Vyacheslav Uzelkov dies at the age of forty-five.
According to bokser.org, Ukrainian former WBA and EBU light heavyweight contender Vyacheslav Uzelkov died of cardiac issues at the age of 45.
Before going professional in 2004, Uzelkov took home a bronze at the 2001 World Championships and then a silver at the European Championships.
When Vyacheslav faced then-WBA champion Beibut Shumeonov in the ring on July 23, 2010, in Lemoore, California, he was 20-0 and had been the WBA Intercontinental champion for three years. However, he lost by unanimous decision.
Eduard Gutknecht, the EBU champion at the time, defeated Uzellkov on points in 2012. With a record of 30-4 (19 KOs), he later won and lost the WBO Intercontinental championship before retiring in 2014 following an unexpected home defeat to Geard Ajetovic. He had also boxed and defeated fighters like Gabriel Campillo, Julio Cesar Dominguez, and Jaidon Codrington by that point.
In a statement, the Ukraine Boxing Federation said: “Vyacheslav Uzelkov’s death has been a major blow to Ukrainian boxing.
“His name will forever remain in the history of sports, and his example of strength, resilience and dedication will inspire future generations.”
