Former light heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk had retired from boxing.
He decided to hang up his gloves at age 33.
“My mind is completely OK and I feel OK and I just right now feel it was the right time to make some changes,” Gvozdyk said in an interview with BoxingScene.com.
“Going to the hospital was just a precaution because of those things that happened with fighters recently. A couple of guys died so that’s why (I went),” said Gvozdyk, referring to the fight-related deaths of Maxim Dadashev.
“And you know Teddy” Gvozdyk continued. “He always wants to be sure in every situation and he forced me to go to the hospital. Not really forced me, but he told me I needed to go. Everything was good.”
The fight with two-time Russian Olympian Beterbiev was the first light heavyweight world title unification bout between undefeated titleholders.
“With this situation with coronavirus I knew I’d have to almost start over with everything,” Gvozdyk said. “Nobody was going to give me a chance to fight for the title right away. This is first thing. And second one, for right now with all this uncertainty with coronavirus, I felt I am 33 years old, I am healthy and I want to be healthy. I’m looking for new opportunities in my life besides boxing. I am healthy and I feel stronger than anytime in my life. I’m glad to have my health.”
“I always try to be sober. I understand for right now why is Beterbiev supposed to give me a rematch? There were no (rematch) clauses in the contract, so it’s up to him. But I agree he is not supposed to give me one. If I was him I probably wouldn’t as well. He is looking forward to unifying the titles and becoming undisputed champion. Why is he supposed to look back and fight me again? I realize he has no interest in making that happen. So, he is supposed to just to do it for me? No, we are not friends.”
