OLEKSANDR USYK wants to be a film star after casting Derek Chisora in a Halloween horror.
Ukraine’s 2012 Olympic champ and former undisputed cruiserweight king continues his assault on the heavyweight division on Saturday.
A win will tee the WBO’s mandatory challenger up for a shot at WBA, IBF and WBO champion Anthony Joshua in 2021 — and take him closer to emulating American star Evander Holyfield’s achievement of ruling both top tiers.
Then the father of three will swap belts for the silver screen.
Usyk, 33, has starred in a couple of Ukrainian films and turned down a role in Creed 2 that Sylvester Stallone offered him to focus on a fight.
He said: “I love boxing and I don’t need much rest. I have my wife and three children and plenty to keep me busy.
“I love spending time with my family but I am probably even more relaxed in my training camps.
“As long as I am motivated to get up at 5am to train and work hard, I will box.
“The moment I feel I don’t want to get out of bed, I will start thinking about finishing my boxing career and starting on my Hollywood movie career.”
Eddie Hearn knows how hard it can be to promote a non- English speaker in British boxing but he has seen Usyk’s five-star charisma close-up.
Hearn said: “Usyk is so fascinating, he is a star, made for movies.
“The social media numbers around him — even when he is just dancing — are mad.
“People moan about Canelo, Gennady Golovkin and Vasiliy Lomachenko not selling fights in the UK and America because they don’t speak English.
“But here you have a guy who doesn’t need to — it adds to his mystery around him.
“And he is a deep thinker. Tony Bellew liked him before their fight and Derek Chisora does too — that is so rare.”
Usyk cleaned out the 14st 4lb cruiserweight division, not with KO power but with masterful footwork, speed and precision.
Londoner Chisora — who will become just his second opponent at heavyweight level when they clash at Wembley Arena on Saturday — is an 18st wrecking machine who has gone the distance with Tyson Fury and Vitali Klitschko and knocked out powerhouses like David Price and Carlos Takam.
And southpaw stylist Usyk admits the extra pounds he has had to pack on for resilience and strength have chipped away at some of his best attributes
He said: “I feel more power. I have put extra weight on my body and when I train in the gym, I don’t feel as flexible or sharp but that is only because of the hard work.
“He is a really big guy and he hits hard — but I will train hard and be in my best shape because I love boxing very much.
“When it comes to sparring and boxing, me and my team will decide on my optimum weight.
“I will stay on that weight and it will be ideal for my movement because that is my main skill.”
