Oleksandr Usyk is currently getting ready to face Daniel Dubois next month and the Ukrainian man has admitted that another British fighter influenced his style when he fought as an amateur.
Speaking to BT Sport ahead of his second world title defence, Usyk says Naseem Hamed was a fighter he was told to watch when representing his country.
The Sheffield man captured several world titles at featherweight when competing in the 1990s and into the following decade.
Heavy handed and eager to entertain, Hamed’s mannerisms inside the ring were unorthodox but the Yorkshire fighter left a big mark on the sport after walking away from boxing following his final fight in 2002.
“When we were amateurs, we copied his movements,” said the unified heavyweight champion when discussing Hamed with Steve Bunce.
“We were under pressure in the gym because we were not allowed to do so. They told us it looked like we were losing our focus, losing our concentration, that we were out of control, but I kept doing it even during competitions.”