MANCHESTER, England (AP) 鈥� wants to make some 鈥渘oise鈥� before he calls time on a career that has made him the most dominant heavyweight boxer of his generation.
That goes some way to explaining this month’s in Egypt on May 23. Just don’t expect to see him in the ring with YouTube star Jake Paul anytime soon.
鈥淚 don’t know because Jake (is) my friend now,鈥� Usyk told The Associated Press when discussing the potential of following . 鈥淲ith Jake (a) fight is not possible, I think.鈥�
Not that Usyk 鈥� the unified heavyweight world champion 鈥� is dismissive of the growing trend for boxers to take on ever more unusual and lucrative fights against opponents from different sports or different worlds entirely.
Jake and his brother Logan Paul found fame as YouTubers with millions of followers on the video-streaming platform and have gone on to fight legendary boxers and . Mayweather also and kickboxer .
In December, Jake Paul took on his most audacious challenge yet when he was .
The fight demanded attention around the world because, unlike Tyson and Mayweather, Joshua is 36 and still competing at the top of the sport for the biggest titles. Jake Paul was knocked out in six rounds and said his .
Usyk says he understands the appeal of such fights, even if they are criticized by some boxing purists.
“It鈥檚 a media fight aimed at drawing even more people into professional boxing and combat sports in general. You know how it was when we were kids watching movies. 鈥榃ho鈥檚 stronger, (Jean-Claude) Van Damme or Chuck Norris? Or (Sylvester) Stallone, or someone else?鈥�
鈥淓verything that happens in today鈥檚 world is a show, it鈥檚 all like a movie. And we are simply actors in that movie.鈥�
The undefeated Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) is 39 and nearing the end of his career. He is planning three more fights ending with his , who he has already defeated twice.
First up, however, is a title defense against Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
The 37-year-old Verhoeven is a champion kickboxer from the Netherlands, who has only fought once professionally as a boxer in 2014. He won that fight and is 66-10 with 21 KOs as a kickboxer.
Usyk describes it as another 鈥渧ery good media fight鈥� even if he has had to defend his decision to take on such a boxing novice, rather than leading challengers for his belts like WBO champion Fabio Wardley.
鈥淩ico is the absolute world champion in kickboxing and I am in boxing. For the fans, that鈥檚 not bad,鈥� Usyk said. 鈥淢ost people don鈥檛 really understand professional sports. They just watch the picture, and people want bread and circuses. We, in turn, went through a certain period of conquering and achieving results. Now we鈥檒l make some noise for a while and then return to specifically boxing opponents because there is a certain plan that we are building for ourselves.鈥�
Even if many people see the fight as a mismatch, Usyk says his preparations are as serious as ever and he has been working on cognitive training techniques to further improve his skills.
According to the British Psychological Society, cognitive training is about treating the brain like a muscle and regularly exercising it via methods such as games or problem solving.
Usyk says it speeds up his decision-making in the ring.
鈥淏oxing is not chess 鈥� you have to think quickly in there,鈥� he says.
He has taken a role as chief discipline officer for language learning app Promova, which he says he incorporates into his training regime.
鈥淔or example, someone says a word to me in Ukrainian and I have to answer in English, or he says something in English and I have to translate it. All of this keeps intensifying, and your head feels like it鈥檚 exploding,鈥� he said.
With all that brain training, getting into the ring is almost a relief.
鈥淚n the ring, when I鈥檓 boxing, for me, that鈥檚 where I鈥檓 really ecstatic,” Usyk said. “I don鈥檛 like training. I don鈥檛 like doing this incredible work every single day. But I know it will simply help me perform better in the ring.鈥�
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Associated Press reporter Illia Novikov in Kyiv contributed to this report.
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James Robson is at
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