Mairis Briedis: The Latvian Boxing Icon Facing Adversity
Seven years ago, Mairis Briedis, the former three-time cruiserweight world champion, was awarded the prestigious Order of the Three Stars, the highest accolade a Latvian can receive. At the time, the boxer was preparing to take on Oleksandr Usyk in a unification bout in his native Riga as part of the World Boxing Super Series.
The bout, which took place in front of a raucous crowd of 12,000 fans chanting Briedis’ name, marked the first career defeat for the Latvian, as he lost by majority decision to the future heavyweight champion Usyk. Despite the setback, Briedis would go on to reclaim his cruiserweight crown with victories over Krzysztof Glowacki and Yuniel Dorticos.
However, Briedis’ journey has not been without its challenges. As the war in Ukraine unfolded, the boxer found himself embroiled in a nationalistic dilemma, facing backlash from his fellow Latvians for his perceived neutrality on the conflict. This led to the cancellation of a promotional event for his autobiography and even a failed attempt at entering politics.
“I said that I am against people dying both here and there,” Briedis explained in an exclusive interview. “Without taking sides in the war. Both are not my countries. But in Latvia, people were acting as zombies or something.”
The anger and criticism from his compatriots have taken a toll, but Briedis remains steadfast in his beliefs, emphasizing the importance of unity and understanding among all people, regardless of their linguistic or cultural backgrounds.
Now, as Briedis prepares to take on Jai Opetaia in a rematch on the undercard of the highly anticipated Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk bout in Riyadh, he is determined to once again showcase the fighting spirit and resilience that has defined his career.
“By boxing in England, he showed that he destroyed me, his opponents, and showed that he is a high-level athlete,” Briedis said. “This is potentially my last fight, so, let’s go, let’s fight. The team is assembled, we will be in very good shape now too. Let’s once again show the world what Latvia is capable of. Because whatever it is, it’s my country.”
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