Boxing
Why Oleksandr Usyk gets an unusual haircut ahead of Anthony Joshua fight
Anthony Joshua is looking for revenge as he takes on Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk in a rematch in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.
Usyk remains unbeaten after winning by unanimous decision last time the two boxers met, inflicting only the second defeat of Joshua’s career.
However, this time, Usyk will do so with a different look after a haircut which leaves him with a strand of hair and a semi-shaven head, in tribute to his national history and culture as he represents Ukraine.
What is an oseledets haircut?
The oseledets haircut is a popular one in the history of the Cossacks, who originate from south and eastern Ukraine and parts of Russia.
It was originally linked to Viking styles which date all the way back to when they took Kyiv from the Slavic people in the 10th century.
More recently, it rose to popularity in the 1990s following Ukraine’s independence, having previously been a popular option among Ukrainian nationalists earlier on that century.
“You should know that Cossack oseledets haircut and hopak on the ring are not simply part of an image for me, they are a tribute to our history and culture,” Usyk explained in a press conference.
This is not the first time that Usyk has worn an oseledets haircut, as he actually took the same approach in the London 2012 Olympic Games as he represented Ukraine.
Usyk’s hopak dance
This is not the first time that Usyk has looked to represent his culture and history in the ring and did so after beating Joshua at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September 2021.
There, he performed the hopak dance which includes jumps, spins and is usually improvised by a lead or solo male dancer.
This too comes from Cossack history and culture and is a popular folk dance in parts of Ukraine.
Oleksandr Usyk will put his WBC heavyweight title belt on the line against Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on May 23 at Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza, Ring Magazine announced on Friday.
The Ukrainian three-times undisputed champion holds the IBF, WBA and WBC titles after vacating the WBO belt.
The 39-year-old has not boxed since beating Britain’s Daniel Dubois at London’s Wembley Stadium last July.
“I respect his (Verhoeven’s) journey – he’s truly the ‘King of Kickboxing’. But this is boxing – a different game, with its own rules and its own kings,” said Usyk, who has a 24-0 record.
“I’m ready and looking forward to meeting him in the ring. It’s going to be a unique experience for both of us, and I know the fans are excited too. A big night is coming.”
The ‘Glory in Giza’ fight will be streamed live on DAZN.
“I spent 12 years as the undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion and accomplished everything I set out to accomplish,” Verhoeven, 36, told The Ring.
“But staying at the top for that long didn’t take away from the hunger; it strengthened it. Usyk is the undisputed champion in boxing. That’s the kind of challenge that motivated me. Undisputed versus undisputed.”
Verhoeven has sparred in the past with former champion Tyson Fury and had one professional bout in 2014, which he won by a knockout.
-Reuters
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Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will face off in a professional rematch at the Sphere in Las Vegas in September, with the bout streaming globally on Netflix, the fighters and promoters announced on Monday.
The fight marks Mayweather’s return from retirement and will be the first professional boxing match held at the Sphere.
Mayweather, who holds a perfect 50-0 record with 27 knockouts, defeated Pacquiao in their 2015 encounter dubbed the “Fight of the Century.”
That bout generated a record 4.6 million pay-per-view buys and a $72 million live gate at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
“I already fought and beat Manny once. This time will be the same result,” Mayweather said in a statement.
Pacquiao, whose record stands at 62-8-3 with 39 knockouts, expressed confidence he would hand Mayweather his first professional loss.
“I want Floyd to live with the one loss on his professional record and always remember who gave it to him,” the Filipino fighter said.
The rematch will stream to Netflix’s more than 325 million subscribers worldwide, continuing the platform’s push into live boxing.
The streaming platform has recently broadcast several high-profile fights, including Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson, which the company said drew 108 million live global viewers
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Former multi-weight world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather will come out of retirement this year for his first official fight in nearly a decade, his new promotion CSI Sports/Fight Sports said on Friday, though his opponent has yet to be decided.
Before his official return, Mayweather is set for an exhibition bout with fellow boxing great Mike Tyson, with the date and venue still to be announced.
“I still have what it takes to set more records in the sport of boxing – from my upcoming Mike Tyson event to my next professional fight afterwards – no one will generate a bigger gate, have a larger global broadcast audience and generate more money with each event – than my events,” Mayweather, 48, said in a statement on his new promotion’s website.
It will mark the American’s fourth comeback from retirement, following previous exits in 2007, 2015 and 2017 — the last after beating Conor McGregor to extend his record to 50-0. He has, however, fought several exhibitions since.
Across a three-decade career, Mayweather defeated many of his era’s top fighters and headlined the three highest‑grossing bouts in history, against Manny Pacquiao, McGregor and Canelo Alvarez.
-Reuters
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