Gvozdyk: The Other Forgotten Oleksandr ~ The Brilliant Light Heavyweight Lomachenko.

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Light-heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk knows the risks and rewards of boxing


What Oleksandr Gvozdyk wanted most was to win a world championship. The last thing he wanted was to hurt a man.

So imagine how the Oxnard-based Ukrainian must have felt on the Sunday morning he awoke in Quebec City, eyeing his World Boxing Council light-heavyweight belt, then quickly learning that his opponent Adonis Stevenson was hospitalized, comatose with a brain injury.

“What can we do? As fighters, we know it’s a rough sport,” Gvozdyk, 31, said. “I knew I could have been in his place. It’s unpleasant. I’m not in this sport to hurt anyone.”

Gvozdyk (16-0, 13 knockouts) knew the deal he’d made by stepping in the ring Dec. 1 with the Canadian, a power-punching champion who’d reigned since 2013 and had knocked out 24 of his prior 31 foes.

It is boxing’s brutal dichotomy. It only takes minutes around Gvozdyk to sense kindness, but his good nature is set aside when he enters the ring, where brute force and a destructive mindset prevail for the sake of a career.

That night in Quebec City, Gvozdyk nearly succumbed to Stevenson’s mightiest punch in the 10th round. The challenger trailed on two scorecards, and the referee had deprived him of what appeared to be a knockdown earlier in the fight.

So he desperately went on the attack in the 11th round, backing Stevenson and finishing him with a final power blow to the head, winning the belt.

Gvozdyk’s trainer, Teddy Atlas, instructed during fight preparation, “If this guy hits you, he hurts you.”

“Stevenson was such an experienced guy, he can wait the whole night for his one punch. He almost accomplished that in Round 10. He looks at you, he’s very attentive,” Gvozdyk said. “So I knew to never trade with him. Look at those who did. They were knocked out. The key was not to play his game. And we were fortunate. It was a close fight. But I stuck with my plan and won.”

The brief celebration was overcome by the consequence, as Stevenson, nicknamed “Superman,” spent several weeks hospitalized in Quebec City before emerging from the coma and being transferred to a care facility near his home in Montreal, with his fiancée by his side and his infant daughter making occasional visits while Premier Boxing Champions lawyer Lamont Jones remained close by.

“It’s a miracle he’s doing what he’s doing. It's why they call him 'Superman,' ” PBC official Sam Watson said.

Gvozdyk has been left to confront a fighter’s guilt. In the cases of some fighters, that guilt has proved insurmountable.

“I remember Gabriel Ruelas after the fatality” of Colombia’s Jimmy Garcia in 1995, “saying he saw the ghost of the Colombian every time he walked to the ring afterward, and Ray Mancini was never the same” following the 1982 death of South Korea’s Duk Koo Kim, said Bob Arum, Gvozdyk’s promoter.

“Of all the fighters we promote, Gvozdyk is one of the most mature and down to earth, a very well-grounded young man. So unlike others who might get rattled by it — it’s never good, and thank God it wasn’t a death — I’m very impressed with him as a person, and I believe he has a chance to go on without it causing a blip.”

The challenge of the aftermath commences Saturday night in Philadelphia when Gvozdyk meets France’s Doudou Ngumbu (38-8, 14 KOs) on an ESPN-televised card.

Victory could take Gvozdyk to some significant fights since unbeaten Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez has moved to the 175-pound division, and Arum has unbeaten International Boxing Federation light-heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev of Russia in his stable.

“Every boxer has a dream to be an undisputed champion. I’m not the exception,” said Gvozdyk, who has close friends for counsel in unified cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and three-division champion Vasiliy Lomachenko. “Right now, the best fighter is the one standing in front of me. We’ll talk about the future once I get done with him.”

Restarting a career following an opponent’s injury is something Gvozdyk manager Egis Klimas understands. His other light-heavyweight champion, Sergey Kovalev, knocked out Roman Simakov in a 2011 bout; Simakov died of head injuries sustained in the match.

