European champion and World Boxing Championship medalist Dmitry Dvali recently debuted in the professional ring, having an equal fight with the Olympic winner. The 23-year-old athlete had many plans, but now he will have to end his career. The man stood up for the teenager, and then the Russian champion was beaten by a crowd.

Doctors will try to save Dmitry’s eye, but even if the operation is successful, it will not be possible to fully restore his vision.

Jogging in Feodosia

Dmitry Dvali won bronze at the World Championships in 2023 and became European Champion in 2024. If it weren’t for the IOC’s position, the 23-year-old athlete would probably be in Paris for the Olympic Games now. However, he met Olympic and World Champion Shakhobiddin Zoirov in the ring, ending his debut fight as a professional to a draw.

“I am very sorry for the time spent, because in the end there is no winner and the result is a draw. I prepared for the fight for a very long time, studied the opponent, prepared myself physically and mentally, and in the end I did not get the desired result. I wanted to win and prove myself. I hope that in the next fight I will be the winner without any doubts,” Dvali was quoted by Match TV.

Dmitry Dvali / Photo: © IBA / Ruslan Kolesnikov

However, the next fight is unlikely to take place. At the end of July, Dvali went to Feodosia, where the athlete had a master class for young boxers planned. While in Crimea, Dmitry had no intention of changing his habits and early in the morning of July 28, he went for a run with his second. Already returning, his comrades saw a crowd beating up a teenager. They simply could not pass by.

“My dreams are shattered”

Dmitry and his older friend Evgeny did not want to fight, but hoped to simply reason with the attackers. But they were quickly drawn into a fight without a referee, judges or any rules at all. According to eyewitnesses, there were about 15 aggressors. Even Mike Tyson in his prime would hardly have been in good shape here. The boxer, who competed in the 54 kg category, was unable to stay on his feet or get out of the brawl unscathed.

Dvali and his comrade managed to retreat and ended up in hospital. Evgeny was admitted to a medical facility with a broken arm, Dmitry with a knocked-out eye and a fractured orbital bone. The boxer was sent to Moscow, where doctors are trying to save his vision. However, even now the assessments are very cautious, and in the best case scenario the champion will see only light and silhouettes with his damaged eye.

— Right now, I can’t see. Of course, it will be a miracle if I return to the ring. Of course, I want to box, continue to compete for the national team, but, unfortunately, it looks like my dreams are shattered, — Dmitry said in an interview with the Telegram channel Mash.

Dmitry Dvali / Photo: © RIA Novosti / Alexey Filippov

“Petty hooliganism”

While doctors are trying to save Dmitry’s eye, law enforcement agencies have another task: to deal with those who, without any embarrassment, are ready to beat people to death in a crowd.

— As far as I know, these guys were caught and then released on bail. And no one is in jail. They want to reclassify the case, I heard. In general, this is some kind of hooliganism. I have a problem with my eye, my eye is practically knocked out, my nose is broken, my orbital bone is destroyed. My friend has a seriously broken arm. And they will simply reclassify the article as petty hooliganism, — Dvali told Mash.

However, the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Crimea reported that two attackers have already been detained and taken to the territorial police department. They face up to seven years in prison. The issue is also under the control of the Investigative Committee of Russia.

— Currently, the head of the Main Investigative Directorate for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol has instructed the territorial investigative unit to file a petition with the supervising prosecutor to transfer the criminal case initiated by the investigative bodies under Article 213 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation to the Investigative Committee for the purpose of a comprehensive investigation, assessing the actions of the detainees and other participants in the conflict, — said Olga Postnova, senior assistant to the head of information interaction with the public and the media of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Crimea and Sevastopol, on air at Match TV.

I would like to believe that justice will be restored, although in any case it will not return Dvali either his health or the opportunity to continue his career. He paid a high price for his noble deed, but in many ways the intervention of the boxer and his friend helped save the life of the teenager beaten by the crowd.