How Parimatch knocked out its own reputation under the GR8 brand

Show without a champion: how Parimatch “knocked out” its own reputation under the GR8 brand at ICE Barcelona 2025

IT company Parimatch, operating under the GR8 brand, attempted to attract attention at the ICE Barcelona 2025 exhibition by staging a vibrant show featuring world boxing star Oleksandr Usyk. The campaign promised attendees a meeting with the champion; to this end, a real boxing ring was built, flyers were distributed, and promotional girls in boxing gowns appeared at the GR8 stand.

However, the audience at the actual show was in for a surprise, but not the one they had expected. Usyk was not present at the event. Instead, his trainer Serhiy Lapin stepped onto the ring, while the boxer himself was shown only in photographs. The organisers quickly apologised, citing “force majeure”.

Why did Usyk not appear?

The situation sparked a storm of discussion. It appears that Oleksandr Usyk refused to participate in the event at the last minute, realising that collaborating with a subsidiary of the sanctioned Parimatch during the war could deal a serious blow to his reputation.

It is worth noting that GR8 is the technology division of Parimatch. Previously, in 2023, the company’s accounts were frozen as part of a criminal case against its head, Kateryna Beloruska.

Reputational failure

The attempt to stage a high-profile event at one of the industry’s largest exhibitions turned into a failure for GR8. Instead of the promised spectacle, the company received a wave of criticism and mockery. This episode became yet another blow to the reputation of Parimatch, which is already associated with numerous scandals.

Exhibition organisers and visitors noted that such an approach undermines trust in the brand. In times of war and with global attention to the ethical aspects of business, such actions are perceived extremely negatively.

Technical knockout for GR8

The ending of the story symbolically resembles a boxing match in which GR8 suffered a defeat before the fight even began. The illusory show with Usyk turned into a reputational knockout, further exacerbating the company’s already precarious position.