Klimas agreed, when discussing the situation in January, that the situation was a strain for Gvozdyk but said of the fighter: “He’s going to be all right. He’s tough.”

Asked about moving on, Gvozdyk paused and said, “I don’t want to sound selfish. I’m not too guilty, because I know I could have been in [Stevenson’s] place, too, and I would know it’s nobody’s fault. It’s not the referee’s fault. It wasn’t a bad stoppage. I don’t know why it happened. It just happened.

“It wasn’t because of one punch. Maybe he dropped too much weight. Maybe something happened before the fight. Honestly, I don’t feel guilty. I’m a fighter. What am I supposed to do? What would someone do in my place?”

Gvozdyk has sought to pass on encouraging words to Stevenson, to express happiness with the former champion’s progress, but he’s stopped short of paying a personal visit, cognizant there’s no handbook on how to navigate the situation.

“I sent a message that I supported him. I never contacted him because I don’t believe I’m a person they want to hear from,” Gvozdyk said.

He might be right. A spokeswoman for Stevenson declined to comment to the Los Angeles Times about the Stevenson camp’s opinion of Gvozdyk.

“I look forward to living my life, and I’m happy to hear he’s in better condition,” Gvozdyk said. “I’m trying to forget about what happened. ...

“I’m glad he’s doing good and I don’t feel like I need help.”

Top Rank, thanks to OG Bob Arum, have graciously decided to upload Gvozdyk vs Craig Baker to their official YT channel in glorious 1080p HD.

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As Oleksandr Gvozdyk prepares for the first defense of his WBC light heavyweight belt against Doudou Ngumbu on Saturday at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET), he is once again under the guidance of trainer Teddy Atlas.

Gvozdyk (16-0, 13 KOs) doesn't just tolerate working with the fiery Atlas. He relishes it. Gvozdyk fully understood what he was signing up for last year when he asked the hard man from Staten Island, New York, to prepare him for his first title opportunity against Adonis Stevenson last December.

"I like Teddy because he's a straight, honest person. I like honesty," Gvozdyk told ESPN.com. "Even though he's really picky, but this is the thing: It's an essential ingredient to be successful. He's always on top of every problem, every mistake. He never lets me drift -- he makes me better. And also, he's a good person.

"With Teddy, it's a challenge every day. It's crazy, but it's true. Teddy, if I'm doing good, demands better. If I do better, he demands I do even better than that. So this is Teddy. This is who he is."Oleksandr Gvozdyk

"I don't like fake [people], and Teddy is really the opposite. That's why I would rather hear that something is wrong with me and it's going to be true than looking to some compliments and it's going to be fake."

Atlas is indeed a hard man to please in the corner, Gvozdyk admits.

"It's always difficult to train with Teddy because he's always demanding to be the best, each day. No day can you drift or something. It's always difficult, super difficult, but it's worth it. We're not here to make it easy. It's no pain, no gain."

Atlas admits that he isn't for everybody. Every few weeks, a manager or promoter will inquire about Atlas' availability to train their boxers. For the most part, he declines these requests. Atlas has a conflicted relationship with boxing. He loves the purity of the sport but absolutely detests the business and unseemly side of it. Like every other individual who has decided to become a trainer, he has had relationships with boxers go sideways. To say he's cynical about the game is a vast understatement.

 

After severely injuring Stevenson in his previous fight, will Gvodzyk be mentally ready?

Light heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk is a thoughtful man. Trainer Teddy Atlas, who has spent a lifetime in the sport, calls him the smartest and most mentally strong boxer he has ever worked with.

So as Gvozdyk heads into his first title defense, it comes as no surprise that he is handling the assignment with a seemingly appropriate dose of introspection and professionalism. He knows what has happened in the past but also knows what he must do in the future.

