Parimatch sat down with Oleksandr Usyk after his win against Anthony Joshua last month. During the interview, Usyk discussed a potential bout with Fury and the new WBO interim champion Joe Joyce.
On your Twitter you invited Joe Joyce to come to Kyiv and have a fight at the Olympic Stadium. Are you ready to fight against Joe Joyce?
Oleksandr Usyk “I can probably do it. But after Fury.”
After defeating Joshua you said: “I will fight against Fury or no one”. Tyson Fury is now reportedly coming out of retirement, but he wants to fight Anthony Joshua instead. Are there any other fighters who you are ready to fight with?
Usyk: “I don’t know anything about what Tyson Fury is doing or thinking.
We’re in negotiations talking about a match and we’re doing our best to make this bout happen. Of course, I really want to have this fight next year. But if Tyson Fury is not interested in a match next year, then it’s not possible to fight against him. I’m not interested in fighting any other boxer, so let’s wait.”
Fury’s promoter Frank Warren said that they want to have a bout at the end of this year. Is this date possible for you? You mentioned it took a long period of training to fight Joshua. Factoring in a rest, how much time do you need to prepare for it? Is there a particular date or month?
Usyk “No, for this year it’s impossible, and there are two reasons.
The first is that I have some old injuries that I need to recover from, so I need a few months for that. The second reason is that I don’t want to have a fight in December.
I spent a half of the year in the training camp in the gym, I howled at the moon.
But I want to spend time with my children and I have lots of things to do here in Ukraine since I’ve returned.
I need to visit the guys from the Armed Forces of Ukraine and to support them. I have lots to do here, so boxing will have to wait for a while. Next year I think it will happen.”
How difficult will it be to persuade Tyson Fury to agree to a bout?
Usyk: “He’s talking about 500 million pounds for the fight. He’s a lunatic, but in a good sense I mean. I’d also want 500 million, but it’s something crazy.
Fury is talking and he’s already selling the fight. So, he’ll agree on it because it would be such an impressive bout.
And as we were talking with the organisers of the fight against AJ in Saudi Arabia, the promoters were already interested in organising a bout against Fury at another stadium with capacity of 80-90 thousand.
Hopefully it will take place here in Ukraine, although it’s just a dream at the moment. But dreams can come true.”
If you’re not able to fight against Fury will you finish your career? Will you retire?
Usyk: “Tyson Fury has said that he is the King of all Kings, and he will beat and kill everyone, he’s calling everyone bums. I want to fight against him, but I am not thinking about Fury at this moment.
I just want to rest. I want to enjoy being home, and just to relax and be happy. Also to do something in my garden, to repair the electricity in my house.
Speaking about my future retirement, I’m thinking about it and talking about it with my sons. I really want to have a fight at the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv, a bout there could be the point when I’m ready to finish my career.
Is a trilogy fight with AJ possible?
Usyk: “If Fury doesn’t agree I think we could try to have another fight. We already had a match in London and in Saudi Arabia as well, so the next one could be at the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv.”