Heavyweight champion Usyk’s promoter Alex is very close to him and has been with Usyk for years throughout it all.
He knows him well. He translates for him still, even though Usyk is learning English, as well as promoting him too of course.
An old saying says it is the size of the dog in a fight not the size of a dog in a fight.
Another one says a good big man beats a good small man.
Both Fury and Usyk are good fighters.
That goes without saying.
Speaking to Talk Sport Usyk’s promoter said:
“It’s Monday of fight week, Usyk vs. Fury 2, and we’re joined by Spencer Oliver, myself, Gareth Davis, and none other than the man in the middle—the man who does a lot of the talking and translating for Oleksandr Usyk—Alexander Krassyuk.
Gareth: Alexander, how are you?
Krassyuk: Not bad, thank you. And thank you for introducing me as a translator.
Gareth: Well, you’re his promoter, but you are also his translator.
Krassyuk: Let me tell you a story. I remember being in an airport somewhere in Europe, and this kid came up to me. He was from Ukraine, and he said, “Mama, I want to take a picture—it’s Usyk’s translator!”
Spencer: Brilliant! Well, you’ve done a great job in both roles. When you all walked in today, I have to say—the entourage looked bigger. And Alexander looks bigger, too. Am I imagining things?
Krassyuk: No, you’re absolutely right. He doesn’t just look bigger—he is bigger.
Gareth: Why is that?
Krassyuk: Because he’s a heavyweight now, and he’s having his next fight as a heavyweight. Why shouldn’t he be bigger?
Spencer: It’s fair to say he’s fully developed into a heavyweight now. People think moving from cruiserweight to heavyweight is easy, but it takes time to transform your body. When Alexander walked in today, he didn’t just look bigger—he looked athletic and solid. There’s an aura about him now. He seems to have fully embraced being a heavyweight.
Krassyuk: That’s true, but there’s nothing extraordinary about it. If you have the science behind it, you can do it relatively quickly. Well, not easily, but fast. The way Alexander trains and the energy he puts in can’t be compared to most athletes in the world. The hard work he puts in produces results, and those results are clear to see.
Gareth: Let’s go back to the first fight. During his training camp in Spain, what stood out as areas to improve on for this second fight?
Krassyuk: Trust me, that was probably the toughest camp Alexander ever had. It started in September and didn’t end until May. It was the longest camp because the fight was rescheduled twice—first to December, then February, and finally May.
Spencer: That’s grueling. Most people don’t realize that a fighter’s body only peaks a few times in their career, and trying to repeatedly peak because of rescheduling is incredibly difficult.
Gareth: So what specifically have you focused on improving this time?
Krassyuk: I honestly don’t know. Tyson Fury is an elite fighter, one of the best in the world across all divisions. He knows how to adapt and create new tactics in the ring. You can’t prepare for surprises with him, so you focus on the basics—conditioning. When you have the stamina to keep going, you maintain focus. If you lose your breath, you lose your focus, and when you lose focus, you’re done.
Spencer: Alexander is clearly bigger now—does that mean he’s looking to finish Fury this time?
Krassyuk: He’s always looking to finish as the winner. Whether that’s by knockout, inside the distance, or on points doesn’t matter.
Gareth: I was surprised in the first fight by how Alexander took control of the center of the ring. I think that surprised Fury as well. He made Fury work on the outside, pushing him into the corners and onto the ropes. That was Alexander’s control, not Fury’s choice.
Krassyuk: That’s true. But remember what’s written on the wall in Alexander’s training camp: If size mattered, the elephant would be king of the jungle—not the lion.
Spencer: Brilliant point. Are you expecting another close fight?
Krassyuk: If I’m being completely honest, I think it’s a 50/50 fight, just like the first one. It depends on who has the better night, who’s luckier.
Gareth: Alexander is 37 now, still competing at an elite level. How does he maintain such incredible athleticism?
Krassyuk: It’s who he is. It’s in his DNA. Alexander is a master of the sport, and he creates masterpieces in the ring.
Gareth: If he wins again, he’ll cement his status as one of the all-time greats, both in cruiserweight and heavyweight. But does he plan to continue, or could this be his last fight?
Krassyuk: No, he will continue. He’s even talked about going back down to cruiserweight to collect all the belts again.
Spencer: Why would he do that? Roy Jones Jr. tried something similar after moving up to heavyweight, and it didn’t go well.
Krassyuk: It might affect him, but it’s his decision. Alexander always needs a challenge to stay motivated, and if that’s what drives him, that’s what he’ll do.
Gareth: Let’s talk about Ukraine. Given everything happening there, is Alexander one of the biggest heroes in the country right now?
Krassyuk: Absolutely. He’s an iconic athlete and citizen of Ukraine. People love him, respect him, and cheer for him. He’s the people’s champion.
Gareth: Brilliant. Finally, any predictions for Saturday night?
Krassyuk: No predictions—I don’t make those!
Gareth: Well, thank you so much for joining us on the first Fight Night Daily Podcast of the week. We appreciate your time, Alexander.
Krassyuk: Thank you!”
If the Elephant was the King of the Jungle then he’d be the King and not the lion, we never heard that one.
Very interesting to say the least, and, it makes sense.
That said, a good big man beats a good little man has also been shown to be true as well.
Outside of times where an exceptional little man beats a good big man, ala David vs Goliath and Usyk vs Fury 1.
This is a different fight on Saturday night, however.
Roll on.
