The following is an excerpt from the book, Russ Anber: Unrivaled – A Boxing Memoir by Paul Harrietha, which is published on July 1
There he is. Ukrainian boxing phenome Olexandr Oleksandrovych Usyk. A former Olympic and amateur world Champion, Usyk is the former undisputed cruiserweight champion, and current WBA, WBO, and IBF heavyweight champion of the world. At 37, he is in the eyes of many boxing insiders, the greatest pound-for-pound fighter on the planet.
It is training camp in Gandía Spain, at approximately 6 pm local time on another temperate Spanish evening in late April. Usyk and his team are preparing for yet another grueling sparring session in preparation for his upcoming battle with Tyson Fury, The Gypsy King: a gargantuan and undefeated British heavyweight who currently wears the WBC heavyweight crown.
For now, Usyk sits stoically in front of an illuminated boxing ring that dominates the center of the make-shift gym. He is straddling a backward-facing folding chair—his left arm extended comfortably toward aide de camp Nikolay Tkachenko, who tapes the champion’s hands meticulously in preparation for the upcoming sparring session.
On fight night in Riyadh, the taping will be done by Canadian Russ Anber, arguably the premier cornerman in the business – and the man that Usyk affectionately calls “magic” for his skills as a hand-wrapper and cutman. Calling on almost 45 years as a successful trainer, coach, and strategist, Russ has other essential roles to fill at the training camp.
Tonight, Anber is responsible for coaching and coordinating the seven sparring partners assembled for the camp. They are all massive: Sherwood Forest Oaks in human form who were hand-picked to simulate the size and reach and power of Tyson Fury who stands six foot nine and regularly tips the scales at 280 pounds or more.
All seven of the sparring partners cast shadows over the six foot three Usyk, who will enter the ring against Fury at a chiselled 224 pounds. And they absolutely dwarf the five foot six Anber when he calls them together for final instructions before the night’s sparring session begins.
As Russ holds court among the attentive warriors dressed in their boxing boots, shorts, and gloves, he looks remarkably like a modern-day Yoda, the diminutive but ultra-wise Jedi Master of Star Wars fame. Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? And well you should not. To a man, the sparring partners soak up Russ’s instructions and directions as they prepare for the night’s battle.
Before the intense training session ends and the fighters disperse for the evening, Russ motions Usyk over to a heavy bag at the gym’s north end and fits the champ with a pair of Rival gloves retrieved from the racks. As the former trainer of multiple world champions, Russ has picked up something during the previous night’s sparring session that he wants to work on with Usyk.
Specifically, Russ demonstrates a three-punch combination that finishes with a short, left uppercut—a potentially devastating punch for a southpaw that, for some unknown reason, the champion has not fully mastered to this point of his remarkable career. With his head resting lightly on the bag, knees bent, elbows tucked close to his sides, and both hands upturned slightly at his hips, Russ throws a precise three-punch combination using a unique mix of physical gyrations and guttural commands to convey varying levels of force: umph, umph, UMPH!
Picture a game of charades: feet, fists, hips and head moving decisively while the grunts reinforce the intensity of any given action. Learned over decades of working with English, French, Jamaican, Spanish, Russian, Asian, and Ukrainian fighters, this is the unique and universal language of Russ Anber. No words are spoken, but the message is crystal clear: umph, umph, UMPH! Bang, bang, BANG! Left, right, LEFT!
Following Russ’s physical and vocal cues, Usyk mimics the crouched stance, moves close to the bag, and repeats the combination, umphs and all. As he steps back, Russ reaches over and adjusts the champion’s hand position by turning his gloves outward ever so slightly. With palms rotated upward, Usyk repeats the combination with conviction.
The champ quickly finds his balance, angles, and rhythm. Head tucked into Fury’s imaginary shoulder, he throws a left hook to the liver, right hook to the kidneys, and left uppercut to the solar plexus. Umph, umph, UMPH! Bang, bang, BANG! Left, right, LEFT! With each repetition, the punches become crisper and more forceful—and the leather-on-leather snap of the heavy bag begins to echo throughout the massive gym. It is the unmistakeable sound of world-class power and precision.
More sparring tonight. Lots of it. Usyk will box another fifteen rounds against five pre-selected giants, but the coaches have opted to up the ante. Instead of conventional three-minute rounds, the boys will battle for four minutes per frame.
While Usyk prepares for the night’s marathon session, Russ takes a moment to remind him of the three-punch combination they had worked on the previous night. Again, no words are spoken. None are required. Simple gyrations and grunts—umph, umph, UMPH!—communicate the message better than oral instructions possibly could.
Usyk uses every opportunity to test and refine the new skill as the sparring session progresses. At the same time, Russ continues to coach Usyk using his familiar grunts and body language. During one exchange, Russ actually steps into the champion’s field of vision and motions Usyk frantically to close the gap between him and his opponent.
And then it happens. In an instant. Just like Russ knew it would. The next time the opportunity presents itself, Usyk moves inside and throws his left and right hooks as expected. But instead of targeting the solar plexes with the third shot, Usyk instinctively loops a devastating left hand over the right guard of his unsuspecting sparring partner.
The punch lands flush on the opponent’s temple and forces the stunned fighter to retreat quickly to the corner and to cover up. Mercifully, Usyk opts not to pursue his groggy opponent in search of a knockdown. Fury won’t be so lucky.
Russ Anber: Unrivaled – A Boxing Memoir is available to pre-order now
