Oleksandr Usyk thinking of home as he prepares to face Anthony Joshua in Jeddah

As Oleksandr Usyk stood up from the table after a series of interviews in Jeddah this week, he made sure to shake the hand of every journalist present. After one exchange he gave a huge grin before revealing in his hand the wristband that had previously been fixed around the reporter’s arm.

“Sorry, it’s my previous occupation,” he said, with a big smile.

It’s unlikely that Usyk was ever a pickpocket, or a stage magician, but he is always a great entertainer, inside and out of the ring.

Keeping a smile on his face at the present time must be tricky. Not only is he just a few days away from defending his WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles against Anthony Joshua in Jeddah, but he gets daily updates from back home from friends defending Ukraine against the Russian invasion.

Six weeks ago, when Joshua and Usyk had held a press conference in London, he had been sullen as he recalled stories of the problems facing friends or hearing his home had been invaded by Russian troops.

“My wife is here,” he said as the reason for the better mood, as well as encouraging news from friends back home.

“Some of my friends, military guys, came back from their assignments safe and sound. Their assignments were really complicated and dangerous, but they managed to get home safe and sound and accomplish it.

“We are hearing fewer explosions and see the enemy activity reducing, which might be considered positive news for us.”

Usyk, who claimed the titles from Joshua on a split points decision at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London in September last year, had been in the UK filming for a video game when Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

Rather than stay away, he flew home and signed up with Ukraine’s volunteer armed forces.

Oleksandr Usyk