the forest and trained, where no one distracted him, but when there is a war in the country, he can’t really control it and somehow influence it. How does he deal with all this?
“He is a professional athlete and a professional of the highest level. He has a lot of experience in boxing and boxing is not just about skills, footwork, punching and fitness. As with most sports, boxing psychology is very important. The right mindset can be the key to victory. Usually it is. There is a very professional team around Usyk. People know what to do, what to say, how to conduct the training process physically and mentally. As with every Ukrainian, Usyk is not all right, because now there is a war in his native country, but this does not distract him from his goal, does not distract him from the right work and does not distract him from the path to glory.
- Is Joshua looking behind Usyk? The fighter has already planned the next fight