Former Klitschko's coach on how his fighter knocked out Usyk in sparring

Alexander Usyk
Alexander Usyk

Sergei Gorodnichev, the former member of the coaching staff of Wladimir Klitschko, claims that heavyweight Iago Kiladze, with whom he worked at one time, knocked out Oleksandr Usyk in training.

“When Kiladze was training under my guidance, and we came for sparring, he put Usyk in the second round on the spleen. And he planted it so well that the sparring was canceled. Ali Bashir jumped up: “What did you hit below the belt?” I answer: “So let's take a look at the camera.” He said that the camera did not record, but the girl was recording the video there. Of course, I gave it to him there so that he sat down. They decided to refuse sparring, but it was a blow to the spleen.

"The next time they sparred, the whole audience was surprised - purely like the fight was. The sparring was at the level of a duel. Both were handsome. How does Usyk keep a blow? You all know. Let it pass - let's see how he holds it.

"In the first sparring, Kiladze knocked out Usyk in the spleen. The next sparring was smooth. Ten rounds at a combat level, the same. We can say that there was a draw. There was a gorgeous sparring there. Everyone stood with huge eyes. Ali Bashir did not know what to do and what to say to Usyk," Sergei Gorodnichev said live on his YouTube channel.