World boxing champion Alexander Usyk defended his WBA, WBO and IBO belts from the British Tyson Fury in the second fight, which took place on the night of December 21-22.
After entering the ring and after the victory, Usyk was wearing a black T-shirt with religious meaning.
What does the inscription on Usyk's T-shirt mean
The black T-shirt that Usyk was wearing contained an inscription in Greek Ὀρθοδοξία ἢ θάνατος! It literally means — Orthodoxy or death.
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Note that during the weigh-in before the first fight, Usyk was also wearing a T-shirt with this inscription.
This phrase is called the slogan of the Esphigmenou Monastery on Mount Athos. The monastery is distinguished by its extreme radicalism towards Orthodox views, condemns Catholicism and fights for the “purity” of Orthodoxy.
Slogan Orthodoxy or death! was first used by the Esphigmenou Monastery in 1972, after it severed ties with the Eastern Orthodox Church in protest at its leadership entering into dialogue with Pope Paul VI.
To this day, the monastery continues to ignore the Eastern Orthodox Church, as well as the Greek government.
The Sport.ua publication wrote that this T-shirt of Usyk caused a wide resonance among the Saudis. Since in a country like Saudi Arabia, which is considered the center of the Islamic world, such symbols can be perceived as provocative or offensive.
Wearing a T-shirt with such inscriptions in Islamic countries can have serious consequences due to strict adherence to religious norms.
Recall that before the start of the second fight, it became known that Usyk was forbidden to kiss the cross between rounds of the rematch against Fury. However, the Ukrainian's team demanded that Tyson shave his beard before the rematch, but he refused.
