WBA, WBO, IBF, IBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs) told how he felt when the war began, and what he thinks about his profession as a professional boxer in the context of current events in Ukraine.
“At 5 am, my wife wrote me a message that the war had begun. I realized that planes would no longer fly to Ukraine, and we went to the airport, changed tickets and flew to Poland. In Poland, our friend met us and took us to the Ukrainian border. There we got into a car, drove to one of the Ukrainian cities, and from there we got to Kyiv.”
“Inside there was complete devastation, a lack of understanding of what was happening, and very great anxiety for my family. But when I arrived home, saw my family, children, spouse, relatives, it became a little bit easier, ”said Usyk.
“Boxing is a sport, boxing is a craft, and war is survival. I didn't see much, thank God, but what I saw and what I know from my relatives... Some of my acquaintances and friends disappeared, we don't know where they are now. Many of my loved ones have lost their homes, their friends, their loved ones. In fact, what is happening in Ukraine now is very scary. I pray every day that this will end soon.”
“Compared to war, boxing is an infant, it is a small child. War is a terrible thing that you wouldn’t wish even on your enemy,” Usyk said.
Oleksandr Usyk has spent the last few days in the Czech Republic beginning preparations for a rematch tentatively scheduled for June against Anthony Joshua. It is expected that the exact date and place of this confrontation will be determined in the next two weeks.
