Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk explains why Muhammad Ali is one of his childhood heroes

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WBA, WBO, and IBF heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, who is also Ukrainian, said Muhammad Ali was a childhood hero of his while talking about his coming bout with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and the spirit with which he will enter the ring.

The contest was initially to take place on December 23, but the turn of events at Tyson Fury’s recent professional fight with boxing debutant Francis Ngannou left Fury with more wounds than he could heal before that time.

Therefore, the date of the match was shifted to next year by Tyson Fury’s team.

Talking about the undisputed world heavyweight title bout, which is seen as the most important fight of either man’s career, Oleksandr Usyk revealed what he called his motivation and why he did everything he did.

‘Everything I do today — my achievements, my victories, my efforts are focused to honour my country and my family,’ said Usyk.

It is then no surprise when he said that Muhammad Ali was an example to him and went further to explain why.

‘A man who fought for what he believed in, fought for his rights, for his loved ones, for the rights of his people, for his faith. And everything he did it for the people, for the world,’ recalled Usyk.

But Oleksandr Usyk also pointed out the first person he wanted to be like.

‘The first person who was an example for me, and who I wanted to be like and copied his behaviour, was my late father who told me that I could do it.

‘When I stood in the circle of the great stars in Saudi Arabia, I looked at the sky and I thought ‘I know that you see me where I stand, I know that you see where I am and what I do, and I am grateful to God and to you for motivating me and bringing me here’.’

Oleksandr Usyk uses his place in heavyweight boxing to draw attention to Ukraine’s dilemma as the battle for ownership of their country continues between Ukraine and Russia.

Usyk told Reuters that he would be going into the ring next year as one fighting for his country, family, and loved ones. He added that the more time given him to train because of Tyson Fury’s unfitness for a bout presently will only give him time to do some ‘additional tasks’.

‘I’ll just do more technical work. Technically, nothing changes. I just have a little more time for some additional tasks, and that’s it.

‘I don’t think about Tyson Fury at all… I think about myself, about my team, about my family. I don’t need to think about my opponent. I just need to be with him, fight and that’s it.’

Though the exact time for the bout is still set to be announced next week, Usyk said the fight could take place in February.

‘It could be February and I would very much like it to be February. I was ready to fight on the 23rd but since Fury got some injuries in the last fight, a knockdown, then probably it will be postponed to next year,’ the Ukrainian’s interpreter said for him.