The Ukrainian Connection of Lomachenko, Usyk and Gvozdyk!
By: Ken Hissner
This writer recently was talking to PA HOF trainer Fred “Herk” Jenkins outside of the 26th and Masters Recreation Gym in North Philadelphia. “I can’t believe there were three Ukrainian boxers shown on HBO,” said Jenkins. His boxer the USBA champion Jesse “Hard Work” Hart, 22-0 (18), was on the off HBO telecast’s undercard. Hart is the No. 1 WBO super middleweight contender.
This was on the April 8th Oxen Hill, MD, show. I told Jenkins “the Ukrainian fans were out in full cheering on their boxers. They not only had three boxers over HBO but on the undercard Egidijus Kavaliauskas, 16-0 (13), from Lithuania, who are all managed by Egis Klimas, the 2016 “Manager of the Year”. He also has the Russian Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, 30-1-1 (26), the former 3 belt light heavyweight champion and Ukrainian heavyweight Vyacheslav Glazkov, 21-1-1 (13). He manages 15 boxers including the April 8th main event super WBO featherweight champion Vasyl “High-Tech” Lomachenko, 8-1 (6), one of if not the best P4P boxers in the world and former 2-time Olympic Gold Medalist.
Jenkins has trained Olympic Gold Medalist David Reid who held the WBA super welterweight title, two-time heavyweight challenger Bryant “Bye Bye” Jennings, “Rockin” Rodney Moore, IBF champion Charlie “Choo Choo” Brown, Malik Scott, Tyrone Brunson, Zahir Raheem, Anthony “The Messenger” Thompson and many others. He needs to understand the European, Ukrainian and Russian boxers are hungry like the Americans were in the 40’s and 50’s.
“The Ukrainian Connection” is just something the Americans should accept and appreciate. They have many fans and are good for boxing!