10 Greatest Ukrainian Boxers Ever [Ranked]

For a country estimated to have a population of only 38 million people, Ukraine’s record of producing world-class boxers is remarkable.

Many of the world champions the nation has produced have been renowned for their technical skills. This is evidenced by the fact that a number of the country’s best-ever professionals have enjoyed success at amateur level before transitioning to the paid boxing ranks.

Such is the strength of the nation’s boxing pedigree that there are no less than four fighters who could justifiably claim to be the country’s greatest. Here is a look at the 10 best boxers ever to fight under the Ukrainian flag.

Ranking factors include:

Professional record
Titles
Ability in the ring
Overall impact on the sport as a whole.

10Viktor Postol

Professional record: 31-5 (12 KOs)

A former WBC Light Welterweight Champion, Postol mixed it with the very best during his prime. He won the aforementioned world title by knocking out the well-respected Lucas Matthysse in October 2015. Unfortunately, he lost the belt – and suffered his first-ever career defeat – when attempting to defend it against pound-for-pound great, Terence Crawford, the following year. Postol has never truly recovered from that setback, dropping four of his next seven fights, losing to the likes of Josh Taylor and Jose Ramirez.

9Sergei Dzinziruk

Professional record: 37-2-1 (24 KOs)

The crowning moment of Dzinziruk’s professional career came when he beat Daniel Santos in December 2005 to win the WBO Light Middleweight Championship. He then went on to defend the title six times, proving himself to be one of the best in his weight class for a sustained period. It was when Dzinziruk moved up to challenge Sergio Martinez for middleweight gold that cracks finally started to appear in his armour. He was knocked down five times during an eighth-round stoppage defeat. Dzinziruk would fight just twice more professionally (a draw and a loss) before calling time on his career in April 2013.

8Andreas Kotelnik

Professional record: 32-4-1 (13 KOs)

A silver medal winner at the 2000 Olympics, Kotelnik was able to convert his amateur skills into great success in the paid ranks. He won the WBA light welterweight title in March 2008, defeating Wales’ Gavin Rees. Before the year was out, Kotelnik had already managed to defend his new championship twice. However, the following year he would accept his sternest test as a professional to date. Travelling to Manchester, England, he took on Amir Khan – who himself had won Olympic gold in his amateur days. Kotelnik lost a unanimous decision to Khan – and would suffer the same fate against Devon Alexander in a 2010 world title challenge. Following those back-to-back losses, he wasn’t seen in a professional ring again until 2014, when he fought the final fight of his career on Ukrainian soil, beating Alexander Benidze over eight rounds.

7Vyacheslav Senchenko

Professional record: 37-2 (25 KOs)

Senchenko represented his country at the 2000 Olympics, but enjoyed his greatest achievements while fighting professionally. He won the WBA Welterweight Championship in April 2009 and racked up four defences of the gold before losing it to Paulie Malignaggi in April 2012. A severe injury to Senchenko’s left eye was more to blame for that loss than anything the Ukrainian did wrong in the ring, but promoters for British boxing legend Ricky Hatton believed that the defeat made Vyacheslav the perfect comeback opponent for ‘The Hitman’. If he could get the better of a recently-dethroned world champion, Hatton’s return to the ring would be off to the perfect start. Thousands packed into the Manchester Arena for the November 2012 contest, where Senchenko played the ultimate spoiler against the hometown hero, stopping Hatton with a body shot in the ninth round. Despite ther magnitude of that win, Senchenko never did get another shot at a world title. An October 2013 loss to Kell Brook essentially ended those aspirations – although he did round out his career by winning three straight fights.

6Wladimir Sidorenko

Professional record: 22-3-2 (7 KOs)

A bronze medal winner at the 2000 Olympics, Sidorenko ended his amateur career with an astounding 290 wins to his credit. He would taste further glory in the paid ranks, winning the WBA bantamweight title in February 2005. Sidorenko would hold the gold for more than three years, making six successful defences, before dropping it to Anselmo Moreno in May 2008. He’d never regain a world title, but the length of his sole reign is a significant achievement in the modern era.

5Louis ‘Kid’ Kaplan

Professional record: 107-22-13 (27 KOs)

While four fighters are ranked above him, nobody can come close to matching Louis ‘Kid’ Kaplan for sheer activity in a career where he amassed more than 100 wins. Born in Ukraine, Kaplan moved to the United States with his family at an early age. Once he was old enough to fight, he made a living with his fists, impressing all who witnessed him in action with his speed, boxing intelligence and defensive skills. His dazzling ability in the ring saw him win the world featherweight title in January 1925. He made four successful defences of the belt (winning all by unanimous decision), before losing the championship in May 1926.

