Last Updated on June 2, 2024 by grubdunkman
Nationality: Ukrainian
Nickname: The Cat
Age: January 17, 1987 (37 y.o)
Height: 6 feet 3 inches (190 cm)
Weight: Approximately (220.4 pounds/100 kg)
Stance: Southpaw
Reach: 78 inches (198 cm)
Amateur Record:
2012 – Olympic gold in the heavyweight division (up to 91 kg)
2011 – World champion in the heavyweight division (up to 91 kg)
2008 – European champion in the light heavyweight division (up to 81 kg)
2006 – Bronze medalist at the European Championships in the middleweight division (up to 75 kg)
Pro debut : 2013-11-09
Professional Record: Undefeated 21-0 (14 KO 66%)
Titles and Accolades:
Former undisputed cruiserweight champion
Undisputed Heavyweight champion
WBO Heavyweight Champion
WBC Heavyweight Champion
IBF Heavyweight Champion
WBA (Super) Heavyweight Champion
IBO Heavyweight Champion
The Ring magazine title in the heavyweight division
Style and Technique:
Highly technical with exceptional footwork, agility, and ring IQ, known for fluid movement and precise punching
Manager : Egis Klimas
Promoter : Alexander Krassyuk
Oleksandr Usyk Bio
Born in Simferopol, January 17, 1987, Crimean Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, now the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukraine.
In his childhood, Usyk engaged in various sports, including dancing, judo, and soccer. He even played for the local football team Tavria FC. Later, as a teenager, he started boxing, where he met his coach who saw a potential champion in him. Working diligently, Usyk quickly achieved success, winning medals at the Ukrainian and European Championships.
Amateur
In 2006, Usyk reached the semi-finals of the European Boxing Championships but lost. He later won the Strandja Cup in Bulgaria 2008. At the 2008 Olympics, he won his first match but lost in the second. Usyk then won the 2008 European Championship before returning to heavyweight boxing. In 2009, he won a bronze medal at the World Boxing Championship. In 2011, Usyk won the World Championship.
On August 11, 2012, at the Olympic Games in London, Usyk secured the gold medal by winning the final against Italian boxer Clemente Russo. After the fight, he danced the Ukrainian dance hopak, which was very memorable for the fans.
1/8 – Advanced automatically
1/4 – Arthur Beterbiev 17:13
1/2 – Tervel Pulev 21:5
Final – Clemente Russo 14:11.
Semi Pro
In October 2012, he officially announced the end of his amateur career and transition to the semi-professional WSB league, an international boxing association under the auspices of AIBA.
As a member of the Ukrainian Otamans team, Usyk achieved a total of six victories, two of which were by knockout, without experiencing any defeats. This impressive record led him to claim the top position in the individual WSB heavyweight boxer rankings.
Pro
Oleksandr Usyk’s professional career began under the tutelage of K2 Promotions, owned by the Klitschko brothers. His coach, James Ali Bashir, relocated to Ukraine expressly to mentor Usyk, acknowledging his exceptional talent. According to Alexander Krassyuk, Usyk’s promoter, Usyk’s goal was to break the record of the legendary Evander Holyfield, who became the world champion in the heavyweight division in his 12th professional bout.
From the very beginning of his career, Oleksandrr refused to step into the ring with inferior opponents. Consequently, he achieved numerous victories against athletes who already held multiple titles. By 2016, Usyk had secured 9 wins in 9 matches. Thanks to these achievements, he earned the chance to fight against the heavyweight world champion Krzysztof Głowacki.
On September 17, 2016, in Gdansk, Oleksandr confidently emerged victorious, becoming the world champion in just his tenth bout. The official scorecards read: 119–109 and 117–111 (twice). Usyk surpassed the record of Evander Holyfield.
On August 26, 2017, a third title defense for Alexander Usyk was planned to take place in Odessa. However, shortly after, news surfaced about the formation of the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) tournament in the heavyweight division. Usyk’s team favored participation in this tournament.
The World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) is a professional boxing tournament founded in March 2017 by German promoter Kalle Sauerland and his American counterpart Richard Schaefer. The tournament was planned to be held annually. Usyk defeated Hook in the WBSS quarterfinals, retained his WBO title, and advanced to the semifinals.
He then beat Briedis to unify titles and faced Gassiev in the final, winning to become the undisputed champion with all four belts and became the holder of the unique Muhammad Ali Trophy.
After defeating Murat Gassiev in July 2018, Oleksandr Usyk challenged Tony Bellew. They fought in November 2018, with Usyk knocking out Bellew in the 8th round. Bellew retired after the fight.
Heavyweight
Following his triumph over Bellew, Oleksandr Usyk decided to transition to the heavyweight division. His scheduled debut against Carlos Takam in Chicago on May 25, 2019, was thwarted by an injury during his preparation. Despite the setback, Usyk pressed on, with Chazz Witherspoon stepping in as a replacement opponent on October 12, 2019, after Tyrone Spong failed a doping test.
On October 31, 2020, he faced Derek Chisora, ultimately winning by unanimous decision. The zenith of Usyk’s heavyweight journey came on September 25, 2021, when he faced off against Anthony Joshua, who held the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Won by unanimous decision and took all four titles.
According to the terms of the contract, Joshua had the right to an immediate rematch with Usyk. Initially, the rematch was slated for late April 2022. However, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, Usyk joined the territorial defense, casting uncertainty over the rematch. The final decision was made to hold the fight on August 20, 2022, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
A few days before the fight, it was revealed that in addition to the WBA (Super), WBO, IBF, and IBO titles held by Usyk, the bout would also feature The Ring magazine championship belt. The match proved to be highly intense, with both fighters exchanging flurries of punches. In the ninth round, Joshua managed to stagger Usyk, but the Ukrainian persevered.
In the final rounds, Usyk turned the tide in his favor. With a split decision from the judges scoring 115—113, 113—115, 116—112, Oleksandr celebrated his victory.
After Joshua
After defeating Anthony Joshua, Oleksandr issued a long-standing challenge to Tyson Fury, the reigning WBC heavyweight champion.
Next on August 26, 2023, in Poland Usyk’s opponent was the holder of the regular world champion title, Daniel Dubois. The match ended in Usyk’s victory, but the outcome sparked numerous controversies. This was due to a low blow delivered by Daniel, after which the Ukrainian received a break and was able to continue the fight with renewed strength. However, the judges did not overturn their decision.
Oleksandr Usyk won the fight against Tyson Fury on May 18th. The bout between the athletes took place in the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh. Oleksandr won the fight in twelve rounds by split decision of the judges. Usyk became the first undisputed heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.
Fun Facts
Oleksand Usyk has a contract with the professional soccer team from top tier Ukrainian championship division. The club is Polissya FC from Zhytomyr. Usyk was playing soccer in his youth, however switched to boxing due to high cost of soccer training.
