AW - It’s obviously a very important fight for you because since losing to Beibut Shumenov in a WBA light heavyweight title fight in 2010, you have had a few stay busy fights. However, if you could win the European title, you’d be very much back in the rankings and contending for world titles. Is that how you see it?
VU - Yeah, that’s true. It’s extremely important for my boxing career to win the EBU light heavyweight title in the fight against Gutknecht so I’m just looking forward. All my hopes are on this fight. Victory will obviously push me up in the world ratings of major boxing bodies like WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO. So I have a great chance to step much, much closer to my goal – to become World Champion. EBU title is a very good steppingstone for the next world title shot. I want to underline that I’m ready to fight against every light heavyweight beltholder right now and to win that contest. It could be fights against Bernard Hopkins, Tavoris Cloud or Nathan Cleverly or rematch with Beibut Shumenov – it doesn’t matter for me. But I’m just a performer not a promoter. I’m a fighter so my job is to fight and win but not to have negotiations and organize fights. That is job for my promoters to make fights happen.
AW - Could you tell us about the Shumenov fight and what your thoughts are looking back?
VU - I’ve never glanced back because I’m sure that it’s nonsense to live in past time. I think that people should live in present and look forward. That loss was painful but I’ve already forgot about that. Life goes on.
AW - Could you tell us about your team? Also where do you regularly train?
VU - My promoter is K2 Promotions, owned by the Klitschko Brothers; Alexander Krassyuk is CEO of our company. Mikhail Zavialov is my manager. I have the best trainer in my native city. His name is Vitaliy Vdovkin. We work at Lokomotiv-Gym in Vinnitsa, where I live with my family.
AW - You were born, raised and still live in Vinnitsa, Ukraine. Can you tell us about your younger days? Tell us a little about your hometown. Were things tough for you growing up like they are for many boxers?
VU - Vinnitsa is very nice city in the centre of Ukraine. I was born and grew up here and I love this place. My parents were engineers. It was typical childhood of Soviet (and afterward, Ukrainian) boy. I grew up, studied and I visited boxing gym. When I finished school, I’ve entered the University. So now, I’m holder of two master’s degrees (pedagogy and medicinal psychology).
AW - How did you first become interested in boxing?
VU - My dad took me to the boxing gym when I was seven. When my father was young, he went in for boxing during a couple of years but didn’t compete at a serious amateur level and didn’t have any remarkable achievements as it was just a hobby for him. He knew a good trainer, Dmitriy Shamis, who worked with kids. So that man became my first teacher of boxing. Afterwards, I was trained by Igor Musienko and Anatoliy Kovalchuk.
AW - You had a very good amateur career before your turned pro. Can you tell us about your amateur career, what tournaments you won and what major ones you appeared in? Did you fight any guys who are currently also in the pros? Also, what was your amateur record?
VU - I have really solid amateur background. I was member of Ukrainian national team and competed at international level for years.
My best amateur achievements are in 1997, I won the European Junior Championships in Birmingham, England as a light heavyweight. In 1998, second place at the World Cup in Beijing, China. In 1999, third place at the Military World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia. I lost in the semifinals to Alexander Lebziak by points. In 2001, third place at the World Championships in Belfast, Northern Ireland as a heavyweight. I lost in the semifinals to David Haye by points. In 2001, fourth place at the Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia. In 2002, second place at the European Championships in Perm, Russia, losing the final to Russian Evgeny Makarenko. In 2003, I competed at the World Championships in Bangkok, Thailand. I also won medals at a couple of other international tournaments:
In 2002, second at tournament in Helsinki, Finland. In 2003, third at tournament in Strandja, Bulgaria. In 2003, second at Black Sea Cup in Sudak, Ukraine and some other tournaments
It was always being something special for me to fight against Cubans because they used to be judged as the best amateur boxers. I’ve fought the guy who was the number one in Cuban National team three times. I lost our first clash but won the second and the third one. Afterward, that guy retired from the sport. Also, it was remarkable for me when I fought great Russian amateur Alexander Lebziak who was current World and European champion and future Olympian champion. I met him in the semifinals of one of the Military World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia [in 1999] when I just started to fight as senior. I’ve lost that fight by points but I was very proud when Lebziak shook my hand after fight.
As for amateurs who are professionals now, I can note David Haye right now but when I met him in the semifinals at the World Championship in Belfast [in 2001], it wasn’t something special for me because at that time, David wasn’t a big name. That championship was like an experiment for me - I fought in light heavyweight division previously and that was my first international experience at heavyweight division.
In Juniors, I’ve got loss by points fighting versus Serbian Enad Licina, who will clash with Russian Alexander Alekseev for vacant European (EBU) cruiserweight title at the same card with me and Gutknecht. Also, I defeated German Steffen Kretschmann by KO in the final of the European Junior Championships in Birmingham, England [in 1997]. Afterward, Kretschmann turned pro and was hyped like the next great heavyweight hope but failed to prove it.
AW - Outside of boxing, can you tell us a little about yourself as a person? What are your hobbies and interests?
VU - I have a little son so I try to spend all my free time with him and he is my main hobby and interest. I prefer to stay active. For example, I like play bowling and paintball. Also, I like to take part in different actions supporting the honor of my native town.
AW - What are your thoughts on the current light heavyweight division and the champions like the WBC’s Bernard Hopkins, the WBA’s Beibut Shumenov, the IBF’s Tavoris Cloud and the WBO’s Nathan Cleverly?
VU - I’m sure that there no weak World Champions in professional boxing because a weak boxer is never able to win world title. So Shumenov, Cleverly and Cloud – all of them are decent champs and Bernard Hopkins is a really phenomenal fighter. It’s boxing and you will never know exactly who is better before fight but I feel that “B-Hop” is the strongest light heavyweight World Champ right now.
AW - In 2007, when you and Gabriel Campillo were both prospects, you met. You stopped him in six rounds. That looks highly impressive in light of him going on to win the WBA light heavyweight title. What can you tell us about that fight now?
VU – Yeah, I won that clash and got the Inter-Continental light heavyweight title. Since that fight, Campillo has won a World title, successfully defended it, lost it and had another title shot – I know that he will fight against IBF world champ Tavoris Cloud on 18th February. All he has achieved proves that he is a professional and true fighter. I wish him good luck!
AW - Do you work a day job outside of boxing to support yourself and your family or is boxing your only career? What would you like to do with your life after boxing? Do you have any qualifications in business, etc.?
VU - Boxing is the job right now but I’ve already decided what I will do when I hang my gloves up. As I told you previously, I have two master’s degrees – in pedagogy and medicinal psychology- and one of my interests is psychology in sports.
AW - Do you have a message for Eduard Gutknecht ahead of your fight?
VU - I don’t want to send him any messages. The ring will show who is better.
AW - Is there anything you’d like to add in closing?
VU – Finally, I’d like to leave one important message to all boxing fans. I know one little girl in Ukraine. Her name is Anna and she’s 11. She was diagnosed with a terrible and rare type of cancer - Burkitt’s Lymphoma. Now Anna’s family fights for her life but they still need our help! Please, think about it! http://www.save-anna.kiev.ua/help_anna_please_/
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