THE SHADOWBOXER
HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OLEKSANDR USYK HAS DEFEATED EVERY OPPONENT AND DOUBTER PUT IN FRONT OF HIM, BUT HE SAYS THAT’S NOTHING COMPARED TO THE BATTLE WITHIN by Brin-Jonathan Butler
O leksandr Usyk, the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 24 years, began his boxing journey 22 years ago, at age 15. In 2019, he entered the division where Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua – the vanguard of a new, golden era of towering, undefeated heavyweights – loomed before him. Only six fights into his heavyweight career, against the odds and many predictions, Usyk is the last man standing. And yet, with 372 fights as an amateur and professional – during which he also became an Olympic champion and undisputed cruiserweight champion – he confessed that no opponent he has ever faced challenged him more than Oleksandr Usyk himself. Over the last decade, there has been some considerable whiplash in boxing’s glamor division. In 2015, Wladimir Klitschko was dethroned by unanimous decision in an uninspiring performance against heavy underdog Fury. Fury quickly spun out of control and for three years gained a reputation as a trainwreck: ballooning to 400 pounds, homophobic and sexist rants, monumental struggles with depression, injuries and doping issues. In 2017, during Fury’s absence, Anthony Joshua’s shining victory against a motivated and rejuvenated Klitschko symbolized, for many, a coronation of the new era’s true defining champion. Only two years later, Andy Ruiz would audition for his generation’s role of Buster Douglas by knocking out Joshua in Madison Square Garden in one of heavyweight boxing’s greatest upsets. Meanwhile, beginning at the end of 2019, Fury had staged one of boxing’s greatest comebacks of all time and was engaged with Deontay Wilder in a trilogy for the ages, waged across three years. During this mythic battle, recency bias likely playing a significant role, as Fury was frequently being touted by many experts and members of the public as perhaps the most formidable heavyweight fighter ever. Oleksandr Usyk responded by outclassing Anthony Joshua in back-to-back victories,
following those up by stopping Daniel Dubois in the ninth round with a jab. Nine months later, as an underdog, Usyk became the first boxer to defeat Tyson Fury, notching a capstone victory for his career. Wherever Usyk’s achievements might place him in the history of boxing, we would do well to remember that Usyk has fought all of six fights as a heavyweight thus far in his career. Despite being a month from his 38th birthday, Usyk has not indicated an intention to walk away from the sport. Roy Jones Jr. was only 34 after he won a piece of the heavyweight crown against John Ruiz. What might Jones’ legacy have been had he walked away after that victory instead of remaining for another 20 years? Then again, what could an iconic knockout of Fury in their mythic rematch on December 21 add to Usyk’s glistening legacy? The Ring spoke to him as he prepared for the next chapter. The Ring: How are you feeling about this upcoming rematch with Fury? Will it be more difficult or easier? Usyk: (in English) I feel good. I don’t think about rematch. My focus is all on my preparation and all on my camp. The Ring: Did it go as you thought it would the first time, according to your game plan? Usyk: (laughs) Oh, yes. My game plan will be different, because it will be new fight. I’ll be more aggressive. I’ll be more fast. It will be a new fight, you know? The first fight, it wasn’t that fast. The Ring: In Round 9, I think it was the worst that Fury was ever injured when you clipped him. I counted the referee allowing the ropes to keep him up five times. You were about to finish him off and the referee jumped in to protect Fury. What was that moment like for you, where
Illustration by Chris Wormell
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