The fighter, 39, has been training alongside Anthony Joshua, 36, in Ukraine as the British boxer works towards a return to the ring following the December crash in Nigeria that claimed the lives of Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami.
Joshua, a former two-time unified heavyweight champion, escaped with minor injuries and is undergoing rehabilitation with a potential return targeted for July.
He and Usyk have been working together daily in the wake of the horror, with Usyk offering support as Joshua balances physical recovery with ongoing training.
Usyk has now told the Daily Mail about Joshua: “I think he’s getting better.
“From what I see, Anthony is training well, but the doctor says, ‘please, take it slowly, not too fast yet. Take your time’.
“So physically he’s good but he needs more time to fully heal.
“Mentally, I think he’s good too, because we talk every day. We train twice a day, morning and evening, and we’re always talking constantly.
“I tell him, he can talk to me when he needs to. Listen, I know Anthony, he’s a champion. Yes, right now he doesn’t have the belts, but for me that doesn’t matter.
“A champion is not always the one who has the belts.
“A champion is a man who lives right, who works, who looks to the future and says, ‘Yes, I can. I will work and never give up’.
“It’s about how you live every day, every moment, every second. Anthony is living like that at the moment. That mindset is what keeps him going.”
Joshua began working with Usyk’s team ahead of his bout with Jake Paul last December, which ended in a sixth-round knockout victory.
In recent weeks, Joshua travelled to Ukraine, where he spent time with Usyk visiting sites of national significance, including memorials dedicated to fallen Ukrainian soldiers and British troops who had supported the country.
Usyk said: “I wanted to show Anthony my national food, my culture, Ukrainian music, everything.
“I want him to feel my energy and understand the places that are important to me.
“I really appreciate that he’s here. To me, he’s like a big brother. He’s not my rival, not my opponent, he’s my partner, my brother. And now he likes Ukrainian food too, especially borscht.”
Joshua was also presented with gifts by members of the Vovkulaki special unit, including a longsliv knife bearing the unit’s insignia, as a gesture of respect during his visit.
