“We will fight without rules”: what is known about the conflict between Ukrainian athletes - boxer Usyk and wrestler Gritsay

Since you challenged, I choose the way to fight. "

The Ukrainian wrestler Bogdan Gritsay published on his Youtube channel the second video appeal to the absolute world champion in boxing, Alexander Usyk, and again challenged his opponent to fight without rules. 

Usik earlier refused this offer and expressed a desire to meet in the ring, but the owner of the bronze medals of the World and European freestyle wrestling championships in the age category up to 23 years old intends to do everything for the boxer to accept his conditions. Together with friends, Gritsai even built an octagon for a duel.

“You called us to line up. Good, but I'm the first in this line. I even prepared a place after your statement about your willingness to fight. Five hours were collected. So let's fight, Alexander, because even in your last video there is too much lies, ”said the wrestler.

According to Gritsay, Usik initially spoke about the fight without rules, when in early May he posted a comic clip on Instagram, in which he sent a “couch expert” to the knockout.

“I will not verbally like you, and say:“ Once you have challenged, I choose the way to fight. Therefore, as a wrestler, I choose the rules of freestyle wrestling. " What a cheap trick this is. I understand that you were taught to play chess according to the rules of boxing. Therefore, I emphasize: we will fight without rules. Without any rules, ”the wrestler emphasized.

Despite the fact that holding the match seems unlikely, another famous Ukrainian wrestler, Jean Beleniuk, silver medalist of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and now the deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, has already expressed his readiness to judge.

“While everyone is calling Alexander Usik to fight, he decided to propose himself as a judge of this confrontation. I guarantee honesty and impartiality. I refuse the fee, the current status is not required by law, ”Beleniuk wrote on Facebook.

And in some bookmakers in the country you can even put money on the outcome of the confrontation. The victory of Usyk is estimated at a coefficient of 1.20, and Gritsyuk - 4.25. 

“After this fight you will learn a lesson”

The conflict began with a film on the Orthodox theme, "Hello, brother, Christ is Risen." In addition to Usyk, another eminent Ukrainian boxer, the owner of three championship belts Vasily Lomachenko took part in the shootings.

The sensational picture was released on May 5. In addition to Usik and Lomachenko, Russian athletes starred in it: boxer Alexander Trubnikov and MMA fighter Alexei Nazarov. The film was published on the Youtube channel of the Russian monastery Korsunskaya Pustyn. The description says that he talks "about faith, the friendship of brothers in Christ."

Resentment in Ukraine was caused in particular by Usyk’s words that he did not divide people by nationality.

“First of all, I communicate with a person, and it doesn’t matter to me what nationality or city he lives in. If this person treats me kindly, then I treat him the same way. With the guys who live in Moscow, we trained and drank tea from one cup, ate porridge from one bowl when we were little. Now, someone shares portfolios, and I have to share friendship with this person? I will continue to be friends with him, ”said Usyk.

And Lomachenko completely called the Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians one people. 

“Honestly, it doesn’t fit in my head. For me, from childhood there was no concept of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus. I kept thinking that we are one people. We are all Orthodox Christians, and we live on the same earth. Today they try to replace us with principles and faith, ”the boxer emphasized.

The picture caused mixed reviews in Ukraine, and a couple of days after its release, Usyk and Lomachenko got into the base of the Mirotvorets website. In Russia, athletes, on the contrary, were supported, and President of the Boxing Federation of Russia Umar Kremlev even called for citizenship.

Gritsyuk also didn’t like the film, who decided to challenge the absolute world champion to the fight, allegedly in response to a boxer’s comic clip in which he knocked out a “couch expert” with the words “Before you say something, think, one day you can go in not at that door. ”

View this Instagram post

Posted by Usyk Aleksandr (@usykaa) May 4, 2020 at 12:09 pm PDT

“I am that couch expert who jokes with your“ cotton ”videos, your illiterate comments, nursery rhymes and the Russian script that you want to promote. I am the one whom you challenged you to fight without rules, without any rules. I accept the challenge. After this fight, you will learn the lesson that fighting without rules, even for a professional boxer, is unacceptable, ”said Gritsai.

“My country is Ukraine, and you will not expel me from here”

The boxer answered his offer a few days later. Especially for Gritsay, he recorded a ten-minute video on Instagram. First of all, the champion emphasized that he did not intend to agree to a fight without rules. Alexander invited everyone to fight with him into the ring, but first he urged them to undergo a medical examination.

“My friend, although not, you are not my friend. Ordinary citizen. If you want a fight, you challenged me and threw a glove at me. I choose a weapon: ring, boxing. I don’t need fights without rules, I live by the rules, ”said Usyk.

View this Instagram post

Posted by Usyk Aleksandr (@usykaa) May 11, 2020 at 5:20 PDT

According to the boxer, he can’t accept absolutely all the calls he receives, otherwise he would “wipe his hands to the elbow”. But the courage of Gritsaya Alexander did not leave without attention, noting that he was not afraid to turn to him in a special video.    

Usyk also urged not to divide Ukraine "into believers and unbelievers" and emphasized that he could star in those films in which he considered it necessary. The boxer urged all ill-wishers to simply accept his point of view.  

The absolute world champion also responded to allegations that the film "Hello, Brother, Christ is Risen" is Russian. According to the athlete, part of the picture with his and Lomachenko’s participation was shot in Ukraine. Alexander also emphasized that he is a Ukrainian.

“My country is Ukraine. I live here, grew up here. If I wanted to leave somewhere, I would have done it a long time ago. I do not want to leave anywhere, and you will not expel me from here. Because it is my country. Do not separate people. TV channels, do not pull out of context, do not divide the Ukrainian people. We are Ukrainians. We are not Little Russians, we are not separatists. “Ukrainian” is written in my passport, ”Usyk recalled.

He also recalled that his victories will benefit Ukraine.

“I took a long time to win titles for the country. Yes, I do it for myself, but I bring them to the country. And because of this they know the country. The flag is rising. The movie shows how God changed my life. You pull out of context, take the videos that we record. Due to this, you have more subscribers, views. Well, friends, if so, at least let's do it right. We can turn to lawyers, at least you pay some kind of royalties for what you get views, ”said Usyk.