Ukrainian boxer champion Oleksandr Usyk was handcuffed at a Polish airport after becoming “upset” when his traveling partner was refused boarding due to disruptive behavior, the airline and border guards said Wednesday. World heavyweight champion Usyk described the event late Tuesday as a “misunderstanding,” while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed disappointment with “this attitude toward our citizen.” The 37-year-old boxer was scheduled to fly from Krakow airport to Thessaloniki, Greece, with another guy on a trip Tuesday run by Polish airline Buzz, a subsidiary of Ryanair.
“The passenger traveling with Mr. Usyk was correctly refused boarding… by the airport gate agent at Krakow Airport due to his disruptive behavior,” Ryanair said in an AFP statement on Wednesday. “Mr. Usyk was not denied boarding; however, he chose not to board,” the airline stated, adding that the gate attendant then requested help from airport police.
The two men “were slightly upset.” They were reluctant to leave the departure gate. So, per protocol, our officers interfered,” local border guard spokesperson Jacek Michalowski told AFP.
“They were issued a warning and released,” he claimed, denying that they had been held. A video circulating on social media shows cops escorting a handcuffed Usyk through the airport.
“As you saw online, one of these people was handcuffed, but that was only for preventative reasons because they were upset and we needed to bring them to the room in peace,” Michalowski recounted. On Tuesday, Usyk tweeted that “a misunderstanding took place.” It was promptly rectified. Zelensky said Tuesday that he spoke with Usyk over the phone following the incident. “I was disappointed by this attitude towards our citizen and champion,” Zelensky said on X.