4Vitali Klitschko

Professional record: 45-2 (41 KOs)

Had Vitali not suffered with injuries during his highly-impressive career, he’d likely rank higher than fourth. Never knocked down in his professional career, Vitali reigned as both the WBO and WBC Heavyweight Champion during his time in the ring. Knee and back injuries caused ‘Dr. Ironfist’ to step away from the sport between 2004 and 2008. Although he was granted an immediate shot at regaining his WBC crown against Samuel Peter, few expected Vitali to produce such a clinical performance after four years away. He stopped ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ to reclaim his gold and never looked back. After returning to the ring, he won 10 straight fights before retiring as an undefeated WBC champion in 2012.

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3Vasyl Lomachenko

Professional record: 18-3 (12 KOs)

A two-time Olympic Gold medal winner, Lomachenko’s record as an amateur was so strong that it’s almost hard to believe. ‘Loma’ turned professional in late 2013, leaving behind amateur stats of 396 wins against just a single defeat. Having joined the paid ranks at 25, Lomachenko was in no mood to bide his time. Such was his massive reputation from the amateurs, he was able to secure a world title shot in only his second pro fight. Granted, he lost a split decision to Orlando Salido in pursuit of the vacant WBO featherweight title, but it didn’t take Lomachenko long to get his hands on a world championship belt. In his very next fight, he beat Gary Russell Jr to win the WBO crown. That would just be the start of his championship-winning exploits. He moved up in weight to beat Roman Martinez for the WBO super featherweight title in just his seventh professional bout and would become WBA Lightweight Champion in his 12th outing. Three world titles across three weight divisions in only a handful of fights is a feat that few could ever hope to achieve. Lomachenko has had his setbacks – losing to Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney in recent years – but still remains one of the most highly-respected fighters in the sport.

2Wladimir Klitschko

Professional record: 64-5 (53 KOs)

Wladimir showed his promise by winning a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta before turning professional in November of the same year. His first world title win came four years later, when he defeated Chris Byrd to win the WBO Heavyweight Championship. It would be the first of many that ‘Dr. Steelhammer’ would hold in his illustrious career. Klitschko enjoyed reigns with every major world heavyweight title, but kept possession of the IBF crown for a staggering 9 years and seven months. He won it when defeating Chris Byrd in April 2006 and held it until he was defeated by Tyson Fury in November 2015. Wladimir went on to lose to Anthony Joshua in his next bout – marking the only time in his career that he suffered back-to-back losses. The five defeats that he has on his record is the only factor that keeps Klitschko off top spot. His dominance over such an extended period has become more appreciated as time has passed, as have his technical skills in the ring.

Top 10 greatest Ukrainian boxers in history

Rank
Name
Professional Record

1
Oleksandr Usyk
23-0 (14 KOs)

2
Wladimir Klitschko
64-5 (53 KOs)

3.
Vasyl Lomachenko
18-3 (12 KOs)

4.
Vitali Klitschko
45-2 (41 KOs)

5.
Louis ‘Kid’ Kaplan
107-22-13 (27 KOs)

6.
Wladimir Sidorenko
22-3-2 (7 KOs)

7.
Vyacheslav Senchenko
37-2 (25 KOs)

8.
Andreas Kotelnik
32-4-1 (13 KOs)

9.
Sergei Dzinziruk
37-2-1 (24 KOs)

10.
Viktor Postol
31-5 (12 KOs)

1Oleksandr Usyk

Professional record: 23-0 (14 KOs)

The reigning WBA, WBC and WBO unified heavyweight champion of the world beat off some tough competition to take top spot. Virtually peerless at both amateur and professional levels, Usyk is in many ways the perfect mix of Lomachenko’s technical ability, combined with Wladimir Klitschko’s heavyweight IQ. After winning Olympic gold at London 2012, Usyk turned professional in late 2013 with an amateur record of 335 wins and only 15 losses. Since making the switch, ‘The Cat’ has not tasted a single defeat. After unifying the cruiserweight division, it was natural that Usyk would want to go and test himself against the very best that heavyweight had to offer. What most didn’t expect, though, is the ease with which he would make the jump. It took the 37-year-old only six fights at heavyweight before he had unified another weight class – defeating divisional mainstays Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury in the process. Rarely troubled inside the ring, Usyk looks as though he may reign as heavyweight champion until he hangs his gloves up.