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In the camp from Oleksandr Usyk: Behind the scenes with the heavyweight champion

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Gandia, Spain – Oleksandr Usyk has I did all this: belts, medals, fame and fortune.

He is a national hero in Ukraine. He has his “0” … he is undisputed in two divisions and is a golden Olympic medalist. But he still lives according to the motto of his band “Ready to fight”: “Never is never enough”. He wants more.

In the serene city of Gandia on the east coast of Spanish Usyk (23-0, 14 KO) continues to prosecute a larger history in another unquestioned heavyweight clash, this time against IBF master Daniel Dubois (22-2, 21 Kos) 19 July 19 at the London Wembley Stadium stadium.

In the fight against Dubois, the Usyk training base was transformed from an aged rental store. That’s enough, but he has everything he needs. At the top there is a gym with a ring, several training bags, weights and assault bike. However, there are personal dotted accents.

Ukrainian flags, a poster with Spartan and a white concrete wall in which his team members wrote messages. Someone painted a cat in relation to the pseudonym Usyk.

On the one hand, in the brave pen: “Moskow 2018”, “Saudi 2024”; Two previous times he has been crowned the undisputed champion. At the top of the wall: “London 2025.” The band shows another glorious night.

At a lower level on another wall, which was painted in the blue -yellow flag of Ukraine, the word “unquestioned” shines from a huge neon sign. More manifestations.

TV screens show material from various fights to a continuous loop. The first fight between Usyk and Dubois – which Utyk won through the knockout in August 2023 – and also aged Dubois has been burning the screen for years. Everything in the aged store is directed to the task.

At the bottom there is a wide open space in which people can relax. There are TVs and PlayStation that Utyk likes to play during downtime.

There is a pending buzz of activity in which his team members deal with their activities; Sorting logistics before fighting or helping media members, while some watch Usyk-Dubois 1, discussing what they see.

Two sons of Usyk, Mykhailo and Kyrylo, time passes idly while their dad trains intensively. They miss their mother and sisters who are still in Ukraine.

Alternating boys, shooting basketball at a fleeting rim, which was brought to them and kick football against the wall when they try to kill boredom. From time to time, they stop looking at their dad or the media contingent who joined them for the whole day. They do not do much confusion in everything and are busy, sometimes going upstairs to the gym to sneak out the action.

The full size of their father’s size may not surprise yet. One day they will know. For now, he is simply their dad, with whom they have to go to work on Saturday morning.

Usyk and Counthman Lithe Heavyweight Daniel Lapin – hailed as another boxing star of Ukraine – running down the curved stairs that leads to the gym, getting a little cardio.

Their days start at 6 am from the first session. Usyk will do two or three in total depending on the day. It is essential that the training varies. Running, swimming, cycling, tennis, mental training and cognitive tests, as well as a sparring of all shapes.

At the gym, two Ukrainian boxers make moves of what they consider to be a “lighter” gym and strength training session, but it is explosive. Quick skipping circuit, assault bicycle sprints, weights, kettlebell exercises and body weight procedures, as well as an excruciating exercise in which Usyk performs a sit-up, throwing a gigantic medical ball on the wall.

For ordinary mortals, it seems at least intimidating.

Has he ever thought he would prefer to enjoy the loot of his success?

“Every day I have moments during training, when I want to be on the beach with my wife, holding a bottle in my hand,” says Eyk.

But sparring dominates in the schedule; He spends about 60% of his week in the ring in early June.


Today is Routine of strength and power. Thanks to the sweat from his torso, his purple sleeveless shirt changed several shades darker than the lightweight lavender that began the day.

There is a few minutes of skipping without losing the rhythm, making it so effortless. Only moving in the shade and dances stop its metronomic rhythm. Ukrainian techno music goes and keeps the climate high in the next day on the cut. The verbal communication between the involved people is restricted, but the process is trouble -free.

“Listen, mom, I can fly,” says Usyk to Lapin, when his turn is coming to jump, encouraging his protected one. Quick breath and this is next. Changing the assault bike.

“Once again!” The coach of strength and condition Jakub Chycki screams.

“Listen, mom, I can fly,” says Usyk again. This time it pushes the screaming muscles to continue. At this point, Chycki knows that the master feels it.

