“We copied his movements,” Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk admits to copying legendary British boxer’s style
Ahead of his bout against Daniel Dubois, Oleksandr Usyk paid his respect to British boxing legend Prince Naseem Hamed.
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Oleksandr Usyk copied Prince Naseem's movement ( Image via : Boxing Junkie /Guardian)
Ukrainian heavyweight boxer Oleksandr Usyk will go head-to-head against British boxer Daniel Dubois on August 26. Usyk is the current unified heavyweight champion of the division and has wins over several top-tier fighters. The Ukranian fighter has very fluid and precise movements that leave his opponents struggling inside the ring. Turns out, Usyk learned from the best as he recently admitted to copying Naseem Hamed’s movement.
British boxing legend Naseem Hamed also known as Prince Naseem was considered one of the most elusive strikers in the sport. He made easy work out of some of the best boxers and rose to become a worldwide phenom. Naz won world titles at the featherweight and bantamweight divisions and retired with a record of 36 wins and 1 loss. His impact on the boxing world was so long-lasting that even the current heavyweight champion had to take notes from Prince Naseem’s notebook.
The former featherweight champion was present at Oleksandr Usyk’s press conference recently to support his son Aadam Hamed. Usyk was asked if Prince Naseem was a fighter he admired, and the Ukrainian boxer without any hesitation admitted to it. “When we were amateurs, we copied his movements. We were under pressure in the gym because we were not allowed to do so. They told us it looked like we were losing our focus, losing our concentration, that we were out of control. But I kept doing it, even during competitions,” said Usyk.
Prince Naseem’s legacy will now be carried by his son Aadam Hamed. Aadam will be making his professional debut on Oleksandr Usyk’s undercard and hope to become a phenom himself.
Prince Naseem Hamed gives his thoughts on the current condition of the heavyweight division
The heavyweight division of the boxing world is starting to see some momentum. Tyson Fury has finally announced his return against Francis Ngannou in an exhibition bout. Anthony Joshua will go head-to-head against Dillian Whyte for the second time. Meanwhile, unified world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk will be fighting Daniel Dubois this August.
With top heavyweight fighters gearing up for their return, fans are hyped up to witness some action inside the ring. However, British boxing legend Prince Naseem is not pleased with the matchups. Naseem’s son, Aadam Hamed will be making his pro debut on the Usyk vs Dubois undercard. As such the boxing icon was present for a press event, where he gave his thoughts on the recent condition of the heavyweight division.
According to Hamed, Fury’s next fight with Francis Ngannou was a good business decision. However, he criticized it by stating that it does not mean anything. Furthermore, he bashed Fury and Usyk for not fighting each other and how that annoyed him. ” These guys are heavyweight champions of the world, let’s see them fight, I wanna see them fight man. I’m sick and tired of all this bulls*** boy,” said Prince Naseem. The boxing icon is not the only one who feels this way as several boxing fans also have the same complaint with the division.
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Viraj Kelshikar
(227 Articles Published)