SUMMARY
- Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury will determine the first-ever Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the four-belt era.
- Leading up to the bout, Usyk has made a lot of sacrifices to reach the top.
Oleksandr Usyk is one of the most accomplished boxers in the sport. A two-divisional champion, Usyk’s success is a result of his graft and dedication to his craft. That said, his dedication has also resulted in him making some serious sacrifices along the way.
For those unaware, Oleksandr Usyk is set to face the lineal heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury after an overly drawn-out buildup. Initially, the heavyweight title unification bout was targeted for April 2023, with failed negotiations keeping the fight from materializing in time. Thereafter, the fight was set for December 2023 instead.
𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐏𝐔𝐓𝐄𝐃.
👑 #FuryUsyk | MAY 18 | @ESPNPlus PPV pic.twitter.com/ZrC7zG6Jvy
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) May 12, 2024
However, Tyson Fury’s injuries during the controversial win over former UFC champion Francis Ngannou in October pushed the fight further back. As a result, the fight was put off till February 2024. Unfortunately, it was still not to be as Fury suffered an injury during sparring, effectively ruling him out of the fight. Now, the fight will finally go ahead on May 18, 2024, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyad, Saudi Arabia.
Oleksandr Usyk reveals that he missed the birth of his daughter while in fight camp
All things considered, it has been a frustrating few months for Oleksandr Usyk as he sees his fight against Tyson Fury get pushed back on each occasion. With every setback, it simply extends the amount of time that the Ukrainian has had to spend in training camp, preparing for the fight. As such, it has resulted in him making some unforeseen sacrifices as well.
Notably, Usyk missed the birth of his daughter earlier this year in January 2024. With the fight against Fury set for February 17, the Ukrainian was at a crucial point in camp wherein he was unable to be with his wife, Yekaterina (Kateryna), of the birth of their fourth child. Eventually, it was all in vain, as Fury would then pull out of the fight only 5 days later.
Speaking to Mail Sport Boxing, Usyk revealed:
“Definitely. Listen, I missed (the) New Year, the birth of my daughter, the birth of my daughter, the birth of my son, the birth of my son, I missed all because of training. So, things happen.”
That said, it was not the first time that Oleksandr Usyk missed the birth of his children. As the boxer has since revealed, he missed the births of all three of his children- Kyrylo, Mykhalio, and Yelizaveta. As such, he regrets not being by his wife’s side and not being able to hear his baby’s first cries.
Oleksandr Usyk believes that the Tyson Fury fight is for more than just belts
For those unaware, there is a reason behind why Oleksandr Usyk’s fight against Tyson Fury is highly anticipated. After all, the fight will yield the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999. On most occasions, it has been difficult to have all four titles on the line at the same time. Thus, with Fury holding the WBC belt, and Usyk having the WBA, WBO, and IBF titles to his name, it makes for a very special occasion.
In the past, Usyk was also the undisputed cruiserweight champion holding the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring cruiserweight titles from 2018 to 2019 before making his move up to heavyweight. Additionally, the 37-year-old is also an Olympic gold medalist and the recipient of many other accolades, meaning that he has had no shortage of wins and titles in his career.
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That said, considering the current climate of the world, specifically in relation to his native Ukraine, the victory and the emotions that come with it are more important for the fighter than the undisputed status.
“Yeah definitely. For me the four belts are important, undisputed, but more important for me is to give emotion (to) my Ukrainian people.”
Notably, Oleksandr Usyk also saw a horrific family house incident during the conflict, which resulted in the loss of possessions and nearly put his wife and children in harm’s way. As such, Usyk sees his victory as being a symbol of hope, joy, and light for the millions of other people in his motherland who are still affected.