Childhood playful fights and wrestling gradually developed into serious hobbies of kickboxing for Vitali and boxing for Wladimir.  
In rather short time, Vitali achieved significant successes - becoming sixfold world kickboxing champion (two times as armature and four times as professional), three-time Ukrainian heavyweight champion in boxing, champion of the 1st World Military Games (Italy, 1995), and silver medallist in the World Boxing Championship.  
Wladimir this whole time kept up with the older brother. Already at the age of seventeen he became the champion of Europe among juniors, a five time boxing champion of Ukraine, Champion of the 1st World Military Games (-91kg), and the silver medallist of European Championship. His greatest achievement during amateur career - a gold medal and the rank of boxing champion in a super heavyweight division during the Olympic games of 1996 in Atlanta. 
For his victory, Wladimir has awarded medal "for courage" by the Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma.