Perhaps Oleksandr Gvozdyk might have had an epiphany. There’s still a chance at boxing glory. That might explain why, after a pre-mature retirement that lasted nearly three years, he returned to the ring last year. Now the former world champion and Olympic bronze medalist stares at what could be his last shot at a legacy. But it’s not as easy as it appears. For in his path to redemption stands ‘The Mexican Monster’.

Oleksandr Gvozdyk and David Benavidez‘s tussle happens tomorrow evening at the MGM Grand Arena. It will feature alongside Gervonta Davis‘ title defense against Frank Martin. It’s a light-heavyweight debut for Benavidez. He moved up a division with diminishing signs of a mega-fight with Canelo Alvarez. For Gvozdyk, winning the interim title might land him at Artur Beterbiev‘s doorstep once again. Let’s take a look at a few details about the Ukrainian boxer who falls not far behind ‘The Mexican Monster’ when it comes to scalping the head in the ring.

What is Oleksandr Gvozdyk’s ethnicity and nationality?

37-year-old Oleksandr Gvozdyk was born in Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, or Kharkov, as it was called earlier. However, per the available reports, he eventually relocated to Oxnard, California. He started boxing at the age of 10. Following the time-honored Eastern European boxing traditions, he took up the amateur route.

He won multiple Ukrainian national championships. Soon, his skills shone on the international stage. Before making the final switch over to professional boxing, as the cherry on top, ‘The Nail’ wound up his amateur career by securing the bronze medal at the London Olympics.

All we know about Gvozdyk’s family and religion

Amidst the tumultuous lifestyle of a boxer, Oleksandr Gvozdyk found a solid anchor in his wife, Daria. Together, the couple are proud parents to two boys, 15-year-old Dmytro and 8-year-old Michael, and a girl, 10-year-old Ganna. Probably the inspiration to pick the gloves must have come from his father, Serhii Gvozdyk, an amateur boxer. Speaking with ‘Boxing News’ about his childhood days, ‘The Nail’ described it as absolutely normal. “It’s a regular childhood; you know, I’m not from a rich family, not from poor family. Regular everything not boring; I would say to explain,” he said.

Unfortunately, not much information is available about Gvozdyk’s mother. Unlike his well-known compatriots and world champions, Vasyl Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk, who are known for their affiliation with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, information regarding ‘The Nail’s religious beliefs remains unclear. But during the conversation with Boxing News, he divulged something that should give some insights about his religious convictions. Sharing his thoughts on the tentative Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury fight, Gvozdyk updated that Usyk could stage a surprise against ‘The Gypsy King’.

However, it was a tough prediction, and it’s a match that, like everyone else, he also wanted to see. He said, “Will he (Usyk) be able to do this against Fury? I don’t know it’s it’s a difficult fight and tough question which we can have an answer only after their fight, but what I pray for is the the this fight gonna happen… I’m not praying; I’m not a religious person, though but just like people say.”

How did ‘The Nail’ start boxing?

According to an article in ‘Sports Illustrated’, Oleksandr Gvozdyk’s journey in boxing began during his pre-teen years, when his father reportedly gifted him a pair of boxing gloves. Thanks to a classmate at school, his foray into the combat sports world began with kickboxing. When asked, “Do you remember the first time that you started boxing?” He replied, “Oh yes, for sure.” Then he continued, “Actually, I got the gym of kickboxing gym first, and my my uh school mate classmate he started training kickboxing, and he said, like, hey would you would you like to go with me?”

It’s hard to fathom now. But becoming a champion was never a goal for ‘The Nail’. All he wanted was to gain more popularity in his class. However, things changed gradually. Initially, he had the impression that kickboxing incorporated katas as it is done in Karate. But, “When I get there, I’m realized that it’s a little bit different; it’s more closer towards boxing, and also, we were mixing like we were training a couple days; it was kickboxing the couple of days; it was just arms, and little by little, I switched for the boxing,” he said.

According to ‘boxnation’, Oleksandr Gvozdyk’s amateur record displays 225 wins out of an overall 255 participations. Like Artur Beterbiev in 2019, he once again faces a heavy hitter in David Benavidez. But the fact also remains that until the referee waived hands to stop the fight, ‘The Nail’ was ahead of the Canadian-Russian champion on the scorecard. Tomorrow, the world will get to see whether he can pull off a similar performance, but at the same time, do not allow ‘The Mexican Monster’ a chance to send him packing for good.

What’s your take on Oleksandr Gvozdyk’s chances against David Benavidez? Please share your views with us in the comments below.