Unified cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in an interview to Evgeni Truhanov told about how he spent his vacation in Mexico after the semifinal fight of the World Boxing Super Series against Mairis Briedis and what he thinks about the upcoming final against Russian Murat Gassiev.
- Alexander, how did you spend time in Mexico?
- Excellent rest with my wife and friends, it was great. We had an active rest, we attended the event in Cancun - the championship fights. There Miguel Berchelt defended the WBC belt, and several interesting fights before also.
- Is there any difference in the organization of battles in Europe?
- (laughs) Organization was crazy - it looks like it was no organization at all! Some kind of panic, there are a lot of people around us, a sea of ​​whiskey, they are sitting, drinking it. It's clear, people have fun, they came to enjoy the show. I looked specifically for boxing. I do not care if it's a good organization or bad. The main thing is that no one jumps on my head. Although the Berchelt family was behind us. They there so furiously supported him! The children were with posters, they cried and cried. Such a feeling that I was in the epicenter of this all. It was colorful!
- Why Mexico, who initiated the trip there and chose a resort?
- You know, every year I go to skiing in Bukovel. But since I got to the final of the WBSS, the skis are not in the topic. They are dangerous enough - God cares. We talked with Sergei Vatamaniuk, my coach, and his wife Tanya, looked at the resorts and chose Mexico. It's warm, 28 degrees Celsius. They chose a hotel so that it would not be a party, but a quiet one.
We ran on the sand, swam, played volleyball, went on excursions, where there were ancient settlements of Maya. I really liked it. I will definitely go back there, because I forgot things in the hotel (laughs).
Wonderful impressions and memories remained of this place, so you need to return.
- You've had enough rest from the battle with Briedis. A month passed after the fight. Have you analyzed everything already?
- I watched the video about a week after the fight. Of course, I wrote down some mistakes I made. I put them in a special diary. Naturally, when preparations for the next battle have now begun, we will remove the flaws that were committed in battle with Mairis.
- How many, in your opinion, you made mistakes? Still, 195 missed shots - a record amount in your career. In the battle with Hunter they were 190, but there you threw out a lot more.
- It seems to me that there is some kind of a miscalculation. 195 punches - there are probably every light touch who passed by. I think, even when I took them on my guard and my hair twitched. As one friend said to me: "The hair was not suitable, it should be shorter. And when something was landed somewhere like on the hand, the hair twitches and you think: Yeah, then, it was a punch." Yes, there were mistakes, but I would not say that there were so many of them that something radically changed.
- But after the fight, there was enough criticism. And Denys Berinchyk immediately in the studio said that too much uppercuts were passed from Mairis.
- People have the right to criticize. And uppercuts, of course, passed from Mairis, because this is his best shot. I prepared for it, but nevertheless I let it go. This is such a blow that sometimes you do not see.
- Your mother after the fight asked you to finish boxing. Did you communicate with her after that?
- It's emotion. Mom will always want her son to be okay and not be hurt. Naturally, she is very worried. That's why he says that on emotions.
- Even after the battle with Mchunu, you said that you will not let her into the ringside if she continues to react so emotionally...
- Yes. Here, by the way, I consider that she will not attend the WBSS final. Because for her it will be quite a big load.
- And you are happy with your boxing with Mairis?
- I'm happy, why not? I have a belt. I am satisfied with the result. That the victory is ours, the belt is in the house, we are in the final. The fact that I did not show the boxing that people expected was the decision of me and my team. And if people do not like something in my boxing - not my problem.
- How can you describe Murat Gassiev?
- You know, I watched his fight with Dorticos, watched him, then went into the ring, face to face... He is a young warrior who trains, works hard, goes to his goal, and he is very modest. If you take people by human qualities, then he is a very good person.
- And how is he as a boxer?
- And he is a very good boxer. Look at the fights he has fought. Two victories in WBSS. He's a strong guy.
- Did he surprise you with something in technique in the battle with Dorticos?
- No. He is a boxer from the post-Soviet space. And we all have one school, it's similar. Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Kirghiz, Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians - all these schools are very similar. Therefore, Murat did not surprise me. He fought as he should. From Dorticos, I also expected the same as he was. He probably is not exactly a regime guy. And after the 6th round it was clear that he was physically slightly exhausted, and the battle was already coming to an end.
It seemed to me that when Murat hit him, he somehow became upset in a human way that the fight ended just like that, by knockout. He was already wearing it. So somehow he looked with frustrated feelings. But this is boxing.
- Some specialists in Russia wrote after the battle that you were frightened during the knockout - at first you laughed, and then...
- Well, let them think that I was frightened.
- But in fact, how was it?
- Look, I just said it. You know how emotion, when you sit, watch a fight and then "Bam, KO!" Here you can either scream or do something else. I sympathized the one who fell. Because it really landed well. After all, he landed one-two but stayed in place, and Murat dodged, sat on his foot and threw a good left hook. He did not even hit the chin. He beat through his hand and it hit through his glove. In general, it was a very decent punch.
- There is still talk that Russia can buy the final from the Saudis and hold a fight in Moscow or St. Petersburg. Will this be fair?
- It would be unfair, that's all. In this case, I do not care where to fight. I just fight. But they will not overbid anything.
- You have already said that you understand that the battle with Gassiev will be shaken in the context of politics. But certainly for the last time put on the agenda of this fuss among the fans during the preparation?
- I do not put it anywhere at all. And the fans let them pumping. For me, the situation is one - the finale of the World Boxing Super Series. At stake are five championship belts and the Mohammed Ali Cup. Therefore, I have to strain only one thing - how to prepare myself qualitatively, where it will pass. That's what's on my agenda.
- As for preparation, do you already know how and where it will take place?
- Oh sure. But I will not say anything where this all will be. I want it to be as calm as possible, so that no one will see or hear me.
- Can we say that in the next couple of months we will not see Alexander Usyk?
- I will do my job - prepare for battle, train, enjoy life, and only communicate on Viber, WhatsApp, Facetime with my children and my spouse.
