Oleksandr Usyk breaks down in tears throughout press convention after Fury victory
Oleksandr Usyk was overcome with emotion during a post-fight press conference after becoming the first man to defeat Tyson Fury.
The 37-year-old secured a split decision victory in the Middle East, narrowly missing out on a stunning ninth-round knockout of the Gypsy King. Usyk is now the first man to hold all four belts as undisputed heavyweight champion with the last boxing undisputed king being Lennox Lewis back in 1999 during the three-belt era, reports the Express.
Following his historic win, the Ukrainian opened up about his late father as Usyk’s dad passed away just days after he clinched Olympic gold at London 2012.
READ MORE: Tyson Fury blames war in Ukraine for Oleksandr Usyk defeat in ‘classless’ speech
READ MORE:Fans baffled as TV superstar in Oleksandr Usyk’s corner for Tyson Fury fight in Saudi
Learn more
Sky Sports is bringing you 500 live football games to watch, as well access to Cricket, Golf, F1, Boxing, NFL, NBA and more across eight dedicated channels. Sky Sports is the only way to watch all the action this year.
£22 a month
Sky
Usyk revealed that his late father, also named Oleksandr and a veteran of the Soviet army in Afghanistan, visited him in his dreams before his bout with Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The Ukrainian shared: “Last time when my father saw me was in my dreams. I miss my father and I said to him ‘hey listen, you live there and I live here, please don’t come for me, I love you’.
Is Oleksandr Usyk the greatest fighter of his generation? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below
(Image: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
“For me it is hard when my father comes back to me because I remember all life,” Usyk added while visibly emotional and wiping away tears from his eyes. “I know he is here, maybe sitting out there [in the press room].”
Usyk was then led out of the press conference by his promoters. Earlier, his opponent Fury had controversially suggested in the ring that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may have influenced the judges’ scoring.
He remarked: “We both put on a good fight. His country is at war, so people are siding with the country at war. Make no mistake, I won that fight in my opinion. We run it back in October. Well done Oleksandr.”
(Image: TNT Sports)
In the post-fight presser, Fury didn’t mince his words, saying: “As you can see by my face, I’m pretty busted up. And he has gone to the hospital with a broken jaw so he’s busted too. We punched the f*** out of each other for 12 rounds there!”
The Ukrainian champ, now boasting a 22-0 record and previously reigning as the unbeaten undisputed cruiserweight champion, brushed off questions about a rematch in mid-October, stating: “I don’t think about boxing now, please.” Reflecting on the sacrifices made for the bout, Usyk shared: “My camp started in September 2023, I worked for nine months.
Join the Daily Star’s WhatsApp for the sexiest headlines, showbiz gossip and lots more
The Daily Star is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join us!
Through the app, we’ll send you the sassiest showbiz stories, some naught headline and a seismic smattering of aliens…along with the latest breaking news of course.
To join our community, all you have to do to join is click on this link, select ‘Join Chat’ and you’re in!
No one will be able to see who has sign up and no one can send messages except for the Daily Star team. We also treat our community members to competitions, special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
“I missed Happy New Year, I missed my son’s birthday, I missed my other son’s birthday, I missed my daughter’s birthday and then the birth of my daughter.” I also missed family holidays. I was only focused on this fight, now I’m happy and I want to go back home.”
