Oleksandr Usyk can cement his place in boxing folklore in London on Saturday night. But should he do so, the Ukrainian might not receive the unfettered love that would otherwise be expected back in his homeland.
Usyk is stepping into enemy territory, meeting reigning WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in front of around 60,000 fans at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The atmosphere will be febrile and firmly in Joshua’s favor – but Usyk is not likely to be cowed.
Already a generational great after unifying all four belts at cruiserweight, the undefeated Ukrainian can carve out an even more remarkable chunk of history if he captures Joshua’s heavyweight gold.
London has been a happy hunting ground during the career of the colorful, gap-toothed Usyk: it was here where he won Olympic heavyweight gold in 2012 – and where in a twist of fate, Joshua did the same at super-heavyweight.
Fight week in London has seen Usyk at his colorful best: donning Joker-style garb for his press conference on Thursday, juggling for the media at open workouts, and generally displaying the eccentricities that mark him out as one of boxing’s most eye-catching characters.
The consensus is that Usyk is not just a formidable boxer, but also a “likeable” guy – perhaps because of his quirks, rather than despite them.
A chest-thumping patriot, Usyk will ensure that the yellow and blue of Ukraine is on display in London this weekend.
Multitudes back home will thank him in return, proud of a man who represents the nation with honor in boxing rings around the world.
It is not, however, a story of complete reciprocity.
Indeed, some in Ukraine will find themselves more conflicted over their support for Usyk, who despite his flag-draped displays has had to contend with criticism in Ukraine to accompany his success – and not because of his craftwork in the ring.
Politics – in this case of the geopolitical nature – have much to do with it.
Usyk was born in the city of Simferopol in Crimea, which rejoined Russia in a landslide referendum in 2014.
Usyk now lives with his wife and children in Kiev, but still visits his family in the peninsula – as he noted in an interview last year.
Ordinarily that wouldn’t be problematic, but with the Kiev authorities still unwilling to accept the return of Crimea to Russia, trips into ‘occupied territory’ are frowned upon.
Indeed, one of Usyk’s greatest performances in the ring – his cruiserweight title unification fight against Russia’s Murat Gassiev in Moscow three years ago – was accompanied by criticism that he had not used the occasion to tub-thump.
“Many expected from you a statement in the enemy’s lair, which called for the aggressor to stop the war in Donbass, return Crimea to Ukraine, free the political prisoners and prisoners of war and so on,” said Ukrainian MP Vitaly Kupry after initially congratulating Usyk.
“Unfortunately, you never mentioned Ukraine in your post-fight press conference, and immediately after in the ring even thanked the Russian people for their support. And your belated thanks online was obviously done under public pressure.”
Before Usyk’s last fight, against British heavyweight Derek Chisora in London, an opinion piece appeared on fans website The Comeback in which Ukrainian sports editor Alex Sereda explained why he couldn’t support Usyk – and why “many others feel this way.”
Identical accusations have been leveled at another generational boxing great from Ukraine, Vasyl Lomachenko (who is with his friend Usyk in London this week) – not least when he posted a religious message on Instagram apparently featuring Russian special forces.
“Usyk and Lomachenko should stop speaking and acting like those who wouldn’t mind Ukrainian flags being replaced with Russian ones as long as their asses are in warm and safe places, with the cash register still ringing,” said Sereda in his hit piece.
“They haven’t lived up to their real fight in a much more important ring. Waving the national flag or wearing a tracksuit with Ukrainian symbols isn’t enough for people of their public caliber.”
It’s not just politics that has been used against Usyk.
A devout Orthodox Christian, the boxer was seen crossing himself before stepping onto the scales at Friday’s weigh-in in London – just one sign of his faith.
But for some in Ukraine, Usyk and Lomachenko are the wrong kind of Orthodox Christians as the pair remain in a branch of the faith which is connected with the Moscow Patriarchate.
Last year, both boxers appeared in a religious film, ‘Hello, Brother! Christ has risen!’, in which they spoke about the importance of their beliefs. Lomachenko in particular emphasized that he considers Ukrainians, Russians and Belarusians as one and the same people.
