The career of the Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk is developing exclusively on the rise. The athlete wins victories one after another, winning titles. And the last year for the Ukrainian was especially successful in this regard.

The World Boxing Organization recently decided to celebrate Usyk’s achievements by awarding the athlete with another prestigious title. And they unexpectedly reminded the Ukrainian that all his high-profile victories in the ring might not have happened … if not for the court decision.

Literally a huge reward.

Boxer Oleksandr Usyk now owns four prestigious heavyweight belts WBA super, WBO, IBF, IBO, which he recently defended. Last month, the undefeated Ukrainian confidently outclassed Anthony Joshua in front of a crowded British stadium. Now the boxer is recovering from a difficult fight and is choosing a new opponent.

Alexander, as the current champion, was invited to the annual WBO convention, which is taking place these days in Puerto Rico. In addition to purely bureaucratic procedures, the event was scheduled to present an annual award to the best boxer of the year. According to the organization’s experts, Usyk deserved this title this time.

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The organizers even prepared a special gift for the Ukrainian. They commissioned a huge portrait of the champion from the famous British artist Patrick John Killian, which they handed over to the Ukrainian in a solemn ceremony.

– Oh, how good he is. I don’t even know how to transport such large gifts, the boxer joked when he saw a huge portrait.

“We followed the rules and we were right”

At the ceremony honoring the winner, the re-elected WBO President Francisco Valcarcel also spoke, praising the boxer and his trainer for a brilliant performance. He also noted that he was proud of Alexander. But the leader did not forget to remind Usyk who helped him get the championship fight through the courts.

You are the fighter of the year. When we made Usyk the mandatory contender for the title, the other guys complained. We had legal proceedings, but we were able to give him this status. We followed the rules, and we were right, — quotes the words of the President of the WBO edition of BoxingScene.

In 2019, Alexander really had serious problems in order to get a heavyweight championship fight after moving from the first heavyweight, despite the title of undisputed champion. At that moment, Dillian Whyte from Great Britain competed for the status of the mandatory challenger with the Ukrainian.

According to the rules of the World Boxing Organization, a “Super Champion” from a lighter category can request a fight with the current title holder. It was this rule that Usyk’s lawyers referred to. The Briton, on the other hand, claimed that the Ukrainian did not have enough experience in major fights in the heavy weight category, and reminded that he himself occupies the first line of the rating. Therefore, according to White, it was he who should have been given the status of a mandatory challenger. But the WBO, guided by its own rules, decided to side with the Ukrainian.

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A year and a half later, warm relations between Usyk and the WBO reappeared: then the organization put another British representative, Anthony Joshua, in tough conditions, obliging him to agree on a fight with the Ukrainian for the champion title as soon as possible. He eventually went to the Ukrainian, along with other world champion belts.

If the World Boxing Organization did not then take the side of Usyk in a dispute with White, it is not known how soon Alexander would have received his chance for a championship fight and whether he would have received it at all.