Gvozdyk will defend his 175-pound crown against Doudou Ngumbu in the main event of a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card on Saturday (10 p.m. ET with preliminary bouts streaming on ESPN+ beginning at 6 p.m. ET) at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. It's a bout that comes almost four months to the day since Gvozdyk won the title in a fight that ended with Adonis Stevenson nearly dying after suffering a catastrophic brain injury and spending weeks in a coma.

"This is part of the sport," Gvozdyk told ESPN. "We are supposed to be professionals. It's a sad situation, but (Stevenson is) getting better. I'm not feeling any burden because he is doing good. Still recovering, but as far as I know he is doing good."

Boxing history is replete with examples of fighters who are never the same following the death or severe injury of an opponent. They carry mental anguish over what they did, even though they did not mean to inflict such serious harm, and even though such harm is an assumed risk of every prizefighter. Gvozdyk is confident he will be able to handle it.

"I feel he will handle this. I am almost awed by how mentally together he is. He can separate the emotion from the act."Teddy Atlas on Oleksandr Gvozdyk

"Definitely I followed all the news (about Stevenson). I am glad he is doing better and recovering. And I wish him all the best," he said. "It's not a pleasant thing. I didn't mean to hurt him but this is just a rough sport and it can happen to anyone. It wasn't pleasant, I can tell you that for sure. I don't want to hurt anyone. This is just a sport. It's supposed to be a sport."

Atlas said Gvozdyk is certainly concerned about Stevenson and his recovery, but the trainer does not believe there will be any carry-over or guilt from what happened that will keep Gvozdyk from performing at a high level against Ngumbu.

"I know his concern, his care, his humanity. He's a good person. He's not selfish. I know what he cares about," Atlas said of Gvozdyk. "I also know he is the most intelligent fighter I've ever trained. His greatest quality is what he showed that night -- that he is probably the strongest mentally of any fighter I've ever been around. I feel he will handle this. I am almost awed by how mentally together he is. He can separate the emotion from the act.

"I think that ability, that quality I've seen in two camps now as a person, I think that with that kind of mental strength he can shut down anything. He has the ability to be android-like, to shut down what he has to shut down. When he's in that ring he will be the epitome of a professional. When he knows he's in his workplace he can shut everything down and focus on the task at hand."

The Oxnard, California-based Gvozdyk (16-0, 13 KOs), 31, a 2012 Ukrainian Olympian, and Stevenson met on Dec. 1 at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City, not far from Stevenson's hometown of Montreal, with Gvozdyk challenging the long-reigning world champion. Although Stevenson, long one of boxing's most fearsome punchers, was 41, he had held the title for five and a half years, was in supreme condition, was making his 10th defense and was the heavy favorite.

But Gvozdyk, in his first fight under Atlas' tutelage, boxed well, shook off some big shots and, trailing on two scorecards while even on the third going into the 11th round, stormed back. He landed eight unanswered punches, including a left hand and two crushing rights that badly hurt Stevenson, who went down and slumped against one of the corner posts.

"It was the toughest fight of my career for sure," Gvozdyk said. "It was tough physically and mentally. Adonis is a great fighter. Really smart and also he is one of the greatest punchers. In Teddy's opinion, he is one of the greatest punchers for all time and I kind of agree with him because when he hit me in the second round I felt the punch.

"I realized this is a guy when he hits you, he hurts you. This is a really tough puncher. And now I understand why Stevenson stayed there (as champion) for so long. Stevenson would be trouble for everyone because this guy can hit hard and each of his punches can knock you out."

Stevenson attempted to get to all fours, but he fell partially onto the ring apron between the bottom two ropes as referee Michael Griffin waved off the fight with 11 seconds remaining in the round.

It was a hard knockout and Gvozdyk, Atlas and their team celebrated. Stevenson eventually got to his feet and sat down on his stool so he could be examined by the ringside doctor. He appeared alert, but his condition would eventually deteriorate.

