The Thunder rumbles on two fronts for Oleksandr Usyk: the boxing arena where he prepares to fight Tyson Fury on DAZN PPV this Saturday, and the war-torn fields of his homeland. Exclusively Mail Sport interviewshared a poignant moment that transcends mere sport. The Ukrainian heavyweight carefully explained a letter from a front-line soldier who bears the same name, Oleksandr, callsign “Shket”. This fighter of the Armed Forces of Ukraine poured his soul on paper, praising Usyk for carrying the torch of Ukrainian boxing.
“Dear Mr. Oleksandr,” the letter began. “My brothers and I watch all your struggles whenever possible and root for you wholeheartedly.” Those words echoed like a gunshot, full of emotion and pride. The soldier recounted brutal publications in Kiev, Bakhmut and Kherson, describing how each of Usyk’s victories stood as a burning beacon cutting through the darkness of war. “We know what hard work is and what every victory is worth,” he wrote, attaching the blood and sweat of the battlefield to the spirit of the boxing ring.
Usyk, who once enlisted with the Kyiv Territorial Defense to protect his homeland, felt every syllable as a call to arms. When he finished reading, he looked up, his eyes burning with conviction. “This gives me extra motivation,” he said. “I am very thankful to Oleksandr and our Ukrainian soldiers who support my country and fight to protect it. I am doing this for them.”
Mail Sport joined him in the ring ahead of his December 21 rematch with Fury. But beyond the ropes, the conflict in Ukraine looms like a storm cloud.
