Oleksandr Usyk is considered one of the best boxers of recent times, and whilst he remains undefeated as a pro, there was one man who defeated him and the Bronze Bomber just five days apart.
Oleksandr Usyk is now a three-time undisputed champion, boasting an undefeated pro record of 24-0.
His amateur record sits at 335-15, with less than 5% of his fights ever ending in a loss for the Ukrainian.
Deontay Wilder has had less success, but still enjoyed a pro career that saw him become a world champion and go to war against Tyson Fury in a brutal trilogy. His pro record sits at 44-4-1, while his amateur record is approximately 30-5.
Both men reached the absolute peak of the division, but there is one man who defeated them both in just one week.
Clemente Russo dashed Wilder and Usyk’s chances of Olympic gold
In the 2008 Beijing Olympic quarter-finals, Usyk came up against Clemente Russo, an Italian amateur fighter.
Russo defeated Usyk first, before facing Wilder in the semi-finals, whom he also defeated to claim silver.
Russo had an extensive amateur career, dating back to before 2000 all the way to 2021, but never turned professional.
Despite efforts from promoters like Don King to have the amateur sensation turn over, Russo reportedly stated, “We are the workers of the ring,” and refused.
Russo has enjoyed four Olympic campaigns, with the latter three resulting in some success. In 2008 and 2012, Russo won a silver medal, and in 2016 he made it to the quarter-finals.
The Italian boasts an amateur record of 101-35, and has also claimed gold at two World Championships.
Usyk also lost to Shawn Porter as an amateur and Artur Beterbiev once.
Oleksandr Usyk faced a ‘Juggernaut’ in the amateurs
Ahead of his professional career, Usyk also faced another dangerous opponent in Joe ‘The Juggernaut’ Joyce, whose path crossed with the Ukrainian’s in 2013 at the World Series of Boxing.
This was long before Joyce’s losses to Zhilei Zhang made him a shell of his former self, and Usyk and Joyce go at it in London’s prestigious York Hall.
Ultimately, the outcome was as many would expect, with Usyk, who was snubbed by Dave Allen, coming out on top with the win. Joyce long called for a rematch in the pros, though with the trajectory of both men’s careers, this seems highly unlikely.