The Ukrainian boxer set to take on the UK's Anthony Joshua this evening has been described as having 'zero fear' and being like the 'joker'
Anthony Joshua takes on Oleksandr Usyk at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September 2021Less than six months ago, Usyk was manning the barricades in his home country's war with Russia, having joined the territorial defence battalion.He had been in London when Russia invaded and rushed back, flying to Poland and driving the rest of the way, to join his friends and compatriots to protect his homeland.
But he said that after speaking to Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, he had decided to return to the ring. At the time, mayor of Kyiv Vitali had been leading the defence of his city.Usyk says he decided to go back in the ring after talking to Vitali Klitschko and his brother Wladimir, pictured here in Kyiv in March. Pic: APHe has been described as having"scary reflexes".
Cossacks were formidable fighters and often made up the ranks of the armies of Russian and Polish empires. He said he bought a stuffed Eeyore toy for his daughter Elizabeth during a family trip to Disneyland Paris and she renamed it Liolia, a girl's name. But in his most recent pre-fight events, he was happy to be seen wearing a long single lock, which some have likened to a pony tail, but is in fact another nod to his Ukrainian heritage.