By Alexey Sukachev
Russian amateur boxing championship has successfully ended tonight in a city of Ufa, Bashkortostan. The tournament started on April 22 and featured top Russian pugilists who compete in unpaid ranks. BoxingScene followed the entire tournament. Here are the final results and short remarks on each of ten weight classes.
49 kg (108 lbs)
David Ayrapetyan (Moscow Region) – Belik Galanov (Moscow) – 6:4
Bronze medalists: Khamza Nametov (Derbent) and Valentin Chebochakov (Novosibirsk).
Ayrapetian defeated 2009 Russian champion Galanov for the second consecutive year; this time it was a much harder fight for the six-time (2004-2007, 2010-2011) Russian and 2006 European champion, who is slowly reaching twilights of his career at 28.
52 kg (114 lbs)
Misha Aloyan (Novosibirsk) – Georgiy Balakshin (Sakha) – 19:12
Bronze medalists: Vladimir Nikitin (Komi) and Evgeniy Ermakov (Izhevsk).
Young gun Misha Aloyan (22 years) defeated veteran star Balakshin (30 years) for the third consecutive year in the finals. Balakhsin was the best Russian fighter in this weight class in early 00’s as well as the six-time (2000-2003, 2006-2007) Russian and three-time (2002, 2004 and 2006) European titleholder. Aloyan is a 2010 European champion.
56 kg (123 lbs)
Sergey Vodopianov (Narofominsk) – Dmitry Polianskiy (Belgorod) – 14:12
Bronze medalists: Vislan Dalkhaev (Dagestan) and Eduard Abzalimov (Chelyabinsk)
In one of the most heated divisions in Russian boxing, 2007 national and 2007 world champion Sergey Vodopianov got the better of 2010 Russian beltholder Polianskiy in a close and entertaining fight to avenge his loss in 2010. Polianskiy tried to bring some fight to flashy stylist Vodopianov this time too and had some success in doing so but judges favored Vodopianov nevertheless. Both bronze medalists are former national champions: 2008 – for Abzalimov, and 2009 – for Dalkhayev. Abzalimov is also 2010 European champion.
60 kg (132 lbs)
Albert Selimov (Dagestan) – Ildar Vaganov (Narofominsk) – 10:2
Bronze medalists: Eduard Khusainov (Perm) and Vyacheslav Shipunov (Bijsk).
Former three-time Russian (2006, 2007 and 2009), two-time European (2006 and 2010) and once (2007) a world champion (2007) Selimov avenged his last year’s loss to unheralded Ildar Vaganov in a frenetic fashion.
64 kg (141 lbs)
Alexander Solyanikov (Chelyabinsk) – Maxim Ignatiev (Moscow Region) – 13:6
Bronze medalists: Alexander Ivanov (Moscow) and Avak Uzlyan (Kaliningrad)
Solyanikov is now a three-time (2009-2011) national champion; Ignatiev won the title in 2008.
69 kg (152 lbs)
Andrey Zamkovoy (Narofominsk) – Islam Edisultanov (Grozny) – 18:8
Bronze medalists: Alexander Kuzmin (Novosibirsk) and Alexander Klinkov (Komsomols-na-Amure).
Andrey Zamkovoy became a champion for the second consecutive year; Klinkov was a champion in 2009. Zamkovoy, who by many accounts can be a good prizefighter, also got a silver medal at 2009 world championship, losing only to Jack Culcay-Keth.
75 kg (165 lbs)
Maxim Koptyakov (Yugorsk) – Dmitry Bivol (Saint Petersburg) – 13:9
Bronze medalists: Artem Chebotarev (Saratov) and Maxim Gazizov (Ekaterinburg)
Middleweight is undeniably the most intriguing division in Russian boxing since the sudden departure of Matvey Korobov to the pros in 2008. Maxim Koptyakov came in as a successor by winning 2008 Russian nationals but it was hard-hitting and flashy boxer-puncher Artem Chebotarev who emerged as a future star. Chebotarev established a new rivalry with experienced Maxim Gazizov and defeated him twice in the finals (2009 and 2010) to become a dominant force. He also added 2010 European title to his resume.
Meanwhile, a new star finally got its going the last year. Much hyped 2007 world cadet champion Dmitry Bivol has finally adapted to adult boxing and quickly became a dominant force. Bivol was able to upset Chebotarev in the semifinal, while Koptyakov got the better of his old nemesis Gazizov. In the final, young Bivol applied a smart pressure to keep Koptyakov at bay but the experienced fighter found his way to outpoint the youngster.
81 kg (178 lbs)
Egor Mekhontsev (Narofominsk) – Nikita Ivanov (Tambov) – 12:6
Bronze medalists: Daniil Shved (Cherepovets) and Evgeniy Tischenko (Moscow)
Egor Mekhontsev, one of the best P4P fighters in the world, who competed earlier in the heavyweight division, continued his transformation into a bona fide star at light heavyweight with a win over 2009 national champion Ivanov. Mekhontsev is 2008 Russian, 2009 world and 2008&2010 European heavyweight champion as well as 2010 Russian light heavyweight titleholder.
91 kg (201 lbs)
Artur Beterbiyev (Grozny) – Ivan Klimov (Omsk) – 15:4
Bronze medalists: Abdulkhamid Nurmagomedov (Tambov) and Arbi Madayev (Grozny)
2010 AIBA fighter of the year Beterbiyev easily erased any remaining bad memories of his last year’s loss to Pavel Nikitaev with an easy domination over all of his opponents. Beterbiyev is a rookie in this weight class as he swapped places with Egor Mekhontsev. As a light heavyweight, Beterbiyev was 2007 Russian, 2006 and 2010 European and 2009 world champion. 2010 national champion Nikitayev lost to Ivan Klimov in the starting round.
91+ kg (201+ lbs)
Sergey Kuzmin (Saint Petersburg) – Niyaz Fayzulin (Ufa) – 12:7
Bronze medalists: Vitaly Kudukhov (Moscow) and Magomed Omarov (Kaspiysk)
Kuzmin is a 2010 Russian and European champion; Fayzullin won the title in 2008