Former light heavyweight boxing champion-turned-TV-star dies aged 45 as he recovered from heart surgery

FORMER light heavyweight boxing champion and TV star Vyacheslav Uzelkov has died aged 45.

Reports in his native Ukraine claim the ex-fighter passed away after recovering from heart surgery.

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Former boxing champ Vyacheslav Uzelkov has died aged 45[/caption]

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He won 30 of his 34 fights, recording 19 KOs in the process[/caption]

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Uzelkov was recovering from heart surgery when he passed away[/caption]

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He became a TV star and even went into politics after retiring from boxing in 2014[/caption]

Uzelkov was once a top boxer in the ring, winning 30 of his 34 fights while recording 19 KOs.

He was a former WBA Inter-Continental, IBO International and WBO Inter-Continental light heavyweight champion.

Uzelkov, nicknamed ‘Steel Power’, made his bow in 2004 before retiring a decade later.

After quitting the ring, Uzelkov started a new career in his homeland as a TV presenter.

Having reportedly featured in a dancing show during his boxing days, he ended up becoming a judge on Ukraine’s version of Britain’s Got Talent.

In 2020, Uzelkov had a brief stint in politics after running to become mayor of Vinnytsia, a city in central Ukraine.

But earlier this year he went under the knife for heart surgery.

Uzelkov had been recovering from the operation when he passed away.

And a statement from Ukraine’s boxing federation paid tribute to him online.

It read: “Ukrainian boxing has suffered a heavy loss – Vyacheslav Uzelkov has passed away.

“His name will forever remain in the history of sports, and his example of strength, resilience and dedication will inspire future generations.”

Fans also paid tribute on social media.

One said: “Thoughts with family and friends and boxers that looked up to him.”

Another added: “Rest in peace.”