Oleksandr Usyk v Anthony Joshua: Champion bursts into song at media conference

Usyk and Joshua face off before heavyweight title rematch

Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk stole the show – even bursting into song – as he came face-to-face with Briton Anthony Joshua before their fight in Jeddah on Saturday.

Joshua lost his crown to the Ukrainian in a convincing points defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September.

The 32-year-old was reserved at the media conference, but said he intends to “get the job done” this time around.

“That’s it, must win. I like the pressure,” Joshua added.

“I want to compete. I’m looking forward to it. I can’t really say much else. You’ve got to have a competitive spirit. I’m looking forward to it.”

Usyk – dressed in traditional Ukrainian attire – added: “We learned [about] each other in the first fight. He learned [about] me, I learned [about] him.

“I don’t think the last bout will be continued from round 13. We had enough time to study each other. This Saturday night will be a great, great fight.”

The defending champion sung a Ukrainian folk song, made popular again by those promoting independence and peace in Ukraine since the invasion of Russia.

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Usyk is widely considered one of pound-for-pound stars of boxing – if not the leading star. But his preparations have been far from straightforward.

Just five months after beating Joshua at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he was defending his country against the Russian invasion.

He left Ukraine in March to begin a training camp in nearby Poland. At the back end of his camp, he had been training in Dubai.

To complement his outfit, Usyk was sporting a fully shaved head with a single lock of hair, a traditional Cossack haircut, known as osedelets.

“We were born to compete for life, for belts, for anything,” he said. “The one who does not compete does not live. All our lives are competition, for anything, something, for somebody. That’s why we’re competing.”

Usyk’s turned from philosopher to entertainer. After the stare down with his opponent, the champion raised both arms and belted out a Ukrainian song, with his countrymen and women in attendance joining along.

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Joshua has faced criticism in previous fights for either being too jovial or showing too much respect to his opponent.

But the Londoner will rarely become embroiled in the theatrics of the sport; he prides himself on being humble and a role model for boxing.

He was a man of few words but analytical as always as he came face-to-face with Usyk for the first time on fight week.

“It’s competition right? We’ve set a goal. I’ve got goals I want to achieve in the ring on the night. I need to be disciplined enough to follow them through,” Joshua said.

“That’s that competition with myself. You mention about the belt, they mean something, but that’s all at the end of the target.

“It’s not like I’m skipping the process. I’m focused on the process. I’m focused on the process.”

Throughout the build-up to this clash, Joshua’s mental state has been under the spotlight, with some in the boxing world questioning his motivations for taking the fight. Some unconfirmed reports have suggested he could earn up to £100m.

Fans and pundits have analysed his every movement, interview and facial expression as he bids to become a three-time world champion.

Today, he kept it simple. A lot of his comments surrounded thanking his team and his sparring partners.

Analysis – A world apart from London

Joshua and Usyk are huge attractions; with the magnitude of this fight, the narrative of the rematch and the global appeal of both men, there was a strong media presence.

As expected, however, it was a distinctively different atmosphere to that of a media conference in, for example, the United Kingdom or United States.

It took place at a high-end hotel about a 20-minute drive away from the King Abdullah Stadium, the venue of Saturday’s fight.

With high ceilings, grand lighting and posh white sofas for the VIPs, which included hall-of-fame heavyweight Evander Holyfield, there was a real sense of extravagance.

Campaigning groups such as Amnesty International have accused Saudi Arabia of ‘sports washing’ its reputation in other parts of the world, citing its human rights violations and a military activities in Yemen.

Preceding the undercard and media conference, Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn requested all those in the room, including fighters and media, stand up for the Saudi Arabian national anthem.

It was played again at the start of the main event media conference, with Hearn thanking Saudi Arabia for their hospitality and investment into grassroots boxing in the country.

There were no flashes of hostilities from either boxer, the long speeches were left to the hosts and Usyk’s farewell song served as the highpoint of an otherwise friendly event.