“Fight of the Year” — this is how the media described the bout between Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk and his opponent from Russia, Marat Gassiev. The championship planned to be held at the Olympic Sports Complex in Moscow was canceled.
Due to tense relations between Russia and Ukraine, the media diligently criticized the athlete. Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk was caught in a propaganda campaign organized by almost all Ukrainian channels.
Nevertheless, the fight took place. To the song “Brothers” by Vasyl Zahand, with the words “we will not surrender our land,” the Ukrainian boxer entered the ring at the “Olympic”. Oleksandr fought honestly for 12 rounds and left the ring with an undisputed victory over his Russian opponent.
Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk — undisputed world champion
As a result, the athlete holds all the championship belts, the Muhammad Ali trophy, and the title of “Unbeatable” in the first weight category. Marat Gassiev was no match even for the mega punches he delivered to Oleksandr Usyk during the fight. The agile Ukrainian fighter endured and secured a decisive points victory.
Interestingly, Ukrainians learned about the fight results via radio and the internet. Ukrainian television considered the global-scale fight not as significant and did not mention the victory of the compatriot in the news. Later, of course, the information appeared on screens.
But, as they say, the aftertaste remains.
Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk deserves to be talked about on TV screens, written about in newspapers, and discussed online. A legendary fighter, a worthy man, and a true Ukrainian, he deserves respect from his compatriots.
It is upsetting that after such a victory, Oleksandr Usyk was mocked by the Ukrainian channel 1+1. The video went viral on social networks and caused negativity among compatriots. “Dog questions” is how the Ukrainian boxer’s speech was described by the 1+1 correspondent, who was provoking him about the ownership of the Crimean Peninsula during the interview. However, the boxer answered the questions with dignity and received applause from Ukrainians.
