Oleksandr Usyk returns to frontlines in Ukraine and ‘cheering up soldiers’
Heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk has already returned to Ukraine’s frontlines where he is ‘cheering up soldiers’.
The 35-year-old defended his WBA, WBO and IBF belts in a rematch with Anthony Joshua on August 20 as he once again showcased his superior skill. Their second clash had been postponed in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, after which Usyk returned to his homeland to aid the war effort.
And the now-global boxing icon’s manager Egis Klimas has revealed he has returned to the frontlines once more with the aim of boosting the morale of Ukrainian troops on the frontline.
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Klimas told talkSPORT: “At the moment as we speak [Usyk] is in Ukraine on the frontlines.
“Of course, not with a gun, but he is cheering up the soldiers. He is there and he is supporting his country, but otherwise he is good and healthy.”
According to Klimas, Usyk’s decision to return to boxing and take on Joshua again was inspired by his visit to a hospital where Ukrainian soldiers were being treated. Klimas claims the boxer met wounded soldiers, some of whom were without legs, and was met with cheers as he entered the ward.
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They reportedly urged him to return to the ring and be a ‘champion’. And he did just that by expertly dominating AJ in a decision victory just months later.
Usyk was visibly emotional following the win. As he stood draped in a Ukraine flag in the ring, he said: “I dedicate this victory to my country, to all of the military [personnel] defending the country. Thank you.”
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