By Alexey Sukachev and Vladimir Begun Jr. (Allboxing)

He speaks softly and humbly… But one can feel rather than hear an inevitable firm core of his voice. That’s the firmness of an old, fatigued man who is tired of a lengthy resistance both in his body and in his soul; yet has enough will and desire to put forward another display of his true self and to silence his critics and ill-wishers once again … And to reward his admirers too.

At 37, Roman Karmazin (40-3-1, 26 KOs) surely finds himself in the twilight of his career. And amazingly it’s also the time, when he stands in front of a major achievement of historical proportions, a long-lasting legacy which will remain steadfast even when its builder fades away from boxing.

On Saturday night, June 5, Karmazin, former IBF light middleweight titleholder, takes on reigning IBF middleweight champion Sebastian Sylvester (33-3, 16 KOs) at Jahnsportforum in Neubrandenburg, Germany, to become the first Russian ever to capture world titles (at least parts of them) in two different weight classes. That’s the last chance in a long chain of “last chances”, connected with the name of Karmazin. But when it seems that the aging warrior is right here to be written off he resurges to put another glorious streak of career-saving victories. You cannot expect anything less from a fighter who is known to be “Made in Hell” though.

Being the first is also a known position for the IBF mandatory challenger. In July 2005 Roman, who was considered a huge underdog at the time, stepped in the ring against then-IBF titlist Kassim “The Dream” Ouma and gave him a sudden and a sound beating dropping Ugandan twice en route to a twelve-round unanimous decision. He became the first ever Russia-based Russian to become a world champion. All his fellow predecessors acquired their titles while living and fighting exclusively abroad: Yuri Arbachakov – in Japan, Kostya Tszyu – in Australia, and almost forgotten now Ahmed Kotiev – in Germany. While capturing the red belt was a feat achieved abroad, the biggest part of his championship road had been got through in Europe, mostly in Russia.

That chance was surely “the last” one. And the first “last chance” had come along three years before that when Karmazin (29-0-1 with 18 KOs), already 29 years of age, collided with Spaniard Javier Castillejo for the WBC interim championship following months of fruitless hunting after the superstar in Oscar De La Hoya. The first time wasn’t a charm for Roman who dropped a close yet deserved decision to El Lince de Parla.

“It wasn’t me there in the ring”, recalled Karmazin three years later during one of our first conversations. “I trained so hard for that fight and I put so much in my preparation that I laid it too thick. I came into a fight being vehemently overtrained. I couldn’t see boxing gloves and smell the fragrance of boxing around arena. I could suddenly get up well over midnight to start boxing or running or making physical exercises instead of quietly sleeping with my wife. It sounds insane but it was what it was. There always should be a place for improvisation in a fight, and I was just like a robot doing everything in an auto-mode and not putting a piece of my soul behind that. I wasn’t thinking in the ring and now I can hardly remember that fight at all”.

Karmazin chose to take a hard road back. In 2003 the Russian stylist made three visits to his opponents’ backyards and each time came off with a scalp of the opposite fighter. It took him just ten rounds total to get the rid of Spanish Jorge Araujo (15-0-1 at the time – in Madrid), Dane Michael Rask (30-2 – in Aalborg) and Brit David Walker (19-1-1 – in London) – before relocating himself overseas for NC with Jason Papillon and to MD with another veteran Keith Holmes. Then, at 32, he has finally got it after a beating he gave to Ouma.

A moment of joy proved to be much shorter than Karmazin’s championship reign, which instead lasted only a year until his razor-thin majority decision loss to Cory Spinks (once again at new champion’s backyard). “Roman was almost broken. He earned just as much as was needed to cover his training expenses and to pay off several doubts. He came into his fight with Ouma being a poor man and he left such after Spinks’ fight as well”, tells me one of his friends sadly shaking his head.

And a roller-coaster went on. Impressive wins over James Obede Toney and Alejandro Garcia positioned Russian veteran for a possible title fight versus one of the champions in light middleweight division. However, Karmazin wasn’t in position to miss even a slim chance to earn a little bit more money so just two months following his destruction of Garcia Roman stepped in to clash against tough Congolese Alex Bunema.

