People ask if I had hope of becoming a champion. I had hope. Hope was the only thing I had. Hope pushed me.

I grew up in Russia where you can not be a trash talker because where I grew up if you're a trash talker you should have to answer for your words. If you don't answer for your words you're nobody. You have no respect from your friends, everybody but here in America everybody comes to say everything for free but they will have to pay in the ring for me.

People ask if I had hope of becoming a champion. I had hope. Hope was the only thing I had. Hope pushed me.

I do not like Andre Ward. I want to destroy this guy as a boxer, as a champion. For me he is not a champion, he's a fake champion.