Ukrainian Canadian

Last Saturday Wladimir Klitschko defeated British boxer David Haye in Hamburg, Germany for the WBA title, scoring a unanimous points victory after 12 rounds. This match unified the WBA title with Wladimir’s other boxing titles: WBO, IBF, IBO and the Ring heavyweight championships. The remaining WBC world boxing title is held by his brother Vitali which they’ve vowed never to box each other – a promise made to their mother.

Haye blamed his defeated on a previously broken little toe that prevented him from delivering his patented ‘hay-maker’ punch, which he was quick to reveal to the TV cameras right after the match. Also Haye’s team accused Klitschko’s camp of fans stepping on the broken toe, and German doctors handing out banned substances before the fight. Some argue that if his injury were such an obstacle, then he should have rescheduled the fight since this was to be his last before retiring.

While Wladimir won, many critics come out of the woodwork to blame both brothers of having ‘boring’ matches if their wins don’t come via knockout. Upcoming possible opponents next for the Klitschkos could be two Britons, Dereck Chisora and Tyson Fury.

A very quick KO in the first round last Saturday night for Vitali Klitschko as he successfully defended against Odlanier Solis:

Ukrainian boxer Vitali Klitschko continued the Klitschko brothers’ domination of the heavyweight division with a defense of the WBC title in front of 19,000 fans in Cologne, Germany.

Klitschko knocked out challenger Odlanier Solis in the first round to defend his title.

The 39-year-old only needed one shot to finish the bout, as he caught Solis on the temple with a grazing right hand near the end of the round.

The blow didn’t appear to be capable of producing a one-punch knockout, but the off-balance Solis wrenched his knee and couldn’t beat the count, All Headline News reports.

“I twisted my knee strangely while falling,” Solis said.

The official time was 2:59 of the first.

“I thought he was looking for a way out at first, but doctors confirmed his injury,” Klistchko said.

It was the sixth successful defense of the WBC title for Klitschko. Four of the six wins have come by knockout.

Klitschko’s brother Wladimir holds the IBF and WBO versions of the heavyweight title.

He has nine successful defenses of the IBF crown and five straight defenses of the WBO belt.

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Meanwhile the long awaited Wladimir Klitschko/David Haye bout is scheduled for July 2nd for the WBA championship and is drawing many competing bids from countries to host the event. For those of you who are confused by the five different major boxing championships, here is a quick list of who owns what:

• WBA – David Haye
• WBC – Vitali Klitschko
• IBF – Wladimir Klitschko
• WBO – Wladimir Klitschko
• The Ring – Wladimir Klitschko

If you live in Ontario, TV channel OMNI 1  will be airing some parts of the Olympics in the Ukrainian language:

Ukrainian

February 13, 2010
20:00 – 21:00     Speed Skating – Men’s 5000m [Taped]
21:00 – 22:00     Long Track Speed Skating: Men’s 5000m [Taped]

February 20, 2010
20:00 – 21:00     Alpine Skiing – Ladies’ Super-G [Tape]     OMNI 1
21:00 – 22:00     Cross-Country Skiing: Men’s 15km Pursuit [Tape]     OMNI 1

February 27, 2010
20:00 – 22:00     Figure Skating – Exhibition Gala     OMNI 1 [UKR]

From the Toronto Star:

Martin Brodeur’s teammates crowded around in the tiny visitors’ locker room at Mellon Arena, eager to share in the celebration of a record that once looked as if it would never be broken.

The New Jersey Devils goaltender sat smiling in his stall, holding a puck inscribed with “104″ – the record number of shutouts he reached with Monday’s 4-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. It moved Brodeur past Terry Sawchuk on the all-time list and gave him the only major goaltending milestone missing from his resumé.

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Terry Sawchuk, the previous record holder was a prominent Ukrainian Canadian hockey player:

Sawchuk grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in a working-class Ukrainian family. Two of his brothers died at a young age, and by 17 he was his family’s sole breadwinner. He broke his elbow playing football, and each time doctors operated to remove bone chips in subsequent years, he had them put in a jar that he kept with him throughout his life. At 18 he almost lost his eye when he was hit in the eye with a shot.

Sawchuk made it to the N.H.L. with Detroit in January 1950 and was almost unbeatable. The Red Wings won three Stanley Cups in five years, and in 1952 they swept the playoffs in eight games, with Sawchuk allowing just five goals. In his first five full seasons he recorded 56 shutouts.

…

Before Sawchuk, goalies tended to stand tall in the nets, but Sawchuk’s crouch was revolutionary. It served as a bridge between the old standup style and the butterfly style of his contemporary, Glenn Hall, the forerunner of today’s goaltending techniques.

Even with his great hockey playing abilities, Sawchuk faced his share of discrimination for being Ukrainian:

“There was all kinds of baggage he carried,” says Maggs, who honoured Sawchuk’s brilliant career and anguished life in a 2008 book of poetry Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems. The book was the culmination of 10 years of research into Sawchuk’s life.

Part of that baggage was his background. His father was Ukrainian, which meant that in those politically incorrect times, Sawchuk was simply known as `The Uke,’ just as Armstrong, a native Indian, was `The Chief.’

From the CBC:

Ukraine and Greece battled to a 0-0 draw in Athens Saturday in the opening leg of their two-game playoff series to see who advances to next year’s World Cup in South Africa.

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A victory by either team in that match would allow them to stamp their passport for South Africa. Greece would also secure qualification if they score in Donetsk and the game ends in a draw.

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As we mentioned earlier today, the second match will be streamed online from Donetsk at CBCSports.ca and air on CBC Bold Wednesday at 11:55AM EST and will replay on CBC TV at 1AM local. Today’s game will air on CBC TV tonight at 1:30AM EST.