Oleksandr Usyk has dismissed claims that he fired a gun after being pictured with a weapon while taking up arms against Russian invasion.
The Ukrainian star returned to Kiev after visiting London earlier this year to join the fight against Russian president Vladimir Putin's recent military advances. Usyk initially put his career on hold to return to the Ukrainian capital alongside fellow fighters Vasyl Lomachenko and the Klitschko brothers.
Usyk has now explained the torrid situation in Ukraine which included his house being "shot at" during his exploits to defend his country. “I know they shot at our house, broke down the gate, and dragged away some of our neighbours,” Usyk told Profiboxing.cz. “But I don’t know what it looks like there now. We can’t get in touch with anyone. It’s terrible when yours run to hide in the basement at every rustle.
“I came back via Poland. It took a day to get to Kyiv. Then another two to see my family and I calmed down a bit. I may have picked up a gun, but that doesn’t mean I would use it, I didn’t think for a moment that I would stay there. This fight ( Anthony Joshua rematch) will be special for me in that respect."
Usyk previously came under fire after returning to London with his manager Alex Krassyuk to continued negotiations surrounding a sequel with Joshua. He then opted to return to Ukraine as the war rumbled on, by opting to take up arms and join the brave defence. The 35-year-old was pictured alongside three other soldiers holding a weapon in a social media post earlier in the conflict.
Do you think Oleksandr Usyk will defeat Anthony Joshua for a second time? Let us know in the c omments section below
He had previously vowed to do whatever it takes to defend his country which included "killing if necessary". "If they will want to take my life, or the lives of my close ones, I will have to do it," Usyk said during a CNN broadcast. But I don't want that. I don't want to shoot, I don't want to kill anybody, but if they will be killing me, I will have no choice."
Now Usyk has confirmed his plans to return to training and take on his British heavyweight rival for a second time with the showdown planned for June in Saudi Arabia. He will look to maintain the unified heavyweight titles he earned with a punch-perfect display in London last September.
Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed Joshua was chomping at the bit after hearing the news that Usyk would accept another tilt. “He’s excited by the news, he’s over the moon,” said the Matchroom chief. “I saw him at the UFC and he wants to fight now. He was getting to a stage where he had to fight, and this has really forced the issue with Usyk because we said to them that we understood the situation, but we needed to know now."
