Liverpool in 2008, the quarter-finals of the European Championship, the most important boxing match because it directly decides the medal. Montenegrin light heavyweight (-81 kg), Boško Drašković, has a draw on the judges' lists after the first round.
Nothing unusual, one would say, considering the trophies and fights won by the young man from Nikšić, but... But on the other side was none other than Aleksandar Usik!
"He got me by the referee's decision, he came up, hugged me and sincerely admired me and congratulated me on the great boxing", now recalls the coach of BK Nikšić and the young selection of Montenegro.
"However, Usik won the semi-finals and the final with easy interruptions. It is true that I knew he was excellent, after all, he was a "name" since 2006. But only after our match, watching him in the semi-finals and the final, I realized that the best, claims Drašković.
Only on the wings of that match, Drašković "takes" the gold at the Mediterranean Championship in Pescara with a convincing victory over the then first-ranked AIBA boxer, the Algerian Benčalba in 2009.
"That strong resistance to Usik meant a lot to me, so in Moscow I won the first round against Artur Beterbiev in 2010, the undefeated pro world champion, in Moscow and also in the fight for the European medal. He won, but he is not so simply honest and pleasant in his dealings like Usik", is Drašković's experience.
Only Usik is in Olympic boxing - Olympic, World and European champion, winner of the world WSB league.
"Yes, I was at the OI in London, and I claim that the best fight was the final up to 91 kilograms, in which Usik beat Beterbiev. Usik is a "monster", he started in 2006 in high school and the next he boxed up to 91 kilograms, so he "walked" through the categories without any problems. I don't think anyone else could lose quality by returning to a few categories below," says Drašković, adding: Messi + Cristiano Ronaldo = Usik
About the match in Riyadh Usyk against Tyson Fury...
"Only those who do not know boxing will say that this fight is not spectacular, they will compare it to some old fights, not knowing the skill of boxing, not knowing how much these two fighters can do and what a mistake of one hundredth can cause negative... And I know that they everyone who was close to my fight with Usik knew that he was something "alien". I am happy to have shared the ring with such an ace and I would like to meet him again", said Draškovic.
And what "extraterrestrial" did the guy achieve in the pro finrg and absolute category, even though he was naturally average!?
• The second absolute world champion in cruiserweight and heavyweight, before him only Ivander Holyfield, who cheered for Usik in Riyadh.
• First undisputed world champion in the era of the four major belts (WBC, IBF, WBA and WBO) - Holyfield and Lennox Lewis were in the era without the WBO.
• Absolute world champion in only four fights in heavyweight, 24th absolute world champion in heavyweight history. The first is Jack Dempsey in 1921.
• In the era of four belts, there were a total of 12 absolute champions - Usik repeated that achievement twice.
• The third absolute world champion in two weight categories in the era of four belts. The first two are Terence Crawford and Naoi Inue. If Fury hadn't delayed the fight he would have been first.
• Usyk spent the fewest fights of his professional career to that score - 22 fights compared to 26 for Inue and 40 for Crawford.
• Usyk has won all title fights outside his home country: two in England, two in the US, two in Poland, two in Saudi Arabia, one in Germany, one in Latvia and one in Russia.
Bonus video:
