Thunder rumbles on two fronts for Oleksandr Usyk: the boxing arena where he prepares to battle Tyson Fury on DAZN PPV this Saturday, and the war-ravaged fields of his homeland. In an exclusive Mail Sport interview, he shared a poignant moment that transcended mere sport. The Ukrainian heavyweight carefully unfolded a letter from a frontline soldier bearing the same name, Oleksandr, callsign “Shket.” This fighter from the Armed Forces of Ukraine poured his soul onto paper, praising Usyk for carrying the torch of Ukrainian boxing.
“Dear Mr. Oleksandr,” the letter began. “My brothers and I watch all your fights whenever possible and wholeheartedly root for you.” Those words echoed like gunfire, loaded with emotion and pride. The soldier recounted brutal postings at Kyiv, Bakhmut, and Kherson, describing how each of Usyk’s victories blazes like a fiery beacon cutting through the darkness of war. “We know what hard work is and what every victory is worth,” he wrote, tethering the blood and sweat of the battlefield to the spirit of the boxing ring.
Usyk, who once enlisted with the Kyiv Territorial Defence to protect his homeland, felt every syllable strike as a call to arms. When he finished reading, he looked up, eyes aflame with conviction. “This gives me extra motivation,” he declared. “I’m very thankful to Oleksandr and our Ukrainian soldiers who are supporting my country and fighting to protect it. I do this for them.”
Mail Sport joined him in camp ahead of his December 21 rematch with Fury. But beyond the ropes, the conflict in Ukraine looms like a storm cloud.
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