WBO demands explanation from Usyk after dancing to Dorofeeva

Oleksandr Usyk danced to Dorofeeva's hit song and found himself in an awkward situation. Read about this, as well as Khacheridi's debut match for Chornomorets, Ukrainian Cup medals for Odesa rugby players and the winning spirit of Alexandra Pascal in the digest of sports events from Intent.

Boxing. Usyk, dancing and an injured back

Alexander Usyk with the WBO world championship belt. PHOTO: Reuters

• A few weeks ago, Oleksandr Usyk 's promoters asked for a postponement of negotiations on a mandatory fight for the WBO (World Boxing Organization) title with the interim champion, Australian Joseph Parker. Usyk's team cited a back injury as the reason. Parker's team stated that they were ready for a postponement, but as of August 26, this request was under consideration by the WBO.

Oleksandr Usyk and Ivo Bobul. PHOTO: Channel 24

• On August 26, Oleksandr and his wife Kateryna organized a charity event to raise funds to support children from Mykolaiv who have lost their parents. Among the participants were many pop stars, such as DREVO and Ivo Bobul.

Usyk and Dorofeeva on stage. Screenshot: doroface/TikTok

• But the next morning, a video of Usyk dancing on stage with singer Nadia Dorofeeva (DOROFEEVA ) to her song "Taste of Sadness" went viral. This video caught the eye not only of Ukrainian fans of Oleksandr and Nadiya's work, but also of Parker's team, who immediately expressed doubts that such incendiary dancing was possible with a back injury.
• The WBO also supported these doubts. The organization contacted Usyk's lawyer, John Hornever, and informed him that they were waiting for a second medical examination of the champion. Parker began preparations for his next fight on October 25, in which his opponent will almost certainly not be Usyk.

Games and results

The match between USSA and Chornomorets. PHOTO: FC Chornomorets

• "Chornomorets won a narrow victory in Bucha over UKSA, with the only goal scored by Dmytro Sabiev, a player from Kyiv region, in his own net. The Seafarers' star newcomer Yevhen Khacheridi made his debut in this match, playing the entire second half. Thus, the nostalgic pair of defenders Khacheridi-Rakitsky played together for the first time in more than 7 years.

Volleyball players of the national team of Ukraine PHOTO: en.volleyballworld.com

• The women's national volleyball team won a prestigious match at the World Championships. The Ukrainians defeated Cameroon in three sets and secured the final third place in the group

Marta Kostyuk. PHOTO: usopen.org

• Only one Ukrainian woman continues to compete for the US Open trophy. After Elina Svitolina sensationally lost in the first round, only Marta Kostiuk remained among our representatives. However, unlike her compatriots, Kostiuk not only made it past the first round, but has already reached the last 16, defeating three opponents.

Events of the week

Ukrainian Rugby Cup-7 PHOTOS: Ukrainian Rugby

• On August 30, the Ukrainian Rugby Sevens Cup among men and women took place in Kyiv. The winners were RC Kyiv in the men's competition and Lviv Lionesses in the women's competition. Odesa' s Credo-1963 and the Odesa Oblast team took second and third place, respectively.

Oleh Doroshchuk. PHOTO: Reuters

• Three Ukrainian athletes competed in the Diamond League season finale, all in the high jump. Oleh Doroshchuk took second place among men with a result of 2.30m. In the women's competition, Yaroslava Maguchikh was also second with a result of 2.02 meters, and Yulia Levchenko was fourth with the best result in 5 years (2 meters).

Kirill Shevchenko. PHOTO: FIDE

• The former Ukrainian grandmaster who now represents Romania, Kirill Shevchenko, is now not only a "former Ukrainian" but also a former grandmaster. FIDE stripped Shevchenko of his title after the Fair Play Commission won an appeal against Shevchenko's cheating case at a tournament in Spain. At one of the tournaments, the player used a phone hidden in the toilet, which is strictly prohibited by the rules.

Picture of the week

Alexandra Pascal. PHOTO: paskals2016/Instagram

• Nine-year-old Alexandra Pascal, who survived the amputation of a limb after the Russian shelling of Zatoka in 2022, does not give up rhythmic gymnastics and is a true example of fortitude. This week, the young athlete competed and won the Odesa Regional Championship among girls of her age.

As usual, we wish you and your favorite athletes and teams success!

Адлен Муатс