“[Usyk] It always has a lot of energy, but it is usually a mask – says Chycki. “He is tired, he is simply human. Of course, [he’s] superhuman. I usually call him “homosapien athleticus”. It’s amazing. But now there is a very arduous time for him. “

The session ends with a moment of serene reflection when the heart rate of the master falls. He will kiss the crucifix, which got stuck in the chest later. “Today … Enough,” says Usyk. “But never enough.”

He can be a heavyweight champion, but Usyk still wipes the surfaces and packs the equipment after training, is proud of miniature things and making sure that everything is ready for the next session. Post sweat from a shirt in a bucket and carefully folds it.

Before going down the stairs, he turns and bows to the prayer pinned to the weighing stand before it disappears from the shower.


The data is a king During a training camp. Chycki, called “Brains Behind”, is also a university professor and has a eternal stream of information that he collects from every session. Everything from Usyk’s aerobic ability to brain monitoring during sparrings.

The band “Ready to Fight” (RTF) also analyzes everything meticulously, both in Usyk and Dubois.

RTF became a co -founder of Usyk and a childhood friend, general director Sergey Lapin. The company will work in parallel with Dubois from Queensberry and will expand its platform to various aspects of the boxing world, from data analysis for warriors to matching them to sparring partners.

The fight record, struggle statistics and lots of physical attributes are included. The idea appeared after the Sparring partner of Usyk failed to one day at the camp. From there, Usyk and Lapin have developed a company and want it to expand to influence all levels of sport.

But their main goal is Dubois now.

“Our analytical department is looking for various fights, try to find weaknesses, strengths to gather information to work on them and give the team the right analytics so that they can see how they can affect future fights,” says Espn Sergey Lapin.

Are the data not a very secret weapon for the Utyk?

“Yes, of course,” says Lapin. “Do you have a car? That’s good for you. You have a bike [as well]But the car is better. We now have a very good car. “

Usyk willingly helps to develop RTF after his career, which he admitted that he was approaching to the end. He will undoubtedly take a well -deserved break when it ends, but also fights, like many elite athletes to sit still too long. Two weeks after the second victory over the Fury, come from his wife and wanted to go back to the gym.

“I think about my life every day,” says Usyk ESPN. “Every day I think about what I will do after my professional career. Every day I wonder what I will do … and I have a few plans. I think I will play a little football.”

Usyk was an avid player when he was youthful, but the box is in his soul. He wants to facilitate the next generation of Ukrainian fighters. He says that one day he wants to train the world champion.

For now, he ends his ends with his valued career.

There is a larger, better dubois.

Another chance for the undisputed, so his manifestation can be cut out in historical books, not just the wall of his gym.

He approaches lying on the beach with a bottle of something, but he has not yet finished.

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Canelo Alvarez will compete on the Las Vegas Card, and David Benavidez will headline Cinco De Mayo weekend

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Image: Canelo Alvarez Surgery Recovery Delays Return Until Mid-2026 After Crawford Loss

Alvarez, 35, had elbow surgery last year and will miss the weekend in which he has always been the main character. He has wrestled on Cinco de Mayo weekend every year since 2015, except for 2018 and 2020.

Saturday’s event will be hosted by David Benavidez, who will move up to cruiserweight to face unified champion Gilberto Ramirez. Benavidez previously had mandatory super middleweight status during Alvarez’s undisputed title fight.

Alvarez last fought in September during Mexican Independence Weekend, losing a unanimous decision to Terence Crawford. It is expected to return in mid-September on the same holiday weekend.

His presence on Saturday drew attention because the co-main event will be a fight for the WBA 168-pound title. Munguia vs. Winner Resendiz will hold the belt in Alvarez’s division, which will make the outcome crucial to his next opponent’s options. No direct link has been confirmed, but a different name has been added to the current title image as a result.

If Resendiz wins, he becomes a huge high reward and manageable risk target should Saul return home. Resendiz is tough and has that unrelenting “Toro” style, but he’s technically the type of aggressive fighter that Saul has long timed and countered with ease.

The event will be broadcast on Prime Video and DAZN. Former promoter Oscar De La Hoya is also expected to be in attendance to support his fighters, including Ramirez and Oscar Duarte. In recent years, De La Hoya has publicly criticized Alvarez.

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David Benavidez’s hopes for a fight with Dmitry Bivol after Ramirez faces one major obstacle

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David Benavidez’s hopes of fighting Dmitry Bivol after Ramirez face one major obstacle

A major obstacle has been revealed that could derail plans for a potential fight between David Benavidez and Dmitry Bivol.

