UK Boxing
Oleksandr Usyk makes a disturbing admission in four words before his rematch with Tyson Fury
Published
2 days agoon
Oleksandr Usyk admitted that he is fed up with boxing as he prepares for the upcoming mega-rematch with Tyson Fury, which will take place this Saturday in Saudi Arabia.
The Ukrainian sensation secured a split decision victory over Furia last year. With scores of 115-112, 113-114 and 114-113, Usyk is poised to defend his titles in Riyad, with what many consider an ever-dwindling field of worthy challengers.
After outclassing rivals such as Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois and dominating the cruiserweight division until 2018, the 37-year-old appears to be tiring of the sport in the days before his lucrative clash with Fury. Dismissing concerns about Fury’s greater height, Usyk emphasized his resilience in the chat from Boxing King Media: “It doesn’t matter to me,” he said. “I have a forceful heart, I have desires.”
I have the support of my country, my wife and children. Listen, I’m kind of fed up with boxing. Greater? No problem. I have no news for the greedy belly. I have a message for my fans, thank you very much for supporting me.” Earlier this year, Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter Alexander Krassyuk denied rumors that the boxer was retiring, even though Usyk was approaching forty. “We never talked about Usyk retiring, Krassyuk explained. “Maybe there were rumors, maybe someone else was sharing their thoughts, but we never talked about it. This issue is not a problem for us.”
He further explained that retirement is a player’s personal choice, dependent on his drive and willingness to continue his demanding training regime. “It is always the player’s decision. When he feels like he has nothing to prove, when he feels like he doesn’t want to get up at five in the morning and do three workouts [sessions] in one day, if he gets fed up with it, it’s probably time for him to hang up his gloves.”
Sergei Lapin, Usyk’s trainer, has suggested that Usyk could pursue other combat sports following Tyson Fury’s potential “retirement.” Earlier this summer, Lapin speculated: “[Usyk] he has proven he is the best of his generation and when Tyson Fury retires he will consider his options.”
These options may include losing weight or trying something completely different, such as MMA or bare-knuckle fighting. “Maybe it’s the weight loss again, or maybe there’s a wild card option on the table for him. Be it in the boxing ring, in the MMA cage or even in Conor McGregor’s bare-knuckle fighting championship.”
Lapin also mentioned the possibility of Usyk facing UFC legend Jon Jones or a rematch with Anthony Joshua. “Can you imagine Usyk and Jon Jones fighting to prove they are the worst man in the world? Or maybe this is the third fight with Anthony Joshua in the MMA cage. Perhaps it will be cruiserweight Jake Paul, although Usyk would have to fight him with one hand behind his back to make it fair.
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UK Boxing
Oleksandr Usyk shares the incredible moment Tyson Fury fight result was shared on the front line
Published
12 hours agoon
December 17, 2024As brave soldiers fought on the front lines, radios roared with unchanging on the battlefield. These brave units, defending Ukraine against the invading Russian forces, on the night of May 18 this year. they were waiting for further instructions or warnings about incoming missiles.
They are hailed as national heroes who risk their lives to protect their borders from Vladimir Putin’s troops. Oleksandr Usyk understands this perfectly, he has friends on the front line and has witnessed the horrors himself.
But life also goes on beyond the grim reality of war, and they were also eager to hear about their hero Usyk’s other fight against Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia. “Let me tell you one story,” Usyk, 37, said when asked if he had spoken to the fighters since the victory over Furia.
“This is the front line where the fighting takes place. And the people on the second line have special communications connecting them to the front lines on the battlefield. They have nicknames like: “Rocket, Rocket, can you hear me?” intonation, when they first picked up the phone, they said, “Yes, yes, what’s going on?” What do we have to do? [thinking it was an emergency]but then they got the news that Usyk was the undisputed champion and they started cheering: “Oh yes! All right!'”
In what must have been an incredibly moving time for those who longed for a glimmer of hope in the trenches, the brutal truth remains that Usyk was able to return to his loved ones after his victories, but he cannot take them back to his Ukrainian home. His partner Yekaterina and their children Mykhailo, Kyrylo and Yelizaveta had to leave Ukraine in featherlight of the current crisis, and Usyk kept their whereabouts a secret for security reasons.
Ringside, Ekaterina witnessed Usyk’s best Fury, recording his first defeat and allowing Usyk to win the undisputed heavyweight title – a moment they celebrated away from the public eye with their children, who were nervously watching TV in their short-lived apartment. “They were very scared and nervous, my two boys and my daughter,” Usyk commented.
However, when they saw their father again, the children’s spirits improved. “They said I was a real legend now,” recalls the humble former cruiserweight champion, although he modestly disagrees. “I said, ‘Mm, no.’ They said ‘yes, yes’.
The humility with which Usyk views his achievements was evident when boxing icon Lennox Lewis, the last before Usyk to become undisputed heavyweight champion in 1999, visited Usyk’s training camp in Spain ahead of his long-awaited rematch with Fury in Riyad. Despite winning the heavyweight crown after defeating Fury in early May, the reigning champion was honored and clearly impressed in the presence of his esteemed predecessor.
