Boxing
Oleksandr Usyk’s very surprising ‘other’ professional sports career
The heavyweight champion has always been a big fan of other sports, and even made an appearance for a team in the nation’s top league.
This past May marked a historic moment for boxing’s heavyweight division with the first-ever unification under the sport’s four major governing bodies (WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF). Oleksandr Usyk (22-0-0, 14 KOs) became the unified champion by defeating Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) via split decision, stripping Fury of both his title and his undefeated record. Now, the Ukrainian boxer aims to make history once again in their rematch, scheduled for Saturday, December 21, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Usyk’s victory in their first encounter reaffirmed his place in boxing history. Widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, what is less known about Usyk is his deep passion for soccer – so much so that he even played a match for FC Polissya, a first-division team in Ukraine.
Usyk’s love for soccer...and Messi
As a child, Usyk was a soccer enthusiast. He not only loved playing but also became a devoted fan of Lionel Messi. At age 15, he made the life-changing decision to switch to boxing, but his love for soccer never faded. Even today, Usyk watches matches during his training sessions. His enthusiasm led to a special moment in February 2022, when he made his debut with FC Polissya.
The soccer game featuring Usyk
The game was a friendly match between Veres and FC Polissya, which at the time competed in Ukraine’s second division (now in the top tier). Usyk came off the bench to play 15 minutes, though he didn’t have much time to make an impact.
He had one chance to score but missed connecting with the ball and participated in a few plays by linking up with teammates. Wearing the number 17 jersey, Usyk took the position of forward, and his team ultimately won the match.
Following his debut, FC Polissya shared photos on social media announcing Usyk’s “signing,” though it was a one-off event. The boxer has not returned to play for the club since.
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