Oleksandr Usyk Ready to Get Involved With IOC to Keep Boxing at 2028 LA Olympics, Vows to Root Out Corruption

Oleksandr Usyk has achieved nearly every milestone in amateur boxing and continues to shine in his professional career. The May 17 win that made him the century’s first heavyweight undisputed champion has undoubtedly catapulted him to boxing greatness. For all his personal successes, Usyk has never forgotten to credit his beloved homeland for his achievements. Who can forget his heartfelt ‘Slava Ukraini’ after his victory over Tyson Fury in Riyadh?

Oleksandr Usyk is a few months away from the rematch with ‘The Gypsy King’. He might be busy with his training regimen, but that hasn’t prevented the champion from following the developments at the Paris Olympics. Doing him and the country proud, Oleksandr Khyzniak has already won gold in the men’s middleweight category. From his end, to motivate the boxing team members, Usyk has announced a personal reward as well. But it seems he isn’t satisfied with that alone. He plans to take amateur boxing to the next level. All this is amidst reports of boxing not featuring in the LA28. As the global sporting event nears its end, Usyk spoke with Mail Sport’s Charlotte Daley and weighed in his options.

Oleksandr Usyk: Breaking Boundaries with a Game Changer

A minute after the interview started, Daley checked how Oleksandr Usyk celebrated his famous win. The champion revealed that he went for dinner with his family and thanked God for his blessings. But then, as things stand, he has a lot on his table to take care of. “Hey, listen, I have a lot of work. I must change the boxing world,” he said.

Daley then asked how he intended to implement these changes. He replied, “Boxing must change; in boxing, corruption schemes must decrease.” The sports journalist wanted to know in what ways he found the sport corrupt. Circling his index finger, Oleksandr Usyk replied that it was the world of amateur boxing where he found duplicity.

The discussion continued. With a few minutes left for the show to end, Charlotte Daley came back to know more about his views on the potential removal of boxing from the Los Angeles Games roster. Given his personal involvement as an Olympian and now with the Ukrainian team, she asked, “What a loss do you think that would be if boxing was to be cut?”

The unified heavyweight champion didn’t agree. “There will be boxing,” he assured, noting that he and his team are committed to making it happen. “The ‘Ready To Fight’ team will make every effort to make boxing in Los Angeles,” added Usyk. Daley wanted to know how the champion and the team would look into the matter.

Unveiling the future

Oleksandr Usyk outlined his team’s primary goal: to eradicate ‘corruption schemes’ that previously plagued the International Boxing Association (IBA). He said, “My team has a recipe for this. If the National Olympic Committee (NOC) wants to cooperate, we will get involved to help them. Our task is only this; we work for boxing.” According to the Olympic gold medalist, the draw scheme must be transparent.

Emphasizing the need for fairness, Usyk advocated for strategic placements in the tournament draws to ensure the best fighters have a fair chance of advancing to the final rounds. Highlighting the urgency and significance of equity in judging, Usyk stressed the need for full team commitment given the tight timeframe. Finally, talking about his team’s expertise, Oleksandr Usyk affirmed all his support.

As noble as the heavyweight champion’s cause may be, fear over boxing’s future in the Olympics remains. In 2019, the IOC suspended the IBA for reported irregularities. The boxing body used to manage the sports at the summer games. Following their decision, the IOC took care of the sport in Tokyo and now in Paris. However, it has expressed uncertainty about whether it will be able to do it again in Los Angeles. According to sources, a parallel boxing body called World Boxing has emerged. It seems to have received backing from several nations. But the IOC hasn’t accorded it any recognition thus far. Let’s hope things out before the activities for the Games’ 34th edition heat up.

What are your views on Oleksandr Usyk’s efforts to overcome the challenges amateur boxing currently faces?