April 6, 2024
Source: Boxing Scene
Photo Source: Boxing Scene
Unified heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk is solely focused on his May 18 Saudi Arabia date with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
The clash was postponed from February after Fury sustained a cut as the fight date neared, and while other members of Usyk’s camp still have their doubts about the bout happening, Usyk is under no illusions that he will face the lineal champion next month.
“No, I’m not thinking about this [the fight not happening],” Usyk said. “I don’t because I think the fight will [happen].
“My focus is my training. My focus is my family. My focus is my team. I’ve not used Instagram never, now. Now it’s bad for me. It’s a waste of time. I read my books, I speak with my family…. My focus is my camp. I don’t read the news, I don’t watch the world news, I’m only here. It’s my preparation. My focus is only May 18, only Ring of Fire [the name of the show].”
Speaking to Seconds Out, Usyk added that he and fellow Ukrainian and former Fury foe Wladimir Klitschko had spoken about the fight, but he did not disclose the nature of their conversation, and Usyk – like many others – felt Fury took his last opponent, Francis Ngannou, too lightly, which almost ended with Fury on the wrong end of one of the biggest sporting upsets in history. Instead, Fury won a close decision last October.
“Tyson Fury will be different with my fight because it’s my opinion Tyson Fury, when boxing with Francis Ngannou, maybe [he was thinking] it’s a UFC guy, blah, blah, blah,” Usyk said. “’I win, it’s an easy fight.’ It’s my opinion. I don’t know. Maybe it’s true, maybe not, but I know that Tyson Fury will be different with me.”
Usyk, the former undisputed cruiserweight champion, is 37-years-old and 21-0 (14 KOs), and the southpaw last fought scoring a stoppage of Daniel Dubois in Poland last September.
Before that, there were two fights and victories over Anthony Joshua, and after Joshua’s recent form his promoter Eddie Hearn said he would like Joshua to have a third fight with Usyk.
“Eddie Hearn is a lot of speak [talk],” smiled Usyk.
Following the second loss, Joshua vented his frustrations and subsequently sent apologies to Usyk for his behavior through former champion Klitschko.
“Yes, definitely,” Usyk said, confirming that he had received them. “Listen, I don’t have bad feelings about Joshua because I respect this man. He’s a great man, a great boxer, a great person, Olympic champion, two-time world champion but I think it’s emotion. You know, I respect this man, no problem.”
Usyk – who has a dream of a homecoming world heavyweight title fight in Ukraine – has said before that he prefers to use his craft to outbox opponents, rather than stop them, because of the potential for injury, but he added that his ultimate goal is victory.
“If I can do a KO, I will, if I can do 12 rounds, I do 12 rounds. My goal is to win. How it will be, it’s God’s will.”
Will he target the area where Fury was cut?
“My strategy is win. Enough.”
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