At the age of 46, Ukrainian boxer and former WBA Inter-Continental, IBO International and WBO Inter-Continental light heavyweight champion Vyacheslav Uzelkov passed away. The Ukrainian Boxing Federation announced his death on its Facebook page.
“It is with deep sadness that we inform you that Ukrainian boxing has suffered a heavy loss – Vyacheslav Uzelkov has passed away.
His name will forever remain in the history of sport, and his example of strength, resilience and dedication will inspire future generations.
We express our sincere condolences to Viacheslav’s family and friends. May the Champion rest inpeace,’ the statement said.
In the spring of 2024, Vyacheslav was diagnosed with a blood clot in his heart, aortic thrombosis and gangrene of the leg. In response to his serious condition, his colleague, the famous Ukrainian boxer Viacheslav Senchenko, organised a fundraiser for surgery to help Uzelkov. On 26 April, Viacheslav spoke about the heart surgery he had undergone and also announced that he had been assigned a group II disability. He wrote on his Instagram that he had passed his last test before discharge:
“Three weeks have passed. I spent the first week under anaesthesia. I had several surgeries and spent a week in intensive care. Then I was transferred to the ward, where I gradually returned to consciousness, understanding and memory – where I am and what happened to me.”
On 21 February, the athlete shared a photo in front of the National Institute of Surgery and Transplantation named after Oleksandr Shalimov.
Photo: uzelkov_official / Instagram
In his post, Uzelkov addressed parents who dream of their children’s sporting achievements, emphasising that professional sports can have severe health consequences. He wrote:
“This is a message to parents who dream of their children’s sporting achievements. So, I could never have suspected that my sports career would end here. In Shalimov Hospital. I do not refuse the results and achievements and all the honours. But then what? Hospital and disability and the help of friends.
I am not crying, but thanking my friends and close acquaintances who immediately responded and helped me. As they say, sport is life. And I will say: professional sport is a disability.”
Photo: Uzelkov’s Instagram
During his sporting career, Vyacheslav Uzelkov has fought 34 fights, winning 30 of them, and winning 19 times early. On 9 November 2013 in Kyiv, he won a knockout victory against American Jadon Codrington, winning the IBO light heavyweight title. Uzelkov’s last fight in his career was on 12 April 2014, where he was defeated by Serbian boxer Geard Aetovic.
In 2020, Vyacheslav Uzelkov decided to try his hand at politics, running for mayor of Vinnytsia from the OPFL party. His election campaign was supported by Yuriy Boyko. Uzelkov received 4% of the vote, taking fourth place in the election race.
