Usyk Channels His “Inner-Ivan Drago”

While waiting for his next important Heavyweight battle, former Undisputed Cruiserweight Champ Oleksandr Usyk is staying in shape, and taking a page out of a “Rocky” movie to help do it.

First, the #1 ranked WBO challenger knows that he will either eventually get a shot at Unified Heavyweight Champ Anthony Joshua or Joshua will have to vacate the belt. And, it may be that Usyk will fight a bout later in the Spring against fellow unbeaten WBO contender, Joe Joyce of England.

As we wrote previously, that fight could become a reality soon, as their is interest on both sides in an Usyk-Joyce bout.

Joyce’s promoter, Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions made it clear last week,

We have no objections to that and I don’t think Usyk has. There’s been some preliminary talks and we’ll see where we go from there.

It’s a good fight and whoever wins it, and I think…based off his last performance is looking really good and he comes through it, it puts the winner in a tremendous position.”

So, while all of that sorts out in the coming weeks, a quick video appeared on social media over the last couple of days of the Ukranian superstar in training and more specifically, uniquely keeping his upper body strength,

What's Usyk's latest training clip?

He's just smashing a tyre with a hammer, wearing non-matching trainers ? pic.twitter.com/29dqNdqZH9

— Boxing on BT Sport ? (@BTSportBoxing) January 26, 2021

Whether he was mimicking “Thor” from the Avengers movies or as we prefer, Dolph Lundgren famously as “Ivan Drago” in “Rocky IV,” it was still fun to watch Usyk sledgehammer the tire for a little bit.

For his part, the Usyk, who held a portion or the Undisputed World Cruiserweight Champ for seven fights from September 2016-November 2019,  just won his second Heavyweight bout in November. That’s when he decisioned English veteran Dereck Chisora over 12 rounds.

The WBO has followed their tradition of ranking him #1, when he moved up a division after having been a world champ in their lower weight class.  So, Usyk’s got all the leverage for his next bout.

And, he’s obviously visualizing Joyce (or anyone else he might face next) as the tire….while he holds the hammer.