Silver medalist of the 2016 Olympics in the category up to 91 kg Kazakhstani Vasily Levit gave an interview for the YouTube channel ”
Boxing studio of Victor Yalymov“.
The titled Kazakh amateur boxer spoke about the reasons for ending his sports career, expressed his opinion about the current unified champions: Ukrainian Alexander Usik (19-0, 13 KOs), Canadian Artur Beterbiev (18-0, 18 KOs), WBA Super title holder from Russia Dmitry Bivole (20-0, 11 KOs), and also commented on the upcoming Canelo-Golovkin trilogy.
It was a surprise to me that you ended your career. The main question is why did you end your career, what was the reason?
– Honestly, I’m tired. Psychologically already tired. For the last three years, I probably worked hard because I had to. Because of this, probably. Burnt out. I have not been boxing for almost a year now, I still don’t even want to go to the gym. That is, I have never been in the hall during this time. While I’m resting, I’m tired of boxing.
Why haven’t you gone pro yet? Perhaps there were suggestions?
– Offers – yes, there were many. But then again, if you go pro, then you had to go when I was 27-28 years old. This is first. Secondly, my weight is a cruiserweight, which is not very interesting in a pro. I won’t do 80 kg. I mean, it would be very difficult. And go higher – even more so. With my complexion – it’s not the same at all. So I thought it was not worth it. It’s just that cruiserweight is not a very interesting weight, there are basically all our residents of the CIS and it probably won’t be interesting in America.
– You have been in the national team since 2009, tell us how hard it was for you to hold out until 2021, how strong was the competition?
“You know, it wasn’t about competition. It’s purely a matter of moral will, that I’ve been in martial arts since the age of 6. He started with kickboxing, then switched to boxing, and for 27 years he was still engaged in martial arts. Just the last two or three years fed up. It’s hard when you get up and you don’t feel like going to practice, but you have to go to practice and you force yourself. It’s piling up, piling up, piling up. Yes, of course, you rejoice at competitions when they raise your hand. You understand why you put up with it. All this is great. But sometimes you need to rest too.
– And what was your biggest rest from competitions, from training?
“Well, that’s exactly what he didn’t have. The most I could afford was to rest for two weeks. And how to relax … During this rest, you play football, run, swing. You don’t do boxing, but you still train so as not to lose shape.
– 27 years old, it turns out that you trained like that?
– Yes.
– I can’t get past the 2016 Olympics. The final against Evgeny Tishchenko is probably the most scandalous fight since 1988, when Roy Jones was judged in the final. What can you say after so many years about this fight, what conclusion did you draw?
– What is the conclusion? There is only one conclusion: that boxing is a subjective sport. There is also athletics. There he ran 100 m – whoever is faster, he won. We have five people sitting, and everyone sees everything in their own way, from their own angle. We looked like this – OK, okay, it’s all there. And reluctance to stir it up.
How many times have you watched this fight?
– Never.
– In your career there were such rivals, now world champions – Usyk and Beterbiev. Can we talk about these fights? Tell us how difficult these fights were for you?
— Yes, this is 2010-2011. I just moved to the senior team. Yes, good guys, prepared, difficult, qualified. Each is an interesting boxer in his own way.
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– You had one fight with Beterbiev, and 2 fights with Usyk. Who was more difficult in these fights: Beterbiev or Usyk?
– I don’t know who is more difficult, but it’s more interesting for me to box with Usyk, because he is a very competent boxer, tactically very prepared, plus he is technically very well equipped, a gifted athlete in general. With him, even when the training camp was held, it was interesting to stand even in pairs.
Have you seen the fight between Usyk and Beterbiev?
– Yes I saw.
Who won in your opinion?
– I’m not going to come here. The fight is good, both showed themselves very well, worthy guys. And who won there – I’m not competent. I can say I’m not good at boxing [смеётся]. Again, this is all subjective. One will look like this, the other will look like this – and they will say differently. But I liked the fight, I enjoyed it.
— Do you follow profibox at all?
– For some only. To be honest, I don’t like to watch boxing at all. I watched it because it was necessary to watch the opponents. And in boxing, I literally, probably, can see a few people, and that’s it.
– Surely, you saw the fights of Bivol, Beterbiev?
– It’s true. Of course, Bivol with Alvarez and Beterbiev with Smith – yes, I saw it all.
— If, after all, Bivol and Beterbiev meet, who do you bet on at all?
– Forecasts are a thankless task. It seems to me that there is no need to guess. 80 kg, the guys here are hitting, especially since I saw these professional gloves, I put them on my hand. Anything can happen. Both are good boxers, both world champions, each belt. That is, it will be a very competitive fight. If this fight happens, I will watch it with pleasure.
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– Looking at how you boxed, Bivol is probably more interesting for you as a boxer?
– I like Bivol more, his boxing style. Yes, Beterbiev is also a very strong boxer, but I like Bivol’s style of fighting more. For me it’s clean.
– Less than a month left before the Usyk-Joshua fight, what do you think?
– My opinion does not change. Even before the first fight, I had an opinion that Usyk would win. I think he will beat him a second time. Again, this is my opinion.
– Is a knockout possible in this fight?
“This is heavyweight, everything is possible here. Everything is possible in boxing. Why not? Well, if a knockout, then in some later rounds.
– Golovkin – Canelo 3, what do you think?
— [смеётся] May I not say anything? This fight is expected in our country. Many will wake up again in the morning, cheering for Gennady. We will all support him. We wish you a good fight, spectacular. To put an end to their boxing discussions.
Do you think that Canelo is just promoting this fight by calling Golovkin names in every way?
Yes, I think it’s a business. I wouldn’t be surprised if the relationship between them is normal. It’s business, it’s money. Moreover, in the West it is accepted so. In any case, it is always more interesting for us to watch any confrontation between fighters or teams when there is some kind of negative. So that’s probably why it all unfolds.
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