In an interview with Sky Sports, Ukrainian heavyweight boxer Oleksandr Usyk(16-0,12 KOs) is relishing a match-up between the winner of Joshua/Ruiz rematch.
“I’m very grateful that they made me a mandatory challenger. I know that it doesn’t happen for no reason,”
“They have nowhere to go. Everything is already set up in place. All we need is to just wait for the events to happen and I will definitely be boxing with one of them.” Oleksandr Usyk stated.
The boxer who once reigned as the undisputed cruiserweight champion from 2018 to March 2019, being the first boxer in history to hold all four major world championships—the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF and WBO titles is disappointed to have missed out as the first to have KOed Anthony Joshua.
“There is ego in every man and I felt that I would love to do the same thing that happened in the ring,” Usyk said.
“But you know, it’s boxing, you never know how it will go. Later on, I gave it a second thought and analysed it and came to the conclusion that there was nothing bad in what happened.
“Joshua had some problems that night and Ruiz Jr didn’t have that problem
“I don’t think that’s the reason [that Joshua lost to Ruiz Jr],” Usyk said. “There is a general problem that takes place. It doesn’t matter whether your opponent is tall or short. It doesn’t matter whether you fight a two-metre tall guy, or a 1.80m guy.
“You are preparing with sparring partners that look exactly like your opponent. If he really has a problem with boxing with short people, then it’s a really big problem.” The 2018 Fighter of the Year by Sports Illustrated, ESPN, The Ring, and the Boxing Writers Association of America expressed.