Fury vs Usyk 2: Heavyweight rivalry for the ages continues in Saudi Arabia on Saturday
World Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk, like many mortals, often thinks about hitting the snooze button.
“The alarm on my phone is like ‘Hey Oleksandr, wake up, it’s training time at five in the morning’.”
As he spoke, he sighed dramatically and puffed out his cheeks.
Usyk becomes The first undisputed heavyweight champion For the first time in 25 years, he defeated Englishman Tyson Fury in May.
After vacating the IBF belt, he will return to Saudi Arabia to defend his WBA (Super), WBC and WBO titles against Fury on Saturday.
The rivalry catapulted him from boxing superstar to sports icon. However, is Usyk’s hunger and drive in danger of waning once he reaches the top?
Already during boxing week, we’ve seen Usyk glaring out of airplane cockpit windows and performing his signature dance moves.
But the best heavyweight on the planet, probably of his generation, struggles with the necessary sacrifices and finds preparation to be a chore.
“I don’t like training but I love boxing. If I don’t train, I can’t box. It all comes together,” the 37-year-old told BBC Sport.
“When I was in camp, every day, every minute I was thinking ‘What am I doing here? What am I doing here without my kids and my wife?’
“But boxing is my choice.”
