The secret weapon of Cyprus sport

Part sportsman, part showman, a champion of boxing plans to defend his world title in a bout on the island PAUL LAMBIS hears

Undefeated professional heavyweight boxer with an impressive knockout-to-beat-opponent ratio, Louison Loizou has become a popular icon representing Cyprus on both the national and international stages since 2017.

“Boxing is a sport that provides many benefits,” Loizou said, “from helping build confidence to finding purpose and improving discipline.”

Loizou was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s capital Kinshasa, and said he was always an athletic child interested in combat sports. “From my early years, I started training vigorously in Jiu-Jitsu, judo, kickboxing, and eventually boxing. It was only a matter of time before I took my boxing to the next level.”

His level of commitment finally paid off, and he is the only professional heavyweight boxer in Cyprus, as well as an undisputed champion in both boxing and kickboxing with a 100 per cent knock-out ratio.

Loizou’s impressive boxing performance has taken him from Central Africa to many countries across Europe, where he competes in heavyweight divisions against other professional boxers and kickboxers.

He faced a major challenge in his career in 2017 battling against his Spanish counterpart Nicolas Cichello, eventually winning the European World Full Contact Association (WFCA) title in Latvia. He had also won the Baltic WFCA title earlier that year in Lithuania, which led to him being crowned World WFCA in 2018.

He describes his training process as “intense,” requiring focus, discipline, blocking out negativity, and pushing himself to the limit for as many hours as possible. “I put myself on a strict schedule, which necessitates waking up early every day, remaining confident in my skills and abilities, and eating whatever I can to stay strong and heavyweight.”

He has always looked to Muhammad Ali, one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century and widely regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time, for inspiration. “He was a sportsman as well as a showman, and he perfectly represents what boxing is all about for me.”

Loizou’s principles are founded on Ali’s belief that champions are created from something deep within them – a desire, a dream, and a vision. “A champion must have both skill and will, but the will must outweigh the skill,” Loizou said.

“I believe in myself as an athlete and a coach, so I wanted to share my gift with as many people as possible, which led to the establishment of my training club,” he added.

The Touch Glove Pro Training Club in Nicosia is Loizou’s training facility, where he teaches boxing, kickboxing and mixed martial arts to students of all ages and levels. “Combat sports help people learn discipline and confidence, as well as how to deal with obstacles and overcome adversity,” Loizou told the Cyprus Mail.

“I am not only passionate about creating champions, but also in providing young people with the tools they need to make a better life for themselves.”

Training, according to Loizou, becomes extremely fun and addictive with perseverance and persistence. “If you enjoy the sport, you will see positive results quickly,” he said.

Although he mentions American former professional boxer Mike Tyson as another source of motivation, Loizou believes his students are his greatest inspiration. “Collaboration and teamwork are arguably the most visible skills that a student develops as a member of a sports team. My students collaborate to achieve a common goal, which is just as valuable in the workplace as it is in the competition arena.”

When it comes to boxing as a sport, Loizou believes Cyprus is still far behind the rest of the world, owing to a lack of coaching professionalism. “Poor coaching creates poor fighters, so the sport will never progress. The entire system must change for Cyprus to have a future in boxing.”

Coaching aside, Loizou intends to defend his World Championship title at an international philanthropic boxing event he plans to organise in Cyprus this year. “Not only will this bring attention to the sport on a local and international level, but it will also inspire future generations by providing them with the tools they need to succeed.”

Whether in the boxing ring in front of a large audience or at his training club in Nicosia, Loizou is undoubtedly Cyprus’ answer to putting the country on the professional boxing map.