Usyk has two goals
WANTS A FIGHT WITH FURY AND REBUILDING A PASSED FRIEND’S HOUSE
Ukraine’s world heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk has said he has two goals this year – a unification title fight with Tyson Fury and rebuilding the house where his “good friend” was killed by Russian soldiers.
Oleksiy Dzhunkivskyi, a former team-mate of Usyk, was shot in the hall of the building in Irpin, a suburb of Kyiv.
Usyk has teamed up with the charity United24 and is raising funds to restore the badly damaged five-storey house to its former glory.
He has contributed $205 000 towards the cost of $330 000.
In an interview, Usyk said it had been a coincidence he had selected the building to take a look.
“I randomly chose this house,” the 36-year-old former cruiserweight world champion said through an interpreter.
“When we came to look at it and saw how destroyed the house was, I was a little surprised.
“In this house there was a boxing gym of my good friend. He and I were in the national team, we went to boxing competitions together.
“Oleksiy Dzhunkivskyi was shot by Russian soldiers right in this hall.”
When Russia invaded Ukraine last February, Usyk had wanted to take up arms immediately.
However, he was dissuaded from doing so as his compatriots felt that in his role as a sports star with global renown he could add another weapon to the Ukrainian war chest.
“The guys from the Armed Forces convinced me that I need to prepare and fight to help my country on the international stage, talk about it and bring opportunities to Ukraine to restore my country,” he said.
Usyk, whose family are in Kyiv, was especially moved by a visit to a hospital where wounded soldiers were being treated.
He met with them prior to a title rematch in Saudi Arabia in August with British boxer Anthony Joshua, who had been dethroned by Usyk in September 2021.
“Well, it was touching because some guys told me: ‘Alex, you should go and prepare and come back with a victory.’
“These guys, ten to 15 of them, came to Saudi Arabia and supported me.
“These soldiers, who have been fighting since day one, we brought them to watch the fight.
“Some guys didn’t have limbs, and when I met them on the eve of the fight, I felt that a part of the Ukrainian army was with me. (Either) in the locker room or with me in the country.”
Usyk went on to retain the title on a split points decision but he said he felt a heavy responsibility on his shoulders during the bout.
“In the ninth round I realised that if I fall now, the spirit of the fighters who defend our country will also fall,” he said.
“I didn’t box for myself, I boxed for all those who defend the country.”
He said a unification title fight with British fighter Fury could possibly take place “at the end of April”.
This is not Usyk’s first experience of war as his father was wounded twice fighting for the Soviet Army during their 10-year occupation of Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989).
“I saw the consequences of this post-war condition and what happened to him, he often had headaches, he had very high blood pressure,” said Usyk.
“I remember that until the last he had some nightmares in which he called out the names of some of his comrades who were killed.”