The pair were hit with a backlash, being added to the infamous ‘Myrotvorets’ list in Ukraine of supposed ‘enemies of the state’.
Usyk was unrepentant, saying: “My country is Ukraine. I live here, I was born here, I grew up here. If I wanted to leave, I would have done that a long time ago.
“You won’t force me out because it’s my country. Don’t divide people. We are Ukrainian. I’m Ukrainian, it’s written in my passport.”
In 2014, Usyk was on record as saying he considers Crimea to be Ukraine; since then, he has said that Crimea is ‘God’s’, emphasizing that the people who live there are the priority, whatever the politics.
Often, Usyk has dodged political questions with the same artful skill he slips punches in the ring, but he has bitten on some occasions.
“Who have I betrayed? I represent Ukraine all over the world. I raise the Ukrainian flag. The anthem is played. That’s my answer to you provocateurs,” he said in 2018.
Usyk’s wife has Russian citizenship and the boxer uses Russian as his first language – even though he made a point of giving interviews in Ukrainian at his press conferences this week.
He has reportedly turned down offers of Russian citizenship, saying: “I didn’t even think of giving up my Ukrainian passport, because I consider myself a patriot of my native country and sincerely want Ukraine to prosper. Through God, I was born in Ukraine. Therefore, I’ll always remain Ukrainian.”
Usyk did, however, reject the ‘Hero of Ukraine’ award back in 2018, not considering himself worthy of his country’s highest honor.
“A lot of people have done more than me, doctors, teachers, scientists who really deserve this. Thanks to my people, I’m already a hero, I don’t need any stars. I’m a normal guy,” said the boxer.
On Saturday night in London, Usyk will assume the role to which he is so well accustomed – that of a generational boxing talent going about his craft in the ring.
Millions back in Ukraine will support him, willing him on as he attempts to elevate himself to an even more elite boxing Pantheon.
But it is perhaps sad that some will be unable to do so, instead burdening Usyk with caveats and complexities that aim to diminish the man and his achievements.
By Liam Tyler
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.
UFC president Dana White says that superstar fighter Jon Jones has a lot of ‘demons’ after the former light heavyweight champion was arrested in Las Vegas on charges of ‘misdemeanour battery domestic violence’.
Jones was detained by police in Las Vegas at 5:45am local time – just hours after he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame for his classic UFC 165 fight opposite Alexander Gustafsson – and will appear before a court in Sin City early on Saturday.
It is the latest legal turmoil facing one of mixed martial arts’ most dominant champions, and comes after he was arrested last year for driving while intoxicated and the negligent use of a firearm.
The 34-year-old was also arrested in 2015 after a hit-and-run incident which left a pregnant woman with a broken arm. Jones subsequently fled the scene but surrendered to authorities several hours later – with the UFC stripping Jones of his light heavyweight title as a result.
Warning: video contains swearing
Jon Jones says he and Dana White are in a good place lately, and that he believes a deal will be struck for him to fight at heavyweight next year. pic.twitter.com/JgsifttEfC
Reacting to the latest legal issues facing one of his biggest stars, White said that he is no longer surprised when he is alerted to Jones’ transgressions.
“It’s like… it’s not even shocking anymore,” White said. “When we bring him here, it’s almost expected.
“You can’t even get him in Las Vegas for less than 12 hours to induct him into the Hall of Fame. It’s a problem.
“Here we are again.”
“You can't even get him in Las Vegas for less than 12 hours…”
Dana White reacts to the news of Jon Jones' arrest just hours after he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/qokM50mPyF
“This guy’s got a lot of demons, man. A lot of demons. Is it really shocking anymore? It’s really not.
“It’s become not shocking. It’s almost like, ‘Uh oh, this guy is in Vegas, what’s gonna happen today?’
“You want to hope that the guy is better and that won’t be the case, but he proves that every time he comes to this town that he can’t handle this place.”