After reigning supreme at super middleweight and lightweight heavyweight, reigning WBC 175-pound world champion Benavidez begins his toughest test yet with a monumental 25-pound jump to the cruiserweight division. on Saturday evening, a clash with unified champion Gilberto Ramirez.

However, even if he is successful against Ramirez, the “Mexican Monster” has vowed to return to lightweight heavyweight in pursuit of a chance to claim the undisputed crown against WBA, WBO and IBF titleholder Bivol.

Although there is a lot of interest in this fight, Eddie Hearn said Fighting the noise that Bivol has a “loose obligation” to take part in the trilogy with Artur Beterbiev.

“I think Benavidez-Bivol is a great fight, but we have some loose commitments with the Beterbiev III fight, which if called upon, we have to take.

“But if that’s not the case, Benavidez is absolutely the right fight. I think it’s a great fight, it’s two guys pound for pound.

“I really think Benavidez will beat Ramirez, and if that happens, if Dmitry comes through on May 30, which is what we expect him to do, why not fight Benavidez?”

Bivol will defend two of his three titles against German Michael Eifert next month, while Beterbiev considers his own “fine-tuning” in preparation for a third meeting with his rival.

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He crashed Bowe vs Holyfield and everything fell apart

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Fan Man crashes into ring during Bowe vs Holyfield fight in 1993

The man known as “Fan Man” became boxing’s strangest punch line – but the ending wasn’t witty at all.

As a teenager, watching what looked like an unidentified flying object hurtling towards the ring, causing instant chaos, was something that had never been seen before. Two feet dangling in the air before he plummeted downwards with what looked like a huge office fan strapped to his back, it was one of those moments that could only happen in a cubicle.

What followed wasn’t confusion – it was panic.

Judy Bowe, six months pregnant and sitting at ringside, heard the overhead lights crackling and thought it was gunshots. Debris fell from above as the scene around her crumbled. She fainted and was taken away in an ambulance, Reverend Jesse Jackson holding her hand while Riddick Bowe stood in the ring, not knowing whether to stay or leave.

For a moment, no one knew whether they were watching a fight or something much worse.

“It was a mess,” Bowe’s manager Rock Newman said later, and it barely scratched him. Fans rose to their feet, security moved in, and a man who had just fallen out of the sky was dragged into the crowd and beaten when his parachute broke free from the overhead lights.

HBO’s Jim Lampley called it a “disruption monster.” He wasn’t exaggerating.

Nobody saw him coming. Some people thought it was part of the show. Actress Demi Moore even leaned in and asked if it was planned. This did not happen.

It seemed like a joke to me at the time. There wasn’t one left.

James Miller circled Caesars Palace for a few minutes before walking straight into the biggest fight of the night. His legs got caught in the ropes, the canopy got tangled in the rigging, and within seconds, the heavyweight title rematch between Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield turned into something no one in boxing had ever seen.

HBO Sports

Referee Mills Lane stopped the action at 1:50 of the seventh. What should have been a routine round turned out to be a 21-minute delay as the judges tried to figure out what to do next.

“There is nothing in the regulations about this,” admitted the head of the Nevada state commission, Marc Ratner.

Finally the fighting resumed. Holyfield won by majority vote, avenging his loss and regaining the titles.

But the fight was no longer the whole story.

The man at the center of things walked away with a novel nickname – “Fan Man” – and took his place in boxing folklore. He joked that he was the only one who got knocked out that night. For a while, that was it – a clip, a replay, something weird to laugh about between rounds.

This wasn’t the end.

A few weeks later, Miller flew over an NFL playoff game and then traveled to England, where he broadcast a football game and even landed near Buckingham Palace before being imprisoned and deported. Each feat pushed the envelope a little further without really explaining why.

Things weren’t the same away from the cameras.

Health problems took away the flying that defined him. Coronary heart disease, surgeries and mounting medical bills forced him to close his business. The man who fell out of the sky in a world title fight has been grounded for good.

In September 2002, he drove into the Alaskan desert and disappeared.

A few months later, hunters found his body deep off the trail. He took his own life. He was 38 years venerable.

His girlfriend was pregnant at the time. Their son was born before he was found.

For most, “Fan Man” remains a clip – a strange interlude played between rounds of the heavyweight classic.

The fall wasn’t that story. What happened next was more significant.


About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

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