Ukrainian · Kharkiv, Ukraine · Born 15 April 1987Oleksandr Gvozdyk, nicknamed 'The Nail', is a Ukrainian professional boxer who held the WBC and lineal light-heavyweight titles in 2018-2019 and won bronze at the 2012 London Olympics.
Oleksandr Gvozdyk claimed the WBC light heavyweight title in December 2018 by defeating longtime champion Adonis Stevenson, capping an undefeated professional run built on an Olympic bronze at London 2012 and a knockout rate above 80 percent. He built an outstanding amateur career, becoming a three-time Ukrainian national champion, winning gold at the 2008 World University Championships and the 2013 Summer Universiade, and capping his amateur run with a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics in the light-heavyweight division. Gvozdyk turned professional in 2014 under promoter Top Rank and trainer Teddy Atlas, building an undefeated run through the light-heavyweight division with a knockout rate above 80 percent — part of a celebrated wave of Ukrainian talent that also included Vasyl Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk. He won the WBC interim light-heavyweight title in March 2018 by stopping France's Mehdi Amar, then claimed the full WBC and lineal titles that December by defeating longtime champion Adonis Stevenson. Gvozdyk made one successful defence before suffering his first professional loss in October 2019, stopped in the tenth round by Artur Beterbiev in a light-heavyweight unification bout. He initially retired in 2020 to pursue business interests, but returned to the ring in 2023, continuing to compete at a high level into his late 30s. He retired from his first career with a record of 17 wins and 1 loss, and remains active in the sport as of the mid-2020s.
WBC light-heavyweight world champion, part of Ukraine's celebrated 2010s boxing generation
How They Played
Technically sharp orthodox boxer with heavy hands and a high knockout ratio
Lasting Impact
A key figure in Ukraine's modern boxing golden generation alongside Vasyl Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk
Career Honours
- WBC and lineal light-heavyweight champion (2018-2019)
- Olympic bronze medal, light-heavyweight (2012)
- 3x Ukrainian national amateur champion
- Gold medal, 2013 Summer Universiade
Ukrainian Athletes