Jones, who hasn’t fought in the UFC since February of last year, spoke to the media hours before his arrest and, in comments which seem to have tempted fate somewhat, he said that he would have to start doing some “legally controversial sh*t” in order to boost his ability to sell pay-per-views.
“Dana, he guaranteed that he would give me an increase [in pay] in my next fight,” Jones told the media of the specifics of his return which he said will take place at heavyweight in the second quarter of 2022.
“So I’m really excited about that. I think it’s going to be pay-per-view based, so I’m going to have to work for the money I get – I’m going to have to sell the fight.
“I think that’s something I haven’t been good at in the past. Look at guys like [Conor] McGregor who just talks so much sh*t and he’s so good at it. He’s so good at marketing himself.
“I have just always focused on winning and I think when I come back as a heavyweight I’ll try and do more legally controversial sh*t so that I can sell a little more pay-per-views.”
Judging by Jones’ latest legal infraction, though, it appears that one of the best fighters in MMA history still has a little work to do in that regard.
A dramatic tornado has been captured over Sochi in a video from a motorway – with freak weather conditions threatening Formula One qualifying as champion Lewis Hamilton skipped down the track under an umbrella.
Torrential rain has lashed the region as the Russian Grand Prix weekend attempts to continue, leaving organizers with an anxious wait to discover whether qualifying can go ahead on Saturday after a practice session was scrapped.
Those hopes took another blow as a tornado was filmed from a car, compounding fears that were raised by the sight of thunder and lightning at the track that have led to this weekend’s Formula Two opener being postponed.
“This is crazy,” said Briton Hamilton, who is likely to be keener than most to make sure the race goes smoothly after his Mercedes team dominated the sessions on Friday.
Hamilton then skipped up the track and leapt into the air under an umbrella as he cheerily targets overtaking standings leader Max Verstappen on a track that is looking a safe bet to be somewhat slick ahead of Sunday’s race.
“If qualifying isn’t able to happen today, as we’ve seen a few times before in the past, then we will re-do a program and hold qualifying on Sunday morning,” said FIA Race Director Michael Masi.
That could mean move the session, which is due to take place at 3pm local time, to Sunday morning if the extreme weather persists.
The first Formula 3 race was moved to Friday evening because of the conditions, with Norwegian Dennis Hauger being crowned champion.
“In the interest of safety, [the decision has been taken] to modify the Official Program by canceling Free Practice Session 3 due to Force Majeure,” an announcement from the race stewards said about the practice, which had been scheduled for midday.
“For the purposes of the regulations and associated time limits, Free Practice Session 3 will be considered as having taken place, except where otherwise advised by the Race Director.”
There appeared to be a glimpse of sun in Sochi as the afternoon unfolded. “As we can see already this morning, the weather’s gone up and down like a yoyo, and the intensity of the rain has been increasing, with some thunder also joining us,” Masi had said earlier.
“But effectively, the procedure today will be that we will aim to start all sessions, get everything ready from an operational perspective and then judge the conditions at the time.
“The priority from today’s perspective is obviously Formula 1 qualifying this afternoon.”
Masi called the move to switch the Formula Three race “absolutely the right decision”.
“It was torrential at the time we would have been having the F3 race. So we did that and now we’ll just sort of look at the day ahead and just take it step by step.”
A basketball star has had his request to skip receiving a Covid-19 vaccine for religious reasons denied by NBA chiefs, forcing him to miss his team’s home games in San Francisco until he receives an inoculation.
Due to various Covid-19 restrictions in place in New York and San Francisco, players from the New York Knicks, the Brooklyn Nets and the Golden State Warriors are required to be fully vaccinated in order to gain clearance to play in their home stadiums unless they are granted exemptions for religious or medical reasons.
Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins, the 26-year-old first pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, had applied for a religious exemption – but that has been flatly denied by league chiefs. Details on the specifics of Wiggins’ request haven’t yet been made public.
“The NBA has reviewed and denied Andrew Wiggins’ request for religious exemption from the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s order requiring Covid-19 vaccination for all participants age 12 and older at large indoor events,” a statement said.
