Usyk ‘looking like a cyborg’ after intense camp for AJ rematch

Oleksandr Usyk has been training “like a cyborg” for his rematch with Anthony Joshua, live and exclusive on Sky Sports Box Office this Saturday.

His promoter, Alex Krassyuk has never seen the heavyweight champion as motivated as he is for this fight.

Usyk dethroned Joshua in spectacular style in September to win the WBO, IBF and WBA heavyweight titles. He walked away from negotiations for a rematch earlier this year to return to Ukraine when Russia invaded his homeland.

After volunteering with the Territorial Defence force he left his country specially to train for this bout with Joshua and represent Ukraine on the world stage.

“He made his decision to take the rematch in these circumstances after he’d received massive support from the Ukrainian military,” his promoter Krassyuk told Sky Sports.

“He was in touch with high-ranking officers, he visited hospitals with injured combatants, he spoke with fans and in each and every conversation he heard words of support and blessings to take the rematch.

“People want him to fight. People want him to win. They all want the Ukrainian flag to be risen and the Ukrainian anthem to be heard throughout the planet.”

Usyk is fighting Joshua on Saturday to deliver a message.

“The whole world has to know that Ukraine is the country of free, transparent, strong, spiritual and developed people. Not too many men are able to deliver these messages. Usyk is and he does that through sports,” Krassyuk said.

Facing a task that goes beyond boxing, Usyk has been preparing with unsurprising ferocity.

“We watch his recently posted videos and realize that he looks like a cyborg,” his promoter said.

“He went through hell within the last three months. And it did not kill him but made him even stronger. I’ve never seen him more determined than now.”

“Not too many champs in the world can share experience going through the war and making it to the ring to defend the heavyweight crown. It was an exclusively complicated assignment. But he seems to have passed it properly.”

Usyk is fighting for a place in history. “It won’t sound fair from myself as I’ve been his promoter since the start of his professional career back in 2013 [to comment on that],” Krassyuk said.

“Let history judge how special he is.”

Anthony Joshua’s huge heavyweight rematch against Oleksandr Usyk is on Saturday August 20, live on Sky Sports Box Office. Book Usyk vs Joshua 2 now!