Joshua Visits Ukraine With Usyk

Usyk Reacts

“I’m heading back to Ukraine, and not just like that… Tomorrow is the Rising Stars professional boxing night by @usyk17.promotions. Of course, I can’t miss an event like this, even with training in full swing and my preparation for the May fight ramping up. This is where new names rise and their big journey begins. It’s going to be loud. It’s going to be electric. And definitely unforgettable,” Usyk said

The following photos show Usyk welcoming Joshua at Kyiv airport, while Joshua is also later seen watching a Ukrainian singing session, as he immerses himself in the culture.

Usyk’s broader mission is to be able to fight in Ukraine again prior to his retirement. The unified champion stated that he currently trains in Spain, given the uncertainty in Kyiv. While he has stated that he could train in the capital, the reluctance of sparring partners to do so has thrown up another problem. However, he remains confident that he will do so, as he called for the Russia war to be over.

“There’s a lot of talk about it. I really want the war to end. Nobody wants it more for the war to end than us, Ukrainians. We understand what the meaning of war is, it has scattered us all over the world. Yes, I’m training here [Spain] now because I can’t train in Kyiv. It’s not safe there. Actually, I could [train there], but the sparring partners won’t come. We’re really waiting for the war to end, but it must end in a way that it doesn’t start again in three to five years,” Usyk stated