Igor Vysotsky

Igor Yakovlevich Vysotsky (10 September 1953 – 2 April 2023) was a Soviet amateur boxer who competed from 1973 to 1979, best known for twice defeating the triple Olympic Champion Teófilo Stevenson, being the only boxer out of more than two hundred of Stevenson's opponents to ever knock him out, though he himself never participated in the Olympics. Vysotsky was the Soviet Heavyweight Champion in 1978, ranked the #1 Soviet heavyweight of the late 1970s from the American standpoint, and had an amateur record of 161–24. Representing the Trud Sports Club, Vysotsky was known and widely recognized for his aggressive style, punching power, stamina, and durable chin, having 24 losses in his record he had never experienced any other than standing defeat (with the exception of being dropped by Woody Clark of the USA in a US vs USSR Duals match, Vysotsky was not knocked down in his entire career). While apart from 1978 he never stepped up to semi-finals at the national championships, being constantly outpointed by technically skilled opponents, his unorthodox style and mentioned strengths counted, for he always was chosen to compete versus U.S. heavyweights in the USA–USSR match-ups, presenting a considerable level of opposition when it came to trading punches.