The NBA says it has reviewed and denied Andrew Wiggins’ request for religious exemption from the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s order requiring COVID-19 vaccination for all participants age 12 and older at large indoor events.
“Wiggins will not be able to play in Warriors home games until he fulfils the city’s vaccination requirements.”
The San Francisco Department of Public Health, meanwhile, had also made clear that vaccine exemptions would only be granted in very specific circumstances.
“Under the current order, if unvaccinated, they cannot enter indoor areas regardless of the reason they are unvaccinated and cannot test out of this requirement even if they have a medical or religious exemption,” they said in a statement to the media.
Much like in the NFL, the NBA has announced a series of guidelines for unvaccinated players compared to their vaccinated counterparts including daily testing – but players from teams in New York and San Francisco remain subject to greater demands due to local restrictions.
I’m not an anti-vaxxer, but this is gross. A vaccination should be a choice.
The New York Knicks announced this week that 100% of their roster is fully vaccinated, meaning that none of the local restrictions will apply.
Nets general manager Sean Marks also affirmed that he expected his team to be fully vaccinated by the time the league season begins on October 19.
The aggressive vaccine policy doesn’t apply just to players, with the NBA having struck agreements with practically everyone involved in game days, including coaches, referees and stadium staff, to commit to receiving one of the various vaccines available.
It’s a dumb mandate anyway because the visiting team doesn’t need to be vaccinated. People have lost their minds.
this “freedom” is at the expense of others. not getting the vaccine affects others around him more than it does to him. the NBA is a business, and compromising others because you wont get a shot is an objective liability. it's really not that hard.
As ever with the issue of the impact of Covid-19 and its vaccines in sport, the reaction to Wiggins’ religious exemption request being denied has been mixed.
“I’m not an anti-vaxxer, but this is gross. A vaccination should be a choice,” said one.
“Shot selection has always been an issue for Andrew Wiggins,” joked another.
“It’s a dumb mandate anyway because the visiting team doesn’t need to be vaccinated. People have lost their minds,” added a third.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s future at Old Trafford has again been called into question, with #OleOut trending on Twitter in the wake of Manchester United’s surprise 1-0 home defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday.
A late Kortney Hause header was enough for the Villans to secure a shock three points and their first win at United in 12 years – and the manner of the defeat has raised further questions about Solskjaer’s long-term future at the club.
Solksjaer included two of his big money recruits and left Jadon Sancho on the bench, but neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Raphael Varane could help their new side avoid defeat – especially after Bruno Fernandes skied a 93rd-minute penalty into Row Z of the Stretford End in injury time as United surrendered their unbeaten start to their Premier League campaign.
In truth, it could have been worse. Matt Targett and Ollie Watkins both missed gilt-edged opportunities, while Ezri Konsa nodded a header over the bar and Watkins again forced an impressive stop from David de Gea in the second half.
This fraud shouldn't be Manutd manager by tomorrow.
Fernandes’ woeful late penalty was a fitting end for Solksjaer’s men, who created 28 shooting opportunities in the game – wasting every single one of them.
It was also the first time Ronaldo has failed to score after rejoining the club from Juventus in August.
The result caps a miserable few days on the red half of Manchester, coming after they were eliminated from the EFL Cup on Wednesday by West Ham.
United also failed to find the net at home on that occasion as part of a run of three defeats from their past four games, including a 2-1 loss to unheralded Young Boys in the Champions League.
Manchester United with players like Ronaldo, Pogba, Varane, Cavani just lost to Aston Villa at Old Trafford for the first time since 2009. Progress?#OleOutpic.twitter.com/Q9etoTSICG
This latest example of United’s patchy form has again commanded a chorus of #OleOut hashtags on social media as the pressure rises on the under-fire Norwegian boss.
“Thank you for 1999, you’re still a legend – but you have to go,” wrote one critic on social media.
“Manchester United, with players like Ronaldo, [Paul] Pogba, Varane, [Edinson] Cavani, just lost to Aston Villa at Old Trafford for the first time since 2009. Progress?” added another.
“Great player, sh*t manager,” wrote a third. “Sack Ole. Save the season.”
