Boxing’s Ukrainian Tsunami

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Before 2000, there were two and only two: Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko. Those are the names the boxing world would equate with Ukraine, a former republic of the Soviet Union that became an independent country in 1991. Still, outside of the Klitschkos, the fledgling nation did not have such a strong boxing history, but it is beginning to emerge as a burgeoning talent base for the amateur and pro game.

Starting with the 2000 Olympic Ukrainian boxing team, which garnered five medals, and now the 2012 Olympic team, which starred two-time gold medalist Vasyl Lomachenko (4-1, 2 KOs), rising pro Taras Shelestyuk (12-0, 8 KOs), Oleksandr Gvozdyk (6-0, 4 KOs) and Oleksandr Usyk (7-0, 7 KOs), boxing in Ukraine is growing exponentially. Add in current undefeated Ukrainian pros Sergiy Derevyanchenko (6-0, 4 KOs) and Levgen Khytrov (11-0, 10 KOs), and the six Ukrainians are a combined 46-1 with 35 knockouts.

What’s happening in Ukraine to allow it to turn out all of these stellar pros? What changes have taken place in Ukraine to create this difference? Is Ukraine a future talent pool worth mining?

A decade ago, pro boxing in Ukraine was Klitschko-centric.

“Ten years ago, Ukrainian fighters didn’t have a chance to break through the barriers and come out to the United States,” said Alex Khanas, of Fight Promotions, Inc., which co-promoted the Showtime ShoBox event with Lou DiBella on Aug. 7 in Atlantic City, N.J. “The Klitschkos made a name for themselves, and that opened a door. The 2012 team was very successful, and there were two gold medals from that team. I think the reason for their success is that Ukrainian fighters are hungrier than American fighters. They have the golden door open now, and that’s to come to the U.S. and show what they can do. It’s the mecca of boxing.

“American fighters don’t take advantage of the fact that they can train anytime and anywhere,” he added. “Ukrainians aren’t like that. They have to prove themselves and accomplish something to gain the attention of a good coach. It’s a lot more difficult for them than American fighters. That’s why when they do break through it’s why they are so successful, because they’re hungrier to accomplish bigger things.”

The Ukrainians have a far more developed amateur program than the one that exists in the U.S. It is rare for a U.S. amateur to have more than 100 bouts. In Ukraine, it is commonplace because they stay in the system. A case in point is Lomachenko. He boasts an incredible 396-1 amateur record; Khytrov had more than 500 amateur bouts; and Derevyanchenko had more than 300 amateur bouts. There is not a style or a punching angle they have not seen.

Pro boxing is still not developed to where it could or should be in Ukraine. The inspiration comes from the Klitschkos and Lomachenko. There is a good chance Ukraine could have another good Olympic team in 2016, but Khanas says the 2020 Ukrainian team will probably be even stronger. World politics has played a huge role in this influx of Ukrainian talent, too. In the past, under the former Soviet Union, opportunities to reach the Olympics were far more limited. Now, with the Soviet republics broken up into countries, it has created more avenues for places like Ukraine to show what its fighters can do on the world stage.

“We’re seeing it now, starting with that 2012 Ukrainian team,” said Showtime color analyst Steve Farhood. “I get the impression that they’re just hungrier than American fighters. They have the good amateur background. They’re aggressive, a little more aggressive than the average Cuban. They’re taught a little differently in the Ukraine, where the Cubans are more boxers. We see that when the Cubans turn pro. I actually asked if there is a specific Ukrainian style, and they told me no. It’s the Russian style, the Soviet style of boxing. There’s no change there, but they are on some run. It seems like there are more fighters today who have 10 fights or less who are contenders or nearing a title fight then there have ever been before; and most of them are from the former Soviet Union.

“Technique-wise, they’re good,” he added. “What’s making them advance so quickly is how hungry they are. In one of the fighter meetings, it was explained to me, if you’re a good 16-year-old American, you need boxing boots, someone buys them for you. Someone is carrying your bag. Whatever you need, you have it. It’s not that way in Ukraine, unless you’re a superstar amateur like Lomachenko. They’re not spoiled. They’re not babied. They’re hungrier, literally and figuratively. They don’t have everything when they’re very young. That makes a big difference. We see that with a lot of fighters.”

Brooklyn, N.Y.-based trainer Andre Rozier, who works with Derevyanchenko, has seen the transformation with the deluge of aspiring Ukrainian fighters.

“I’d call it a tsunami of Ukrainian fighters,” Rozier said. “It’s been a welcome and enjoyable experience for me, because the Ukrainian fighters want to work. They want to learn. These young men know the opportunity is here, and they come here with a work ethic we haven’t seen in a long time. They are hungrier than American fighters. For them to come here, and what we take for granted, they’re happy for anything. We complain about when the train is late. We complain about traffic. They’re happy to see a car running. They’re happy to have air conditioning on the train. It’s a wonderful thing, and they relish the moment. They don’t come to the U.S. with attitudes.

“They’re not like Cuban fighters,” he added. “The Ukrainians are here and very punctual. You don’t have to tell them to begin work. They’ve remained disciplined. I think it’s part of the way they lived, hard work and dedication to the craft. They’re ready, willing and able to please you as a trainer. This group of Ukrainians all see what Lomachenko has done. They have championship-caliber ethics and talent.”

One of the unsung boxing execs today, with one the keenest eyes of talent over the last 15 years, has been Showtime “ShoBox: The New Generation” executive producer Gordon Hall. The program has produced 62 world champions from the series, starting with Leonard Dorin.

“The talent has absolutely risen from Ukraine and the Russians have come back a little, and they all come in with Olympic backgrounds and over 300 amateur fights; and because of that, they come to the pro game more advanced than anyone,” Hall said. “They’re able to start at a more advanced stage because of their amateur backgrounds. Lomachenko fought for a title after three pro fights. We saw Derevyanchenko take on his toughest test to date in veteran Elvin Ayala and dominate him. The exact reason why all of a sudden we’re seeing more Ukrainians, I’m not sure, but they certainly have styles that everybody loves. They hit and they get hit. Everyone loves fighters like that. We certainly tend to see them sometimes fight a little more with their heart than their head, but generally speaking, they make for great fights.

“They appear to be hungrier than American fighters, and we ask them that in our fighter meetings,” he added. “They aren’t given the things American fighters are given. I’m not quite sure what makes them hungrier. A lot of American fighters come from rough situations, too; but one thing I do see is that they don’t come to America and get soft, like sometimes you do see with the Cubans or sometimes you might see with the Puerto Rican fighters. No offense to any of them, but the Ukrainians usually come to this country, in most cases, with a wife and family. They get into areas where they set some roots, like Brooklyn for Derevyanchenko, and they’re very disciplined and focused. They want to succeed.”

It appears they are.

Joseph Santoliquito is the president of the Boxing Writer's Association of America and a frequent contributor to Sherdog.com's mixed martial arts and boxing coverage. His archive can be found here.