Usyk discusses Joshua and final bout.
Oleksandr Usyk is, of course, one of the best fighters of our time. Undisputed at cruiserweight and twice at heavyweight, he has never officially lost a fight or even been knocked down.
But in his last fight, he showed more vulnerability than ever against Rico Verhoeven, leading many to believe that the brilliant 39-year-old is finally slowing down.
Indeed, the Ukrainian has stated that his next fight will be his last, having recently vacated his unified heavyweight championship.
This opened up opportunities for those ranked well enough and even crowned two new heavyweight champions. However, many still view Usyk as the true divisional king.
Regardless, he is undoubtedly in the final stage of his career, and both Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are thought to be close behind, expected to do battle in November of this year.
Both former foes of his, Joshua now trains with Usyk, and the Ukrainian stated in an interview with Boxing King Media that his opponent-turned-teammate’s fight on Saturday against Kristian Prenga surprised him like no other occasion.
“Last time [I was this shocked], which was…I [do] not remember”, stated Usyk.
This is because Prenga (despite losing) dropped Joshua twice in the first round, though Usyk stated that he believes the Fury fight can still happen this year.
Speaking on haters in boxing (especially those criticising Joshua’s recent performance), Usyk stated, “We have a lot of sick people … I know, it’s [the] world, yeah? But I [do] not understand why people say [negative things about fighters]. For me? Doesn’t matter, you know?”
As for his last fight (which is thought to potentially be against Deontay Wilder under Zuffa Boxing), when asked for any updates, Usyk stated, “Listen, I don’t have a lot of information … Now [my] team [will] work about my next fight. But if I [do] not take [a] good proposition, I [will] wait.”
Upon being asked what motivates him to keep boxing, Usyk stated, “It’s [a] problem, you know? Sport is [a] problem. It’s like [a] drug.”
You can watch the full interview here:
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