I’m the last man to beat Oleksandr Usyk, he faked low blows to cover up chink in his armour

Oleksandr Usyk boasts an unblemished 24-0 record in the paid ranks, but he suffered multiple defeats as an amateur.

During a fruitful 351-bout amateur career, which included gold medals at the 2012 Olympics and the 2011 World Championships, Usyk won 335 and lost 16.

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The last of those setbacks came in September 2009 at the hands of Russia’s Egor Mekhontsev, who defeated the future Hall of Famer via a margin of 14-10 in the semi-finals of the 2009 AIBA World Championships.

Reflecting on the victory at the IBA Men’s World Championships in Dubai last week, the 41-year-old revealed what it takes to beat Usyk, 16 years on.

“I think you need to have good speed, at least something like Egor Mekhontsev’s. Then it becomes possible,” he said.

Mekhontsev went on to scoop the gold medal in the heavyweight division by overcoming Cuba’s Osmay Acosta in the final.

Three years later, he dropped down to light heavyweight and achieved the same feat at the 2012 Olympics.

In 2013, he turned over as a professional, but his career stalled following a shock draw to the unheralded Alexander Johnson in 2016.

He fought once more a year later, beating Gusmyr Perdomo to improve his record to 13-0-1, and hasn’t competed since.

Despite this, Mekhontsev still envisions a fight with Usyk in the pros.

Egor Mekhontsev has unfinished business with Oleksandr Usyk

“Yes, of course [I would welcome a pro fight],” Mekhonstev added.

“My old teammates still send me some videos from time to time and ask: ‘Egor, do you still think you would tear all of them apart?’

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“And I tell them: ‘You know, I still think so.’

“I’m 40, but I still feel that way. I can’t go around saying I’d do this or that — in our culture, that’s considered improper — but I have a lot of
confidence in myself.

“If anything, anytime, anywhere. I’m always ready.”

The last time Usyk stepped between the ropes in July, he blew away Daniel Dubois inside five rounds in a Wembley rematch to put to bed accusations that he faked an injury in their inaugural encounter.

Dubois dropped Usyk with a shot that divided fans in the fifth round of their first meeting in 2023.

Some felt the punch was legal and should have counted, while others believed it had strayed low.

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Ultimately, the referee determined that Dubois had broken the rules and so gave Usyk up to five minutes to recover before he rebounded to stop the Brit.

The incident reminded Mekhontsev of his own fight with ‘The Cat’.

Oleksandr Usyk ‘faked low blows’

“When he boxed with me, he kept going down as if I were hitting him below the belt, even though I was punching to the body — yet he’d grab areas you’re not allowed to hit,” said Mekhontsev.

“I think that’s shameful; where we come from, that’s considered a low act.

“I’ve seen his other fights, and people complained too. Take his fight with Beterbiev at the Olympic Games — when he started holding his kidney on the completely opposite side. 

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“We talked with Artur, and he said, ‘It was physically impossible for me to hit him there.’ If you look at it objectively, he simply couldn’t reach that kidney. 

“That’s why they deducted two points from Usyk. That’s something he does. It’s a habit of his — and for us, that’s disgraceful.

“And the way he keeps dropping… Damn, aren’t you tired of falling?! At least once — don’t fall. Don’t fall and don’t pretend.

“In the end, this is a man’s sport. Tough it out.”