Oleksandr Usyk in ‘tremendous danger’ amid Russian shelling of Kyiv as Bob Arum provides Vasiliy Lomachenko update

Boxing promoter Bob Arum believes heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk is in ‘tremendous danger’ having returned to Ukraine to defend his country from Russia.

Reigning IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight champion Usyk returned to his homeland after the Russian invasion on 24 February where he immediately joined the Kyiv territorial defence forces.

The 35-year-old is one of a number of stars of Ukrainian boxing to take up the fight with pound-for-pound star Vasiliy Lomachenko also joining defence forces in his hometown with the legendary Klitschko brothers vowing to take up arms.

Lomachenko’s promoter Arum has hailed the heroism of the fighters and while he does not promote Usyk, he counts the former cruiserweight king as a close friend.

Providing an update on Lomachenko, Arum explained his fighter is not currently in immediate danger as he is based in his hometown outside of Odesa. The Russian invasion has not yet reached the port city but it is believed to be a prime target due to its strategic position on the Back Sea.

Having kept in almost daily contact with Egis Klimas, who manages both Lomachenko and Usyk, Arum is more concerned for the heavyweight champion who is based near Kyiv. The outskirts of the Ukrainian capital has been pounded by artillery in recent days, with rockets destroying several residential blocks and a city bus yesterday.

‘The Russians wherever they go in the Ukraine are shelling citizens at random,’ Arum told FightHype.

‘His [Lomachenko] village is about 15 miles north of Odesa. And from the reports, Russians are contemplating an amphibious landing in Odesa which is a major port city. In which case he would be in considerable danger.

‘But right now they haven’t gone into Odesa yet. The fighter who is in tremendous danger is Oleksandr Usyk because…