Oleksandr Usyk: "Amongst Boxing Greats, My Thoughts Were With My Dad"

Unified heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs) from Ukraine recently opened up about a profound personal moment amidst the galaxy of boxing legends.

- "When surrounded by boxing giants like Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson, what went through your mind?"

- "When I stood among such stars, with Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, and other greats engaging with me... My mind went to my dad. I was thinking, 'Dad, thank you.' I am confident he witnessed where I was at that moment."

- "Was your father a fan of these legends?"

- "He was a fan of them first and then of mine."

- "Did he get to see your success?"

- "He knew I became an Olympic champion. Unfortunately, by the time I got home with the gold medal, he had already passed. The medal was still in my bag. I took it out, placed it in his hand, and then had to leave the room."

- "So, he passed away between your gold medal win and your return?"

- "I was back from London, stopping in a town in Ukraine. I was waiting there for a car because I wanted to surprise him with the kind of car I got. But then, I received that 3 a.m. call from my mom."

- "Do his memories still visit you?"

- "They do. Sometimes, right before a fight, he appears in my thoughts, always with a smile." - said Usyk in an interview.