OLEKSANDR USYK is hoping a legendary Cossack warlord can give him a helping hand against Tyson Fury.
Usyk faces off with the Gypsy King in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night in a blockbuster showdown to decide the undisputed heavyweight ruler.
Ukraine’s WBA, IBF and WBO champ, 37, is a proud Cossack and honours his ancestors with traditional haircuts, moustaches, outfits, songs and dances.
The devout father of four holds Ivan ‘The Wolf’ Sirko in particularly high regard, as he seeks to be the first unrivalled heavyweight king in 25 years.
Sirko, a 1600s military leader, is immortalised in Cossack songs and poems.
When SunSport asked what particular aspect inspires Usyk so much, he said: “All the enemies were afraid of him as he was a fighter. When he died, his hand was cut off by his soldiers and they took it to future battles and the enemies were afraid of it.
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“Because they knew it was the hand of Sirko.”
Usyk is more interested in his faith and beliefs than exchanging trash talk with Brit Fury.
The gap-toothed southpaw added: “He talks a lot of things, a lot of rubbish.
“I pay attention to none of it. When I have a sword and a horse we can fight in a field like Sirko.”
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Usyk will also draw strength from the backing of his wife.
Yekaterina Usyk has never missed one of her husband’s 21 professional wins.
She would have missed this bout had Fury not blown the initial February 17 date by cutting himself in sparring during his preparation — as she was due to give birth.
But the wound above Fury’s eye caused the bout to be delayed, baby Maria arrived and now her mum can be ringside once again to charge her man up for his biggest challenge.
Usyk added: “My wife has never missed a fight.
“The first fight was deliberately pushed back by God for her. My wife is my power.”
Usyk tolerated two years of negotiations, bad deals and swallowed two Fury-enforced delays to finally make this iconic fight.
The numbers are huge, the payday might be £100million each — it could be double.
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Yet Usyk added: “Money is just a side-effect of boxing.
“I need this fight. I need to be world undisputed heavyweight champion.”
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Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
