Don’t push the horses.
Boxing as a Ukrainian cultural export: it has long been Ukraine’s calling card. Ukraine’s Maik Taison (yes, his real name) wants to follow the steps of global heavyweight champ Oleksandr Usyk.
Editor’s Note: Last weekend’s Usyk heavyweight win was not only a single man’s victory – it was a point of national pride. It boosted Ukrainian morale, acted as a point of unity, and showed the world that the country can fight – on and off the battlefield.
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“When I’m buried, let them place my favorite hand wraps, mouthguard, and boxing gloves with me,” said the Ukrainian Maik Taison (Майк Тайсон), who changed his birth name as soon as boxing became the meaning of his life in 2018.
His life was a battle from the start: first against bullies in his orphanage, then with weapons on the front line, and finally against opponents in the ring.
Now, he hopes to follow the footsteps of his idol: Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk, who last weekend became the world’s undisputed heavyweight champion after defeating British fighter Daniel Dubois via knockout.
While society is growing weary from the war against Russia, any victory, even in the boxing ring, helps Ukrainians renew their belief in their resilience. Ukrainian boxing has become a form of cultural diplomacy, reinforcing Ukraine’s image as a nation that will never surrender.
Zoltan Lakatosh (Maik Taison’s birth name) grew up in an orphanage in Uzhhorod, a city in the Zakarpattia region in southwestern Ukraine, after his parents abandoned him at birth. At times, he went hungry and didn’t have a roof over his head. Despite the hardships, he never gave up.
In 2014, when Russia invaded eastern Ukraine, Taison volunteered for military service and served in some of the most intense areas of the Donetsk region. At just 19 years old, Taison was the youngest member of his unit. It was during that time that his nickname was born.
Amid the extraordinary physical strength he showed during one of the missions, his fellow soldiers began calling him Taison, after the legendary American boxer Mike Tyson.
“I spent a week asking the guys who Tyson was. When I saw a video [of the boxer], my life completely changed... He showed me a goal — who I could become, what I could achieve in sports,” said Taison.
After being discharged from military service in 2016, Maik walked into a boxing gym by chance, trying to get out of the heavy rain. He wasn’t interested in boxing at first, but after being robbed and beaten up a few days later, he returned and it was to become his life’s passion.
At first, the local coach didn’t want to train him, because he thought that Maik was interested in boxing only to get revenge on his robbers. But after learning that Taison was a combat veteran, he agreed.
Since then, the Ukrainian Taison has not been able to imagine his life without boxing. In 2018, he officially changed his name to Maik Taison and got a tattoo identical to the one the American boxer has.
Of all sports, Ukraine has found perhaps the most success in boxing. During the Soviet Union, sport was considered an inseparable part of ideological upbringing: the regime needed to prove that socialist people were superior to those in the West. Boxing schools emerged in major Ukrainian cities, and their fighters competed within the USSR and internationally.
However, it wasn’t until after Ukraine gained independence that Ukrainian boxers began to gain worldwide recognition. Integrating Western training methods, Ukraine developed a unique training philosophy—one that emphasized not only physical strength but also strategy.
The first to introduce Ukraine to the global boxing stage were the Klychko brothers. The younger brother, Volodymyr, won Ukraine’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in super heavyweight boxing at the 1996 Olympics. The older brother is now the mayor of Kyiv.
“People used to know Ukraine because of Chornobyl, but now Ukraine appeared as a country with [boxing] stars who were recognized worldwide… Our boxers always raise the Ukrainian flag before fights, the national anthem plays at the beginning. As a result, people understand that Ukraine is a separate country, not a part of Russia,” said Oleh Kuderov, the vice president of Ukraine’s national boxing league.
At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Klychko brothers were the second most recognized Ukrainians in the world, right after President Zelenskyy.
That’s no surprise: in 2018, they were featured in the Guinness Book of World Records for competing in the most heavyweight title fights. Today, Ukraine is home to 14 world champions – a disproportionately high number considering the country’s relatively small size.
Maik Taison’s inspiration comes from the new generation of Ukrainian boxers, particularly those who have risen to prominence since the start of the full-scale war.
Since the invasion began, Ukrainian boxing, together with many other sports, has faced enormous challenges. As of summer 2024, over 500 sports facilities have been destroyed in Ukraine, including gyms and training complexes where boxing was taught. Some boxers have also joined the military, while others were forced to train abroad.
One was Oleksandr Usyk — the boxer the world is talking about this week. In February 2022, Usyk enlisted in the territorial defense forces, putting his boxing career on hold. Still, that didn’t stop him from becoming the first three-time undisputed heavyweight champion in the history of professional boxing. Throughout his entire pro career, Usyk has never lost a fight.
