Tyson Fury’s warrior rival Usyk was taught to fight with a knife by soldier dad & is haunted by missing final moments
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IT'S the highly anticipated rematch that will see British boxing legend Tyson Fury attempt to unify the heavyweight titles. Six months after the Gypsy King's first-ever defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in May, the pair will face each other for a second showdown tomorrow night.
![[Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury will face off for a second time on December 21]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/left-tyson-fury-face-off-958568547.jpg?strip=all&w=689)
Ukrainian heavyweight Usyk, who is the first to hold all the major heavyweight titles in 24 years, carries with him the fighting spirit of his dead soldier dad and a boxer pal killed by the Russians. His father, also called Oleksandr, was twice injured while serving the Soviet army in Afghanistan.
![[Their last bout in May ended with Usyk as the victor]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/oleksandr-usyk-punches-tyson-fury-902687620_5bfc52.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
He taught his son to duel with a blade, something that could have come in useful when the boxer joined Ukraine’s territorial defence battalion after Russia launched an all-out invasion of his country two years ago. The city where Usyk, 37, was born and grew up is under the control of Vladimir Putin’s invading forces.
![[Oleksandr Usyk pictured as a baby with soldier dad and older sister Viktoria]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/father-oleksandr-usyk-elder-sister-901983477.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
And his boxer friend Oleksiy Dzhunkivskyi was shot dead by the dictator’s troops when they entered Irpin, close to the capital Kyiv, in 2022. Usyk, nicknamed The Cat, wanted to continue defending his nation, but was urged by soldiers to win for his country with his fists instead.
![[Parents Oleksandr and Nadezhda were proud of his medals]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/oleksandr-usyk-nadezhda-usyk-parents-901983463.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
The boxer’s dedication to his sport cost him his chance to say goodbye to his father properly - because he didn’t get back in time from winning a gold medal at the London Olympic Games in 2012 before he died. Talking about his late father, he said: "Everything I have now is thanks to him. He put a lot in me, he taught me about the priorities in life, which are family, sports and education.
![[The boxer with mum Nadezhda]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ukrainian-boxer-oleksandr-usyk-pictured-901983279.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
