At the 1996 Games in Atlanta, Georgia – independent Ukraine’s inaugural summer Olympics – Wladimir Klitschko won the gold medal in the super heavyweight weight class. Klitschko was destined for historic success in the professional ranks, and his example paved the way for his country’s best ever boxing team – the 2012 squad captured five medals.
The marquee blue chip Ukrainian boxers to emerge from that historic team were gold medalists Vasyl Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk, who both enjoyed meteoric rises as professionals. The former is a three-weight champion through 15 contests, considered by many experts as the sport’s best pound-for-pound fighter, while the latter is the first undisputed cruiserweight champion to unify all four title belts (WBO, IBF, WBA, WBC) and is now on the road to heavyweight glory.
Denys Berinchyk (silver), Oleksandr Gvozdyk (bronze) and Taras Shelestyuk (bronze) were the other members of the 2012 super-squad that tied Great Britain for the most boxing medals overall, ahead of powerhouse nations like Cuba, Kazakhstan and the United States. Shelestyuk’s podium finish was not a surprise.
Having compiled a reported amateur record of 300-15 and a gold medal from the 2011 World Amateur Championships, Shelestyuk was one of many elite amateurs with sparkling resumes who have invaded boxing in every weight class. These seasoned, skilled pugilists have turned pro closer to their athletic primes, prepared and eager to take matchmaking risks in order to move up the ranks more quickly.
Comparing talents can be tricky, especially when mentioning Lomachenko – a generational talent who has benefited tremendously from powerful promotional backing. Any long shadow cast by Lomachenko’s success could easily have been an obstacle for Shelestyuk to emerge from, but the humble Ukrainian was not affected in the least.
Shelestyuk instead focused on his own career trajectory, taking full advantage of his major opportunities, most recently against Martin Angel Martinez (19-16-1, 12 KO) of Mexico in March 2019. For Shelestyuk, now 34, his last explosive main event victory vaulted him into genuine contender status and should land him future fights worthy of his talent. In Lomachenko and Usyk, he sees role models who have paved the way for what he intends to achieve.
He has never, however, felt any pressure to live up to any “gold” standard. Shelestyuk is pragmatic about becoming a world champion. He exudes a serene focus on the task at hand, his next training session, all the details – plus a fortified confidence grounded in the very comfortable environment he’s forged for himself since relocating to the United States.
Shelestyuk has been in the United States long enough to have established relationships with Americans who have supported him since his first professional bout. This has allowed him to develop solace and solidarity with supporters who are not more than an ocean away. He never hesitated at the thought of personal sacrifices when it came to investing in his own talent. It was always his dream to fight in the U.S. and become a world champion. His ultimate goal of being a pro boxer made him stronger by motivating him to develop his physique, skills, power, speed and mentality on a daily basis.
Mental fortitude is at the forefront of Shelestyuk’s professional athlete’s make-up. In his mind a strong psychological edge trumps athletic talent. He believes this is what led to such historic success for Ukraine’s 2012 boxing team, and it is the key facet of his craft that has evolved the most since he turned professional. Most of the credit belongs to his trainer Eric Brown.
Shelestyuk made an amicable switch from Freddie Roach to Brown some three years ago, is now training at the Wild Card West gym in Santa Monica, Calif., and is co-promoted by Thompson Boxing and Banner Productions. He has benefited from occasional sparring sessions with legend Shane Mosley, who has emerged as a mentor of sorts for Shelestyuk. His amateur pedigree combined with the self-confidence developed with the Brown partnership has Shelestyuk ready for upcoming main events and an eventual welterweight title.
Shelestyuk (18-0, 10 KO) would like to join boxing brethren Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KO), Usyk (17-0, 13 KO), Berinchyk (12-0, 7 KO) and Gvozdyk (17-1, 14 KO) as the standard to which all future Ukrainian Olympians will be held. These are the names and accomplishments to which Shelestyuk will indelibly be linked. Although all of these men share a storied history, each one is crafting his own narrative, and it is time for Shelestyuk to separate himself from the pack.
Having made the successful managerial change and finally recovered from some injury woes, the Martinez victory was another step in the right direction.
Ihor Stelmach may be reached at [email protected].