Oleksandr Usyk, the undefeated undisputed heavyweight champion, isn't ready to hang up his gloves just yet. The Ukrainian boxer says he's still got plenty of fight left in him, despite already achieving what many would consider a career's worth of success.
Usyk's resume reads like a boxing fan's dream. He grabbed Olympic gold in London 2012, then turned pro and quickly made waves. By 2018, he'd unified all four major cruiserweight titles in just 15 fights, becoming the first in the four-belt era to do so.
After cleaning out the cruiserweight division with wins over Murat Gassiev and Tony Bellew, Usyk set his sights on the heavyweights. He didn't miss a beat, beating Derek Chisora before shocking Anthony Joshua twice to claim the WBA, IBF, and WBO titles. A successful defense against Daniel Dubois followed, setting up his undisputed clash with Tyson Fury in May.
In an interview with Boxing King Media, Usyk explained why he's still motivated to box:
"Because I like this. It's my life. I feel I have power. When I win an Olympic Gold medal, two times undisputed, it's not my finished career. Maybe it's only the start of my boxing career."
The likeable champion's tricky southpaw style, agile footwork, and precise combinations have made him a nightmare for opponents. But Usyk's not just thinking about his own career. He's got big plans for after he hangs up the gloves:
"I have a plan what I will do after my boxing career. I have good team, Sergey, Nicola, we will work for boxing, young people, who wanna grow for boxing. Listen, we have a lot of time for boxing. Not only boxing, for life."
Usyk wants to help young people, and not just in boxing. He's planning to support education in various fields:
"For example, you wanna go study for university, medicine, OK no problem, we help you, we pay for your education. But when you finish your study, you will help boxers and people."
For now, though, Usyk's focus is on the ring. He's gearing up for a December rematch with Tyson Fury, looking to cement his place as the top heavyweight of his era. With his technical skills and high ring IQ, Usyk's certainly got a shot at adding another chapter to his already impressive story.