“It was great,” Usyk said. “I once watched him fight on TV. Now Lennox Lewis is in my camp watching my sparring. I said, ‘Wow, hey, Lennox. Do you miss boxing, do you miss preparations?». – Yes of course.
“Listen, it was great. I made a poster. I said, “Hey, Master, please sign for both of my sons.” My wife’s father said, ‘Oh my God, Lennox Lewis, please sign and take a picture.’
Perhaps Lewis should have asked Usyk for his autograph. “Just my shirt,” he joked with a smile. It is an extreme display of humility on Usyk’s part that he does not consider himself a legend despite being an Olympic gold medalist, world and European amateur champion, and the undisputed king of both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, undefeated in 22 professional fights. And he clearly serves as an inspiration to those in his homeland who are trying to stand up to Russia. “Legend,” he said. “It’s very high class. I don’t like it. I just like being a plain guy. I don’t want others to think of me as an icon. I don’t need it.”
UK Boxing
Tyson Fury announced that he would end Oleksandr Usyk’s career in a rematch
Published
16 hours agoon
December 17, 2024Tyson Fury announced such a decisive victory over Oleksandr Usyk that the Ukrainian will never step into a boxing ring again.
Fury wants to take revenge for the first defeat of his career when he faces Usyk for the second time on Saturday in Riyad.
“The Gypsy King” suffered, among others, loss of split decision in May, and Usyk became the undisputed heavyweight champion.
Fury will have no chance of winning the undisputed title on Saturday after Usyk relinquished the IBF belt, currently held by Daniel Dubois.
Fury insists he wants to end the 37-year-old’s career when they fight for the WBC, WBA and WBO titles.
“I will definitely make him feel 37 years aged,” Fury said Queensberry Promotions.
– He’ll be there with the Gypsy King, not whoever I was last time.
“I had a very good camp.
“I sparred more than I had in years and was able to do the things I’ve always been able to do, which is push myself.
“I would be first if I wasn’t able to fight and all that, I wouldn’t want to go in there and risk getting beaten up for a few extra pounds that I wouldn’t be able to do anything with anyway.
“So if I didn’t feel like I wasn’t the same person, I would be the first to say, ‘You know what, I’ve had enough.’
“But I don’t. I’m very far from that.
“I feel very good and I can’t wait for Saturday’s fight.
“I’m going to end him, end his career.
“You will never hear from Oleksandr Usyk again after this.”
The Briton had a disastrous ninth round, in which, after falling into the rope several times, he counted standing, which turned out to be decisive for the result.
Saudi Arabia’s boxing boss, Turki Alalshikh he supported the 36-year-old in winning the rematch and was already planning to create a trilogy between this pair.
UK Boxing
Logan Paul’s brutal assessment of Conor McGregor after he ‘agrees’ to fight
Published
20 hours agoon
December 17, 2024Logan Paul previously slammed Conor McGregor, calling him a “terrible boxer” – and now it looks like the pair may settle their differences in the ring in India.
McGregor has stirred the combat sports world by announcing on social media his tentative agreement to an exhibition fight with the YouTuber-turned-boxer, temporarily putting his UFC career on ice. “Rumors of a fight with [UFC champion Illia] Topurias are false. I am in preliminary agreements with the Ambani family to face Logan Paul at a boxing event in India. I agreed. Then I will strive to return to the octagon,” declared McGregor.
While Paul is yet to respond to McGregor’s latest claims, he has previously issued a challenge to the Irish fighter ahead of his fight with Dillon Danis, McGregor’s former teammate. “Conor McGregor is an average MMA fighter and a terrible boxer,” Paul assured. “I’m going to kick his son of a bitch Dillon and then I’m going to beat the crap out of him.”
Paul also mocked McGregor for not backing Danis with a massive bet. “He scared me, he won’t even bet a million dollars on his player. That’s a petite thing for a guy like Conor, he won’t even bet a million dollars on Dillon. He had nothing to say when I called him out on Twitter. Do you think he will go there himself? I don’t know, it seems unlikely to me.”
After his victory over Danis, Paul provocatively asked McGregor: “Conor McGregor, do you see that? I picked up your son of a bitch, put him on a leash and took him for a walk. Who is the real warrior now?” McGregor has been out of the ring for more than three years since breaking his leg in the first round of his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier. His only victory since 2016 was a quick 40-second knockout of Donald Cerrone in 2020.
After defeating Eddie Alvarez in two rounds eight years ago, McGregor suffered defeats to Floyd Mayweather, Khabib Nurmagomedov and twice to Poirier. The comeback against Michael Chandler this summer was canceled on two weeks’ notice due to a broken toe.
Last month, McGregor was found guilty of assaulting Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018 and ordered to pay his victim more than £200,000. Paul, the older brother of boxer Jake, made his debut against KSI in 2018, drawing with his social media rival in Manchester before losing to him in Los Angeles a year later.
He then fought Mayweather in a no-scoring exhibition fight before winning over Danis last year. Since then, Paul has focused on his WWE career, but announced his retirement on the latest episode of his podcast. “I’m retired,” he announced. “Come on, I’m retired. I’m dad, bro.”
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