"I had no idea. I knocked him out, we started celebrating and I was happy and then the next morning somebody told me he got in trouble. It's a sad situation when that happens in boxing, but this is why boxers get paid."Oleksandr Gvozdyk

A few minutes later, Stevenson was in his dressing room discussing the fight with his promoter, Yvon Michel, and then went to shower. When he came out, Stevenson said he felt dizzy and he had trouble standing, prompting the doctor to be called in to examine him again.

The doctor sent Stevenson to the hospital. He lost consciousness in the ambulance on the way there. Soon after his arrival, he was in emergency surgery to relieve pressure on his swelling and bleeding brain. He was placed into a medically induced coma, in which he stayed for three weeks and nearly died. His career was over and it remained to be seen if he would be able to have any semblance of a normal life with his fiancé, Simone "Sisi" God, and their baby daughter, if he survived at all.

But by late January, Stevenson, who had been brought out of the coma, began walking with assistance and speaking. He recognized his fiancé and daughter. According to Stevenson's spokesperson, he was eventually moved from the hospital in Quebec City to one closer to his home in Montreal to continue what will be a long recovery and one that may never be complete.

On the night of the fight, Gvozdyk and Atlas had no idea of the severity of Stevenson's injury. They knew it was a solid knockout but were told that Stevenson was OK and able to return to his dressing room.

"I had no idea," Gvozdyk said. "I knocked him out, we started celebrating and I was happy and then the next morning somebody told me he got in trouble. It's a sad situation when that happens in boxing, but this is why boxers get paid."

Atlas said he heard later on fight night that Stevenson had been taken to the hospital.

"At that point we started saying prayers. We didn't know the severity of it," Atlas said. "The next morning it all hit us how serious it was. At that point it's the worst thing you can hear."

But Atlas also added that Gvozdyk was "doing his job" when he knocked Stevenson out.

Gvozdyk posted a video to social media sending his good wishes to Stevenson but did not contact his family because, he said, "I'm not really familiar with them. I posted my video to support him. I didn't want to be intrusive to his family. I'm probably not a person they want to hear from."
Gvozdyk moved on, but the fight remained on the mind of others in boxing, including his trainer.

Even though Atlas believes in Gvozdyk's mental strength, he was still not entirely sure if there would be any issues returning to camp to train for the fight with Ngumbu (38-8, 14 KOs), 37, a Congo native based in France, with Gvozdyk knowing that he had ended Stevenson's career and permanently injured him.

So the first thing Atlas said he did when he arrived in Oxnard to begin training camp two months ago was watch the fight video with Gvozdyk.

"As a teacher, I wanted to show him what he did right and wrong," Atlas said. "Two, I wanted to see what we could add. We have the template of success but what can we add? No. 3, I was peeking at him. I wanted to see him all the way to the end of the fight. I wanted to see whatever it is I might have seen."

Atlas said he did not see any noticeable negative reaction from Gvozdyk as they watched the fight, including the brutal knockout.

"We talked a little bit about what we had heard, that he was progressing, that he was out of the coma," Atlas said. "We said, 'Good, thank goodness, thank God.' And that's it. This is what we do for a living. We don't do it thinking this is what is going to happen. Could the reality that somebody could be hurt, us included, be there? We understand that.

"We've thought about Stevenson; we've prayed for the guy. We understand the perils of the ring. We're going on to the next part of our job and the first thing after this fight, after we get out of the ring, is we'll say another prayer for Stevenson."

 

Sorry. I'm just sharing the articles for anyone who wants to read them. I would just post the links to the articles but posting links to other websites can be a problematic so I try to avoid that. Maybe I'll try and find Tweets with links to the articles in future to help avoid OFWF over-strenuous finger workout fatigue for those using their mobiles lol

 

Another free Gvozdyk fight in glorious HD?

Yep, thanks to OG Bob again.

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