Usyk's former opponent explains why he lost

Myris Briedis, the former challenger to Ukrainian world champion Oleksandr Usyk (20 wins, 0 losses, 13 knockouts) in the WBA, WBO, IBF, and IBO super heavyweight division, recently disclosed what he felt was lacking in his 2018 bout against Usyk at the Muhammad Ali tournament.

"After the fourth round, Oleksandr got into an old injury of mine that opened up. Of course, this made it 50 percent harder for me to breathe. After the fourth round, the remaining eight rounds took place on sheer willpower. So in the end, the match was his.

What was missing? A promoter who was not there to arrange a win at home. But there is another story, much longer. "With the team I had then, I don't think I would have achieved as much as Oleksandr. It's clear that God had a hand in shaping events, and everything ultimately turned out as it should have."

A rematch between Oleksandr and myself would be a truly great fight. It would be the most highly anticipated and thrilling rematch of the last few decades," he stated.