"Ukrainians are the best boxers. Usyk proves in every fight that we, as a nation, are unbeatable," said Taison. "He speaks Ukrainian, sings Ukrainian songs, dances the hopak [a traditional folk dance] during training, spreading our culture."
Boxing rings around the world have become platforms for Ukraine’s voice and the promotion of Ukrainian culture. For example, Denys Berinchyk, lightweight world champion in 2024-2025, began his bout against Mexico’s Emanuel Navarrete with the blare of an air raid siren that millions of Ukrainians hear daily as a warning of incoming attacks.
After a triumphant victory in 2024, Oleksandr Usyk raised an authentic 17th-century saber once belonging to Ukrainian Hetman Ivan Mazepa. For Ukraine, Mazepa is a symbol of its people resisting Russian attempts to occupy our country since the 18th century. Back then, he helped develop Ukrainian culture and opposed Moscow's demands. It was a symbolic gesture, as Mazepa remains a controversial figure in Russia, where the Russian Orthodox Church declared him anathema for rebelling against Moscow.
And ahead of his most recent fight, Usyk unveiled in London a replica of a Ukrainian mosaic by Alla Horska, a dissident artist repressed by the Soviet regime. The original mosaic was destroyed by Russian forces during the 2022 siege of Mariupol.
But if there’s one more thing Ukrainians are also known for, it’s their sense of humor.
Before his latest fight, Usyk went viral for saying, “Don’t push the horses,” a literal translation of a Ukrainian idiom meaning “don't rush,” similar to the English idiom “Hold your horses.”
While his opponent’s coach looked puzzled, Ukrainians on social media turned it into a trend, humorously translating other Ukrainian idioms into English.
The phrase “Don't push the horses” was turned into a track.
Although Maik Taison is not yet a professional boxer, he aspires to follow Usyk’s footsteps. To fund his training, he has been working on a construction site. This September, he’ll compete in the Ukrainian National Boxing Championship,
Taison says he trains for several hours a day, with each day dedicated to a different focus. Some sessions are spent refining punches and stances, while others focus on building endurance.
"At every training, I give it 150%. I work like a mammoth until the last drop of sweat… Boxing has made me strong. In spirit, in character, in willpower," he said.
These qualities are shaping the identity of Ukraine’s athletes that continue to represent their country during the war and also the image of Ukraine in the international stage.
Taison is confident: "Ukraine never loses. We’ll withstand this great war and beat every kind of sport."
NEWS OF THE DAY:
By: Anastasiia Kryvoruchenko
Good morning to readers; Kyiv remains in Ukrainian hands.
RUSSIA TRYING TO CAPTURE STRATEGIC TOWN OF POKROVSK: Zelenskyy reported fierce fighting around Pokrovsk, which is the hottest area of the frontline – the situation in the city is the focus of the country's attention.
Pokrovsk is the transportation hub for the front, and is home to Ukraine's only coking coal mine for the steel industry. Over the last week Russia announced the seizure of three villages around Pokrovsk. The Ukrainian government didn’t confirm this claim.
STARLINK FAILURE DISRUPTED UKRAINE MILITARY: Global starlink outage disrupted communications for 2.5 hours at the front, Reuters reported.
Starlink has proven to be effective for use during war, as it is resistant to signal jamming and espionage. However, the outage showed that Ukraine needs to diversify its communication systems.
Kyiv has received a total of 50,000 Starlink terminals as of April 2025. During the Starlink outage, combat missions had to be postponed or carried out without video communications, and reconnaissance was conducted using attack drones.
UKRAINIAN DRONES HIT RUSSIA'S LARGEST ELECTRONIC PLANT: Overnight, SBU drones attacked Russia's Signal radio plant, one of the country's largest radio electronics manufacturers, RBC-Ukraine reported. Two buildings were damaged.
The plant produces radio equipment for remote control, electronic warfare systems used to jam or block communications at the front, and radio navigation. The plant is under international sanctions, including from the EU, the US, Japan and Ukraine.
DOG OF WAR:
Today’s Dog of War is Lilu, the dog of Nastia’s friend. Both she and her girlfriend are groomers, so they dyed Lilu to look like a leopard — she turns heads everywhere she goes.
Stay safe out there.
Best,
Mariana, Tanya and Artem
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Although I am not a follower of boxing, it is nonetheless good to hear another story about a Ukrainian achiever, especially in these troubled times. I hope this Maik Taison will prove to have more strength of character than his idol!
Love the dog's spots!
Another great story. I have absolutely no interest in boxing but loved this story. I am amazed at the number of world champs from Ukraine.