Usyk: Screaming "Glory to Ukraine!" - this is not patriotism

In his last interview Oleksandr Usyk spoke about the transition to heavyweights, the Ukrainian boxing school, his attitude to patriotism and trips to ATO zone. Read the first part here.

- There was information that the winner of the battle, Usyk-Gassiev will be obliged to meet WBA champion in "recess" Denis Lebedev. Do you need such a fight or is it like Lomachenko vs Pacquiao? Lebedev is already 40.

- I think he just does not have to box more. I think it's all talk. Of course, if they want to fight, do they have any money? And we need money (smiles). But it's all just talk. I do not think that they can oblige the champion to speak with him. I do not believe it's real yet.

- Egis Klimas [Usyk's manager] said that after the WBSS final you will have minimum three fights before the transfer to heavyweights. He named a possible rematch with Briedis, as well as duels with Bellew and Haye. Which of them are you interested in?

- I would gladly meet David Haye and Tony Bellew. Because these guys are pretty cool. Haye was the unified champion in cruiserweights. Tony has a WBC belt - he is the world champion "in recess". And Haye was WBA heavyweight champion. So it would be interesting to meet both of them. But I think that these fights can not take place in cruiserweights. This will already be fights in the heavyweight division.

- And how many fights will you have to prepare for the desired meeting with Anthony Joshua?

- I think, it is necessary, at least, to have a couple of good battles in heavyweights, but not with the "scum" guys. Haye, Bellew are the good ones. And then you can talk about Anthony. First you have to "shake" yourself in heavyweights.

- Will not it be insulting to leave the cruiserweight belts?

- And why should I give them up? They will lie at my house. And the fact that they will be vacant is excellent! Let the other brothers fight for them, there will be good battles.

- Now any fight turns into a show, and boxing becomes show business. How do you feel about this when the opponents talk trash before the battles?

- Actually it is a show. But it all depends on the boxers. If they behave this way, then I can not blame them. They talk a lot, but I will not tell anyone to behave more modestly. This is their choice. Someone attracts attention in such a way, receives contracts, big battles, earns money and simply disappears. Someone is silent and doing nothing. But thus earns money, belts, attention, and love of spectators. And then he also leaves.

I have such an upbringing that I cannot offend someone. I am a believer, an Orthodox Christian. And even for the show, I can not do this, because I will deceive my fans and myself. Because I'm nagging nasty things, and he can have a suspicious family. And his daughter, for example, will be offended that her father was talked about so bad.

- It happens that none of the Ukrainian boxers behave the same way as the Americans or Britons.

- You know, they can say something, and they will not do it and they do not care. And if I said and did not do it, I am a trash talker. How can you do it at all? The man said - the man did. Manners are the face of a man.

- Vasyl Lomachenko recently said that the Ukrainian boxing school does not exist. In your opinion, is this a myth or a reality?

- (after a pause) The Ukrainian boxing school really is not present. We do not have a specialized center that would train young boxers. All the guys train in the regions, in some not quite equipped clubs, basements. Champions come out of these rooms, get to junior, youth, then adult championships of Ukraine. They win them, get into the national team and go further. But we really do not have such a conveyor as in Kazakhstan for example. There boxing is a sport number 1 in the country.

- And there the state provides boxers, unlike us?

- There the state brings up boxers, puts money in them. Study, food, form - there guys do not think about this. How parents of a poor family can give their child to boxing in Ukraine? And there, if you show the result, you are given with everything. That is a survival. If you want to earn money and get out of poverty you should train, give all yourself. And you will be given first shoes, a uniform. It is clear that you will be fed, watered, transported to the competitions. And then in the end you will get a salary, a scholarship. We have to do it - we do not have that. It is clear that there is some kind of help from personal trainers who train at home. But this is not help from the state.

- Now there is talk again that they want to ban amateur boxing at the Olympic Games. What will it lead to, if they make such a decision?

- I think that removing boxing from Olympics is a great stupidity. This topic is being raised by AIBA not for the first time. It's business. You can not clean up the boxing, because it is the ancestor of the Olympic Games. How can they remove a fist fighting that has been a sport since ancient times?

Take the curling. Awesome spectacular sport! One accelerates an iron, letting it over the ice, and the others rub with a mop to get it on. I would not like to belittle some disciplines, but look at the history: boxing, wrestling, athletics are those sports that were originally at the first Olympics. I think that boxing will not be removed.

- Does it make any difference when you hear the anthem standing on the podium at the Olympics in the amateurs, and when you are already in the ring as a pro? Has something changed for you?

- Well, no. Just like at the Olympics, so do now. When I stand and hear the national anthem of Ukraine, the heart is pounding inside, goose bumps are all over the skin.

- What does patriotism mean to you?

- Patriotism is a clear understanding of why we should live worse than others (laughs). At least to shout "Glory to Ukraine!" it is not patriotism. Patriotism is when you sit silently at home on the couch and watch the Olympic games on TV. And when your compatriot wins, you watch him as he is awarded, they put on a medal, they play an anthem, and you silently get up. And you do it on the sly, and not on the audience. This is a patriotism.

- You repeatedly went to the ATO zone, and supported our guys there. How do you get the ideas to go to the front line?

- I served for six years under contract in the border troops, when we were still boxing amateurs. And I still have a lot of familiar guys, border guards, with whom I still maintain friendly relations. Still there is a senior friend with whom I am friends. The purpose of the trip is to support the guys morally. We communicate, we sit drinking tea, eating.

They just need to be supported. I do this not because I want it to be shown on TV. If you take my social networks, I do not shout that I went to the ATO zone. I do not need to do PR on this. I do not beat myself in the chest and say: Look where I went! I'm going to the people.

- Were you scared?

- It's dangerous there. When I was there last time, then there was a shot. And the guys took me by the head and covered. But there was no fear. I do not know why, but somehow it was calm. When I was going there, we went to church, prayed, thanked God and I came back. I understand that it is very dangerous to be there. Because we are on the front, on the "zero". But the guys inspire calm, they have no fear.

They write to me after the trips: "Alex, thank you, you have tempered us, we have a change of routine a little bit". You know, nobody canceled human qualities. You can be a man or a bitch. I do not like the second option. I choose to be human.

- There you made a salad to the guys. Do you cook at home?

- I do not cook at home, but I can help. I can wash the dishes. By the way I'm figured out with a dishwasher. But I can cut salad, make fruits sliced, something else. But to cook... I can make eggs or oatmeal. Do not just pour it with boiling water but brew, then it is not like that. Namely, cook. I know how much time it takes to cook. And so, in principle, I do not cook.

- What irritates you the most in people?

- (laughs) Stupidity. The fact that people do not want to learn. And they do not know how to hear. Listen, but do not hear.

- And finally: what would you like to say to the Ukrainians who support you?

- I want to thank them for supporting me. Sincere thanks to them and a bow. I want to tell them: let them watch on, write, read about me. Because, the further into the forest, the more interesting the fairy tale. All good!