General Director of the promotion company K2 Promotions Ukraine Alexander Krasyuk gave an interview for YouTube channel
boxoffice.
In a conversation, Krasyuk expressed his opinion about former British champion Anthony Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs), who will try to get even for the defeat in the first fight and take back the world heavyweight titles (over 90.7 kg) in Saturday’s rematch against them the current owner of the Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs). The promoter also spoke about the interest in this fight, television broadcasting in the world and Ukraine, and gave his forecast for a rematch.
Media days have been going on for several days now. Did you see Joshua, how did he seem to you?
– Yesterday I hugged even after an open training session. Joshua approached, greeted, hugged. I wished him good luck and good health. No negative emotions, pure professionalism. What did he look like? Well, tough guy, no question. In my opinion, he looked more confident in the open training than last time. This is my subjective impression. What I saw in his eyes, in his habits – he felt more down to earth, let’s say, standing on his heels than then – fluttering on his toes.
This will be a very brutal opponent. In my opinion, in the first half of the fight, Joshua will lay out everything he has: strength, power, anthropometry, arm span, height advantage, leg length advantage, his accumulated combinations, uppercut, punches at the races, sharpness, pressure, pressing physical, brutal pressure, laying hands on a lower opponent. It will all be such a mixture, and also at a high pace.
He no longer has the task of winning a chess game against Usyk. His task now is to sweep all the pieces off the chessboard. He must strangle him, relatively speaking, run over him with a caterpillar. This is how the fight is in Anthony Joshua’s head. But it is not a secret for other people either. All analysts agree on this. And now most people don’t talk about twelve rounds. Either there or here, but exactly within the distance. But on the other hand, how to box 12 rounds in such heat? Better finish early.
– What arena will it take place in and what is the general interest of the audience, how are tickets bought up in general, how much interest is there in Saudi Arabia in the fight between the Ukrainian and the British?
– King Abdullah Sports City – there is such a sports city where the stadium is located, where the Sport Hall is located. Here King Abdullah Sports Hall is the venue for this fight. This is a small arena for 14 thousand people. Tickets are very expensive. More expensive I have not yet met. Is that the dealers in Mayweather – Pacquiao in Las Vegas. Really very expensive. The first row is about 5.5 thousand, something about 5 thousand dollars for one seat. The arena is not sold out yet. There is understanding and explanation for this. This is only the third time a boxing match will be held in the last 4 years (in Saudi Arabia). The culture of boxing consumption has not yet been created here. There is no national boxing history here either. There are no Olympic champions here, there are no boxing champions, there are no more or less active professionals here. That is, the task of the country is to develop this industry here. But the groundwork will be very good for development. The media activity is just crazy and the media interest is off the charts. Touching directly the living Joshua with the living Mustache and even when they are in the same room – this causes a certain magnetism – an electrician in the air. This attracts people and somehow this message is spread in the media.
How Usyk and Joshua chose gloves for the fight. Guess who are what? – video
– And on the television part, how will it be shown and how much interest in this fight exists in the world?
– Broadcast of this match in the UK is a pay-per-view in conjunction with Sky Sports. In America it’s DAZN, and in the rest of the world, as I understand it, it’s DAZN, in the countries where it broadcasts. On the one hand, it is convenient for the organizers. No need to conclude 50 contracts with different broadcasters, raise their signal to different satellites. The signal is transmitted to the BT Tower in London and everyone takes the signal from it. Ukraine stands apart here, of course. It was a special project with the initiative of our champion. As soon as it became known about this fight, Sasha asked to reserve the rights to Ukraine for him. He said, “I’m ready to buy them back.” Prince Khalid, who is at the head of this whole organization, did not accept this kind of offer – he gave these television rights. Usyk’s task was to ensure that everyone in Ukraine had the opportunity to watch this broadcast. Accordingly, it will go on the Megogo platform for all subscribers and non-subscribers, when everyone can go to the site and turn on the broadcast without registration. Then it will be the platform of our partners “Pari-Match”, and it will be “Suspilne” and “2 + 2”. There will be a studio with interesting guests before the fight. Indeed, the whole evening can be spent in the vein of boxing.
– Please tell me your prediction for the fight.
– It will definitely be much tougher than in the first fight. Exactly the second duel will be nothing like the first. Definitely, Usyk will have to go through hell in the first half of the fight. Definitely, Joshua will put everything he has, he will put the whole arsenal in the ring and not a step back. Of course plans change after the first missed one, but I don’t think they will change much. Still, there is something to fight for Joshua, there is something to lose. My prediction is that it will be one of the most interesting fights in the heavyweight division. I won’t talk about the outcome.
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