“He shouldn’t have taken that bout for cripes sake!” exclaims the very same friend. “He got sick a week before, he stopped sleeping and it was really painful. He was prepared for as much as 10-20 percents for that fight. He wasn’t even a shell of his former self, who would have given a nasty beatdown to this guy (Bunema)”. The actual result was a TKO loss in favor of Bunema who went on to challenge Sergio Martinez for the title.

Karmazin found himself on the roadside yet again.

A new life started almost a year after when nobody actually believed Roman had enough to mount another comeback. Proving doubters wrong is an old hobby of both Karmazin and his promoter Steven Bash so they just kicked off another title run – now in middleweight class. In just five months Roman established himself as a legitimate contender after spirited decision over Bronco McCart and two consecutive destructions of Antwun Echols and Luiz Augusto Dos Santos. A year after the start of new run Roman Karmazin stopped Columbian gunslinger Dionisio Miranda in ten hellish rounds of what was an early candidate for 2010 Fight of the Year and became a mandatory challenger for Sebastian Sylvester’s crown…

… BoxingScene caught up with Roman several days before his historic attempt to speak more about the past, the future and their mix.

- My first question is usual for such an interview. What’s going on in your training camp? Is everything ok? Does anything bother you on the eve of your battle with Sylvester?

- Well, Alexey, you know, there are some problems this time. It’s pretty damn hard to find suitable sparring partners. We are changing two-three guys at the time in order to get a better preparation for Sylvester fight. But it’s extremely difficult to find such boxers who can resemble German’s style. Sylvester works in a very awkward style which is completely different from the style of Russian school of boxing.

- What are his specific features? We used to think he is just another German get-me-out-of-my-shell type of pressure fighter, isn’t he? And his main strengths are his discipline, physical conditions and non-stop pressure, right?

- That’s exactly the point. German style of boxing is very one-sided, monotonous and dull, and surely Sylvester is its typical representative. Russian pugilists are more fun-to-watch and they box in open, playing way. This hard, monotonous pressure is unusual for us. That’s the reason why it’s hard to find a suitable partner.

- Whom have you been boxing with?

- As usual I sparred much with my usual partner Gennady Martirosyan, who is a qualified boxer himself. There were also several young amateurs who gave me their best in sparring.

Gennady Martirosyan is a St. Petersburg-based ethnic Armenian, who is promoted by Jab Promotions. Martirosyan (20-2, 9 KOs) is ranked #4 by the WBO.

- Wasn’t it reasonable to take somebody from abroad, particularly from Germany?

- We tried to clinch an agreement with some guys from Estonia and Belarus. But they asked some mind-boggling conditions and we were unable to provide such salaries for their work. They are prices were too high and it would have been ridiculous to transfer them here. And it’s not to speak about Germany.

- As far as I know, the largest part of your preparations took place in Kazakhstan…
Kazakhstan isn’t just a neighboring country for Kuznietsk native. Roman served his term in the Soviet/Russian Army there and also continued his amateur career during his stay in Kazakhstan.

- Well, maybe not the biggest part of it but I spent there a considerable span of time. There is a wonderful coach there Kuvanych Uahasov who trained me in my amateur days. I haven’t seen him for well over than a decade so I wasn’t sure if he had enough left in the tank to give me anything. But at 60 he looks like a mid-aged man; he is in wonderful shape – one won’t believe his in his sixties. He gave me some valuable practices and he continues to prepare me for the upcoming challenge here in St. Petersburg.

- Were you working under your physical conditions during your stay in Kazakhstan or were you boxing there and conducting sparring sessions?

- I was preparing myself for boxing. I had run off what was needed beforehand but surely I didn’t left my work to vane and continued running, jogging and so on as well. But the main attention has been riveted to a specific preparation for a certain fighter. We were working mitts and bags, refreshing some old tricks and thinking out our strategy for an upcoming fight big time. Kuvanych also took his time not only to train me but to review Sylvester tapes and disks and contributed greatly to evaluating necessary tactics for the German fighter.

