World champion Oleksandr Usyk went from philosopher to entertainer during the pre-fight faceoff with his opponent Anthony Joshua ahead of Saturday’s rematch.
The champion raised both arms and rendered an Ukrainian song, with his countrymen and women who were in attendance joining along after the stare down. The defending champion,dressed in traditional Ukrainian attire, sang an Ukrainian folk song made popular again by those promoting independence and peace in Ukraine since the invasion of Russia.
Usyk, who is widely considered one of the biggest pound-for-pound stars in boxing, was quite the showman as Anthony Joshua kept it simple. The 32-year-old Joshua was reserved at the media conference, but said he intends to “get the job done” this time around.
Throughout the build-up to this rematch, Joshua’s mental state has been under the spotlight, with many questioning his motivations for taking the fight. Some unconfirmed reports have suggested he could earn as much as £100m.
A lot of Joshua’s comments have surrounded thanking his team and his sparring partners.