OLEKSANDR USYK was given a hero’s welcome as he arrived back home in Ukraine – where he will now settle down with his family.
The masterful southpaw star returned to his homeland as the new unified heavyweight champion after a 12 round clinic against Anthony Joshua.
Usyk, 34, was mobbed by fans and reporters as he stopped to give autographs as well as pose for pictures.
Despite the fanfare, the only thing on Usyk’s mind was getting home to his wife Yekaterina and three children, Kyrylo, Mykhailo and Yelizaveta.
He said: “I just want to live. I want to take my kids to school, I want to plant trees, water the apple trees and see my wife more often.
“I spent three months in training camp, I wish I could spend more time with my wife.
“I just want to live — I really don’t care what the critics say. There will always be people criticising. I know what I am doing.
“If I am running I don’t stop until I stop. If I’m swimming I’m not stopping until I nearly drown.
“I am working very hard so I really don’t care what people say or think about me.”
Joshua, 31, has already confirmed plans to exercise his right to an immediate rematch.
He did so in 2019 after shock defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr, 32, and travelled to Saudi Arabia six months later to reclaim his belts.
Revenge this time will not be so easy and Usyk called to have the rematch in front of Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donetsk’s 70,000-seater home.
He said: “I would love to have the rematch at Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kiev.”
But promoter Eddie Hearn admitted Joshua’s date with destiny is likely to be back at home in front of AJ’s British faithful.
Hearn said: “We will work together to maximise (the income), Ukraine is very unlikely.
“I think it will be international or the UK, I would think it would be in the UK.”
