Clemente Russo, a retired Italian boxer, holds a unique achievement in boxing history. He's the only man who has beaten both Oleksandr Usyk and Deontay Wilder.
Russo's impressive feat happened during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He defeated Usyk 7-4 in the early rounds and later beat Wilder, who ended up with a bronze medal. Russo went on to win silver after losing to Rakhim Chakkhiev in the gold medal match.
The Italian boxer's amateur career was filled with success. He won gold at the World Amateur Boxing Championships twice, in 2007 and 2013. Russo competed in three Olympic Games, starting in Athens 2004 where he lost to Andre Ward in the light-heavyweight division.
In the 2012 London Olympics, Russo faced Usyk again, this time losing in the gold medal match. He walked away with another silver medal to add to his collection.
Unlike many successful amateur boxers, Russo never turned pro. Instead, he took a different path after hanging up his gloves. In 2011, he made his acting debut in the film "Tatanka". Later, Russo joined the police force, swapping his boxing gloves for a badge.
The two men Russo beat have gone on to have stellar professional careers. Usyk turned pro shortly after winning gold in 2012 and has remained undefeated. He became the undisputed cruiserweight champion in 2018 before moving up to heavyweight. In 2021, Usyk defeated Anthony Joshua for the IBF, WBA, and WBO heavyweight titles. He's since defended those titles in a rematch with Joshua and against Daniel Dubois.
Usyk's biggest win came in May 2023 when he beat Tyson Fury for the WBC heavyweight title. He's now set to defend all three world titles against Fury in a rematch this December.
Wilder, known as "The Bronze Bomber", turned his Olympic bronze into a long reign as WBC heavyweight champion. He's famous for his knockout power but has faced some setbacks recently. After a trilogy with Tyson Fury that saw him draw once and lose twice, Wilder knocked out Robert Helenius. However, he's since lost to Joseph Parker by decision and suffered a knockout loss to Zhilei Zhang.
"I won't retire from boxing," Wilder's trainer Malik Scott told talkSPORT. "He's set to return to the ring and has his eyes on some big fights."
While Usyk and Wilder have become household names in professional boxing, Russo's unique achievement of beating both in the amateurs remains a fascinating footnote in boxing history.
