Oleksandr Gvozdyk decides to hang them up!
In a surprising turn of events, former WBC light heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk (17-1, 14KOs) has announced his retirement from boxing according to ESPN!
At the age of 33, this is truly surprising.
As an amateur he won a Bronze Medalist at the 2012 Olympic Games. Known for his technical ability and respectable punching, Gvozdyk was able to translate his amateur success into the pro ranks and quickly became a wildcard for then champions Sergey Kovalev and Adonis Stevenson.
Many even wanted see his mettle tested against the eventually unified champion Andre Ward!
His biggest career victory came against former WBC light heavyweight champion Stevenson (29-2-1, 24KOs) in December of 2018. Stevenson would held nine title defenses that would span over five years and he was the “uncrowned” lineal champion before being stopped in the eleventh round.
Gvozdyk would enjoy a gratifying victory that would instantly catapult his name as the best light heavyweight and “the man to beat” in the division. He would go on to defend the WBC title and his lineal status three months later against Doudou Ngumbu by fifth round knockout.
At this point, many fans around the world could not wait to see Gvozdyk against then IBF champion Artur Beterbiev (15-0, 15KOs) or WBA champion Dmitry Bivol (17-0, 11KO). There was history with the former as the WBC champ had lost to Beterbiev in the amateurs and he was confident he could get his revenge!
On October 18, 2019, Gvozdyk would step in the ring with his amateur nemesis. he looked good early, but was broken down in the middle rounds. Fatigue and the sheer power that beterbiev possessed was too much for the lineal champ as he waived the white flag in the tenth round.
The energy he exuded and the damage he sustained in that fight required a two-day stay in the hospital.
Although this seems like a premature exit from the sport since the former champion was still seen as a major player within the light heavyweight division, we at 3kingsboxing.com would like to wish him a happy retirement and congratulate him on a solid career.
By: Jerrell Fletcher
