The will of Ukraine, and a nation at war, is a powerful motivator for Oleksandr Gvodzyk in his David Benavidez battle

By Alan Dawson

LAS VEGAS — Oleksandr Gvozdyk has a powerful driving pressure that helps information him into his mild heavyweight battle towards David Benavidez on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The pair sq. off because the chief help to the Gervonta Davis and Frank Martin light-weight fundamental occasion in what may turn into an explosive Premier Boxing Champions pay-per-view on Prime Video, and PPV.com.

Benavidez instructions his personal headlines, as a result of of his hyperlinks to a Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez showdown at tremendous middleweight, or the winner of October’s duel involving Dmitri Bivol and Artur Beterbiev in Riyadh. However, he acknowledged to Boxing News just lately that Gvozdyk is “a really dangerous fighter.”

And that is perhaps as a result of of the run Ukraine fighters have loved this 12 months, and the camaraderie between its elite stars.

This 12 months alone, Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury, Vasiliy Lomachenko swatted George Kambosos apart, Denys Berinchyk defeated Emmanuel Navarrete, and Serhii Bohachuk beat Brian Mendoza.

Each of these 4 fighters are ranked No.1, No.2, No.3, and No.4, respectively, in their nation, with Gvozdyk No.5, hoping to proceed Ukraine’s sizzling streak.

Speaking solely to Boxing News, Gvozdyk stated he feels “no pressure” heading into the Benavidez combat, as he has “nothing but motivation” from his friends, and his individuals, who’ve endured a decade-long battle with Russia, which escalated in 2022 when Vladimir Putin’s forces invaded extra of the nation.

“Me and Usyk both understand it’s very important for Ukraine to cheer up our people,” Gvozdyk stated, including that Usyk visited him in Los Angeles early June to assist encourage him forward of combat week. “We want to give them more motivation to fight against Russian aggression — against invaders.”

Ukraine’s modern-day success is no shock to Gvozdyk as a result of they “have a really good school of boxing, with a good set of athletes — and we just know how to keep it going,” he instructed BN.

While assured his fighter will pull off the win, Benavidez’s promoter Sampson Lewkowicz is cautious about Gvodzyk as a result of of the education he’ll have acquired, in addition to how Ukraine’s individuals rallied to defend towards Russia’s occupation of 20% of the nation, per Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a 2022 article from Reuters.

“I believe that besides the talent of the Ukrainians, is the will to serve their country one way or another — to give an extra motivation for what’s going on in Ukraine,” Lewkowicz solely instructed Boxing News.

“I have all the respect for the opponent, for the challenger,” he instructed us. “I perceive what’s happening in his nation. In a regular scenario, Ukraine will be free prefer it was years in the past, and it will be a lot simpler to beat him. But now it’ll be tougher as a result of he needs to show Ukrainians combat to the top.

“I worry about it because it comes with extra motivation. However, Benavidez definitely will be tougher and I think he will come with a victory.”

Commenting on Ukraine’s profitable run in boxing, Benavidez stated: “Good for them and congratulations to them.

“But that run is going to come to an end when I get in there with Oleksandr Gvozdyk. Ukraine’s had a good time in boxing this year but this is my time now.”