OLEKSANDR Usyk is gearing up for the biggest fight of his life.
The WBA, WBO and WBC belts are on the line as he faces Tyson Fury at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday.
Boxing fans will be praying it is as eventful as the first bout between the pair, which ended in the Ukrainian winning by split decision.
Amusingly, whoever wins, the pair could end up going for a pint together.
Usyk joked about it in a recent TV interview where he said he would entertain having a beer with his rival.
The trash talk has ramped up in recent weeks but there remains a healthy respect between the pair, so much so that Usyk is willing to put all the Gypsy King’s “rabbit” jokes aside and visit the boozer with him.
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During a chat with Sky Sports, Usyk said: “Listen I can go to the pub, drinking beer.
“After, we go to play golf and then we go to play football. Then we go horse racing.”
As he fought back fits of laughter, the fan favourite added: “Yes [a few beers]. No problem.”
The Cat and Fury could even talk about his incredible tattoos that decorate his chiselled torso.
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SunSport wades through his ink to explain what some of them mean below.
Family man
Usyk is one of sport’s great characters.
Loveable, goofy at times, and certainly a lot smarter than people realise.
However, beneath his joker in the pack exterior is a proud man whose roots firmly belong to Ukraine.
He is also a father, which he takes great joy in being.
Usyk’s dedication to his children is obvious, as he has their names, Yelizaveta and Kyrylo, etched on to his skin in Ukrainian script.
These names roughly translate to Elizabeth and Kyrill in English.
Usyk married Yekaterina in 2009.
They have four children in total, including Mykhalio and a daughter who was born this year.
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A true Ukrainian
It was little wonder Usyk returned to his native country to fight the ongoing war against Russia.
But, he’s best served representing his country on the global stage as one of the world’s most popular sportsman.
When he’s in the ring, fans will get to see his right shoulder inked with the Simferopol, the national coat of arms of Ukraine.
Known as the tryzub, it wasn’t until 1979 that it was considered a national symbol.
Usyk’s tributes to his homeland don’t end there.
On his left lower-back, he has an angel tattooed that looks like the iconic statue of Archangel Michael atop Lach Gates at the Independence Square in Kyiv.
It is holding a sword, which signifies its role in protecting the country from invasion or danger.
Famously, after defeating Anthony Joshua, Usyk dedicated his victory to the soldiers of Kyiv’s territorial defence forces.
“They (injured soldiers) were asking me to go, to fight, to fight for the country, fight for your pride and if you’re going to go there, you’re even going to help more for our country,” he said.
Olympic hero
Usyk rose through the ranks by competing at the Olympics.
Famously, he won gold at London 2012 in the heavyweight class.
On both of his arms he has Olympic rings, with one of those labelled ‘London 2012’.
They symbolise how far Usyk has come as he has conquered the professional boxing world, as both cruiserweight an heavyweight king.
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Next, it’s time to conquer Tyson Fury again.
Maybe there will another tattoo designed already for that honour.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
