When did Oleksandr Usyk start boxing?

The former cruiserweight and current unified heavyweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk has been making noises in the weightclass, ever since he made his divisional debut. Usyk made his inception into the heavyweight division in 2020 where he fought Derek Chisora for the WBO inter-continental heavyweight championship and won the bout via a unanimous decision. Moreover, the Ukrainian boxer currently holds the record of 21 wins and no losses in his career so far.

Oleksandr Usyk currently holds the WBA(Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring heavyweight championships to his name. He became the unified heavyweight champion for the first time by defeating the former champion, Anthony Joshua via a unanimous decision on September 25, 2021. Moreover, the heavyweights locked horns again for a rematch in 2022, and Usyk won the bout via a split decision this time. It was for their rematch, that Usyk won the vacant Ring title which was ripped off from Tyson Fury as he failed to declare an opponent to defend the championship by January 31, 2018(deadline set by The Ring).

However, Oleksandr Usyk is yet to become an undisputed champion in the heavyweight division. Hence, in his pursuit of becoming an undisputed heavyweight champion, the Ukranian is set to face the current WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury on May 15, 2024.

Oleksandr Usyk Debut

Oleksandr Usyk made his professional debut in 2013 when he was 26 years old. Earlier, Usyk was into football and later transitioned into boxing in 2002, at 15. It took him more than 10 years to turn PRO and within less than a decade, Usyk became a unified champion in the sport twice. Moreover, the 37-year-old boxer is still undefeated in his game.

For his professional debut, Usyk squared off against Felipe Romero on November 9, 2013, at the Palace of Sports in Kyiv, Ukraine. He won the bout via fifth-round TKO.