Ukrainian boxers Oleksandr Usyk and his British rival Anthony Joshua have announced their readiness for the upcoming showdown that will bring them together in a fight on the Red Sea, a historic event hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on Saturday. August 20 will determine the title of world champion in boxing.
This happened during a press conference held today, on Wednesday, at which boxers appeared participating in secondary fights that will precede the main fight.
During the press conference, the Osek & Joshua boxers reaffirmed their full readiness and happiness to be in Saudi Arabia, as well as highlighting the wonderful and enthusiastic atmosphere they have witnessed this week.
“First of all, I would like to thank the Saudis for their hospitality and warm welcome, this is my third visit to the kingdom and I look forward to coming here again in the near future,” Usyk said. The fight is very important for me, my team and the entire Ukrainian people, it will definitely be legendary, especially since we have already met each other before.
Joshua said: “I thank everyone in Saudi Arabia for their support and hospitality. I’m looking forward to Saturday’s historic fight to win back the belts. I’ve been training well with my team. We’ve raised our level of preparation and mental focus. I’m driven by my passion for competition and continuous improvement first.Belts are the product.” Success, but that’s not the first goal.
Also during the conference, His Highness Prince Fahd bin Abdulaziz bin Fahd bin Saad, spokesman for Skill Challenge Entertainment, which owns the rights to fight in the Red Sea, said, “I welcome everyone here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Arabia, a kingdom that proves its ability to impress day by day. The world is very proud of the growth of boxing here and hosting world events and this would not have been achieved without the support and attention. thanks to our wise leadership, the efforts of the Ministry of Sports and the tireless work of the Saudi Arabian Boxing Federation.
He added, “Today, the Kingdom has become a venue for international sporting events, including boxing, which has seen a significant increase among our boys and girls, by more than 300%.”
Saudi boxer Ziad Al-Mayouf said during a press conference for the participants of the secondary fights: “I am very happy and honored to be here today in the Red Sea fight. If I could choose my life story myself, it would be not in a special way, I loved the Support from everyone, I would like to inspire the athletic youth in the Kingdom and the Arab world, and pave the way for them. I know how important the struggle and pressure is, but the only goal for me is to move forward and I hope that I will be able to present the distinctive image of the Saudi and Arab boxer at one of the biggest events in the world, on the world stage.
Ukrainian Usyk looks to reaffirm his dominance after defeating Joshua in the first match, which took place last September 2021 AD, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London in front of 60,000 spectators as Usyk seeks to retain his WBA Super, IBF, WBO and WBO titles. IBO when he fights the same opponent who snatched those titles from him in the first fight and the winner will also receive an additional title which is the Ring Magazine title that boxer Tyson Fury gave up earlier this week while the Brit Joshua is aiming to reclaim the Kingdom titles again, where he did earlier in 2019 when he defeated Mexican Andy Ruiz Jr. in Diria.
