BOXING
What was the song played for Oleksandr Usyk’s walkout and victory moment?
A special remix was produced by British artist Sub Focus for the Ukrainian’s big entry, played a second time on the announcement of his special victory.
Oleksandr Usyk cemented his place in boxing history with a closely-fought heavyweight bout with British fighter Tyson Fury on Saturday night. Once the split decision call was announced, Usyk was mobbed by his team to celebrate the first unification of the heavyweight belts since 1999.
Perhaps a surprising addition was the high-paced, percussive track played in that moment. There are no results for it on Spotify or Shazam; it’s actually an unreleased edit.
It was revealed on social media that it was British Drum and Bass produced Sub Focus, real name Nicolaas Douwma, that created the track with his colleague Culture Shock. Drum and Bass is a genre of electronic from the United Kingdom, characterised by breakbeats and heavy basslines.
It’s not the first time Usyk has danced along to drum and bass. At a walk out in 2023, Usyk’s camp played “Recombine,” another production between Sub Focus and Culture Shock that was released in 2022.
Who are Sub Focus and Culture Shock?
Sub Focus, UK’s drum and bass movement. He has been active in the music scene since 2003 and has gained recognition for his contributions to the genre. Sub Focus has received several award nominations, including two BRIT Awards in 2011 for Best Single and Best Producer. He has released several albums including his latest Evolve in 2023.
Culture Shock, real name James Pountney, is another big name in drum and bass. Culture Shock’s musical journey began with his first release on Moving Shadow in 2004, leading to an exclusive signing with Ram Records, one of the biggest labels in drum and bass at the time. He now regularly performs with Sub Focus as part of their ‘Worship’ group.