The Rise of The Undefeated Boxer Oleksandr Usyk, Explained
As a teenager, Oleksandr Usyk would never have been able to comprehend just how great of a boxer he would become. He wouldn’t be able to comprehend the heights he would achieve in the higher weights, claiming multiple titles and becoming one of the few undisputed champions. Because as a teenager, Oleksandr Usyk put his drive and dedication into something else altogether: soccer.
Usyk, nicknamed The Cat, didn’t start boxing until age 15 in 2002. The Ukrainian fighter had a glittering amateur career with a record of 335−15. Before turning pro, Usyk won heavyweight gold medals as an amateur at the 2012 Olympics and the 2011 World Championships. He competed as a member of team Ukraine Otamans in the heavyweight division of the 2012–2013 World Series of Boxing (WSB), winning all six fights. Usyk took one fight at a time and rose the ranks step by step, maintaining his dominance in every phase of his career. He is still unbeaten in his professional career.
Turning Pro and Maiden Title
Following an eventful and dominating amateur career, Usyk turned pro at the age of 26 in 2013 and decided to take on the cruiserweight division. Usyk started his professional career on a good note in November 2013, beating Mexican fighter Felipe Romero after a fifth-round knockout. He then went on to secure three consecutive wins over his respective opponents before having a shot at his first title in October 2014. Usyk defeated South African boxer David Bruwer by TKO in the seventh round for the interim WBO Inter-Continental cruiserweight title.
From there on, there was no stopping the fighter, who was ready to take on the world. Only two months later, Usyk successfully defended his championship by defeating Danie Venter in the ninth round. In April 2015, Usyk faced off against former Russian cruiserweight champion Andrey Knyazev (11-1, 6 KOs). Referee Mickey Vann ultimately called time on the bout in round eight after seven well-contested rounds, concluding that Knyazev had sustained too much damage. With this victory, Usyk remained on track to challenge Marco Huck for the WBO championship.
Usyk used his jab to control the bout against Johnny Muller, the former light heavyweight champion of South Africa, in Kyiv in August 2015. In round three, Usyk twice knocked Muller to the ground. However, Muller protested, but the referee stopped the fight with very short time remaining in the round.
In a 12-round bout in December against Cuban boxer Pedro Rodriguez, Usyk made his fourth and last defense of the WBO Inter-Continental cruiserweight belt. Usyk knocked Rodriguez down twice, first in round six with an uppercut, before the fight was stopped in round seven when Rodriguez was assaulted with yet another flurry from Usyk, trapping him against the ropes before the ref stepped in. With a world championship bout on the horizon, this victory sent Usyk to the top of the WBO world rankings.
In June 2016, Usyk gained his WBO world cruiserweight title after beating Polish fighter Krzysztof Glowacki via a unanimous decision. Usyk controlled the battle with his quick hands, superior movement, and spearing jab. He sliced Gowacki’s eye early in the fight, which continued to bleed throughout the bout. Later that year, he successfully defended the title against Thabiso Mchunu via ninth round KO.
Usyk competed in the cruiserweight division during season one of the World Boxing Super Series between 2017 and 2018. He won the championship match against Murat Gassiev by a unanimous decision to claim the title. In November 2018, Usyk, now 34, retired Tony Bellew after one final defense at 200 pounds to keep his titles.