Alexander Usik: Heavyweight champion speaks exclusively to CNN after joining Ukrainian defense battalion

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Among them, 35-year-old Usik and 34-year-old Lomachenko won three Olympic gold medals and have since established themselves among the world’s top boxers.

But now they face a very different battle – an existential one – for the very future of their country. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, Usik and Lomachenko have gone to Ukraine, taken up arms and joined the Territorial Defense Battalion.
Speaking via video link from a basement in Kyiv, Usik told CNN exclusively that he should look for not only invading forces, but also robbers. He says he is ready to take his life if necessary.

“If they want to take my life or the lives of my loved ones, I will have to do it,” he said. “But I don’t want that. I don’t want to shoot, I don’t want to kill anyone, but if they kill me, I will have no choice.”

Usik’s manager, Egis Klimas, helped coordinate the interview and translated into non-English-speaking Usik. Despite the appalling situation in which many Ukrainians now find themselves, Usik says he is not afraid.

“It may sound sentimental,” he explained, “but my soul belongs to God and my body and my honor belongs to my country, my family. So there is no fear, absolutely no fear. There is a simple perplexity… – how can this be in the 21st century? “

He is not in Ukraine to box at the moment, but the noble art is still useful at the moment. “It helped me stay calm and mentally prepared,” he said, “and it helps me help others who are panicked and nervous.”

Both men were out of the country when Russia invaded; Usik was in London filming sequences for an upcoming video game.

He intended to fly home only hours after the start of hostilities, but after the airports were closed, he instead flew to Warsaw, Poland, and traveled nearly 500 miles back home and across the border to Kyiv.

Lomachenko was visiting a monastery in Greece and returned home the next day. Instead of flying directly to his hometown of Odessa, he traveled to Bucharest, Romania, then drove nine hours to the port and took a ferry to Ukraine.

The manager told CNN he did not know they were thinking of taking up arms until they enlisted in the defense battalion. Former world boxing champions Vitaly – who is also mayor of Kyiv – and Vladimir Klitschko have also taken up arms to defend their nation.

“The bomb around is crazy”

Lomachenko was scheduled to speak to CNN at the same time as Usik, but did not answer calls from his manager at the time. Early Wednesday morning, local time, Klimas confirmed to CNN that Lomachenko was alive and well.

He and Usik remain close: they are the godparents of their children and celebrate family birthdays together. Six days after the war, Usik knows that it is no longer safe anywhere in Ukraine.

“The bombing around is crazy,” Usik said. “They have just bombed the city of Mariupol, one of my friends put a rocket in his roof. [The Russians] don’t play games. ”

As the fighting rages, so is the debate over whether Russian athletes should be sanctioned for their country’s actions. Usik chose not to weigh directly, assuming there were innocent people on both sides of the conflict.

“The Russian people don’t really know what’s going on here. They do not see what is happening. They are victims of their president [Vladimir Putin]”

Usik has just become a world heavyweight champion at the IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO. In September, he defeated Anthony Joshua in London in a superb boxing game to take the belts. His manager says rematch talks this summer are at an advanced stage.

Lightweight Lomachenko has previously been a world champion in three different weight categories and planned to fight George Cambosos in Australia in June.

But it’s understandable that boxing is the last thing on your mind.

“I really don’t know when I’m going to step out of the ring,” Usik said, looking exhausted and emotional in an interview with CNN. “My country and my honor are more important to me than the championship belt.”

Usik has three children, and during the interview there was a sound of young voices playing behind him in the basement.

He says family, friends and neighbors have taken refuge together. “When there’s an air raid alarm, we hide. Of course, it’s fun when there’s a lot of us here – we’re having fun. But we’re being forced to have fun.” They try to keep the mood of the children.

But in a separate interview with CNN, Usik Klimas’ manager stressed the seriousness of the situation: “They are in great danger. When bullets start flying, the bullet doesn’t care if you’re a world champion. The bullet just goes through. “