According to Top Rank’s CEO Bob Arum, former undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk will be trained by Anatoly Lomachenko for his upcoming showdown with IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
Joshua’s fight with Usyk is slated for the likely date of September 25 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
Usyk was prepared by Yuri Tkachenko for his tougher than expected decision win over Derek Chisora in October.
Anatoly Lomachenko is the father and trainer of three division champion Vasiliy Lomachenko, who Arum promotes.
“Let me caution you something, because even though I don’t promote him, I consider him a really good friend and that’s Oleksandr Usyk, who the reason I know him so well is he is the best friend of Vasiliy Lomachenko,” Arum told Sky Sports.
“Egis Klimas, who is the manager of both [Usyk and Lomachenko], I talk with him and he has talked with the father of Lomachenko, who he calls ‘Papa Lomachenko’ who was the trainer of all these Ukrainian Olympians and he’s agreed to properly train Usyk for this fight.
“I’m telling you, ‘Don’t think that Joshua is in a cake walk. He has a really tough fight with Usyk, who is a terrific boxer.’ His father wouldn’t train anyone else, but he will train Usyk, because Usyk is like family.”
Vasiliy Lomachenko believes his close friend, Usyk, has a very good shot at derailing Joshua’s world title run.
“Of course I believe he can win,” Lomachenko told Sky Sports.
“He has a very big chance but it won’t be easy because Joshua also knows what he must do in the ring. Joshua also knows boxing, he has also had amateur experience. It will be an interesting fight, very interesting. Oleksandr is much faster. It will be a fight between styles.”