- What do you think of the IBF champion? What are his strengths and what are his weaknesses?

- His trump card is his diligence and determination. This guy is a pure ploughman who works every second of every round to get the job done in style. He can outslug and overpress you even in the last round – he is that tough. That draws a major respect to the champion. And also I want to point out his ability to throw punches when it’s really needed… Well, you know… It’s hard to describe this in quantities.

- You are surely talking about “timing” and…

- (interrupts). I’m surely not. His timing is below average. He always waits for something to happen. I’m speaking about something else. The secret isn’t in split seconds. It’s in bigger spans of time. There are boxers whom swarm you over with their punches. They are hitting and hitting and hitting. This guy is somewhat different: his blows are sparse bit he is sharp with his punches and what is more important, it’s always hard to figure out when he will start his attack. He is a hard boxer to evaluate him. But what I have to do? We shall risk and we shall crack this nut for good.

- Roman, it’s well-known that in order to win in Germany (typically) on points one needs not only to be a better man than his opponent but to be a much better man. Germany isn’t a specific place to get its sons some hometown advantage. It’s pretty hard to get a fair shake in every backyard on the Earth as home cooking exists wherever you are fighting in. Will you adjust your tactics to this point?

- Well, that’s a problem, you know. It’s possible to get a decision even in Germany (there are precedents) but to do so you need to be several notches (not a single notch) above your opponent. The only other way is to knock your foe out. But if you try to make it your goal you will fail. There’s no need to hunt for kayo; it’s necessary to get such kind of domination that your opponent will be defeated on points. And we shall try to win this fight basically as well. My old trainer Mikhalych (Igor Mikhailovich Lebedev was Roman’s first professional coach who still remains his exemplar) – may his sole rest in peace – used to say: “Come out to fight not to knock him out. If an opportunity to rock him comes, rock him. Then we shall finish him”.

- Who will work your corner on June 5? Will it be Kuvanych Uahasov?

- No, unfortunately, he is not an option. There were two alternatives: either to let him make visa and fly over to Berlin but to miss ten days of training or to resume preparations but to be without him in the corner. I chose the second option. I’ll work myself in the corner it seems (smiles). Of course, there will be a team of most trusted cornermen there. Cutman Alexey Fuks will travel to Germany. As for Freddie Roach, who was a valuable addition to my team all previous times, he will unfortunately stay overseas. Freddie is now connected with HBO and, as far as I know, he will be on broadcasting team for Yuri Foreman vs. Miguel Cotto fight. I’ll miss him but I’m sure I can overcome this adversity.

- I’ve got a worrisome question for you, Roman. Many thought you have faded not a bit over since your loss to Bunema even despite a recent streak of victories. In Dionisio Miranda fight you were rocked badly in the third and you were decked after a huge right hand by Columbian in the ninth. You had been able to avoid being tagged with single punches prior to that. What was that – just a hard night or some signs of aging?

- I have never met such a hard-hitting bro as this Columbian fellow. I used to fight two Miranda’s: Edison in sparring sessions and Dinoisio in a real fight. The former is recognized worldwide as one of the most fearsome punchers but the latter hits you even harder. Is it aging? Well, I’m 37 years old, not young. Maybe I have a little bit faded from my peak but it was Miranda who was here to give me hell in the ring. Goddamn, he blows so hard! Edison said to me beforehand: “He is a weak boxer but be aware of his right”. And that was it. I have never been hit so hard in my entire career.

- You were moving to your left almost during the entire fight. And you were clipped by Miranda’s powerful right hand. What was the reason for that move?

- Well, you know. It sounds crazy but it was Freddie Roach who told me to move to his right hand. But I’ll be the last person to accuse him of saying something wrong. I think that either I’ve got him wrong or his tips were mistranslated. I think he told me to roll to Miranda’s right with his punches and to duck there but no to circle over him myself. It looks like there was a tiny misunderstanding in the corner. When I was sent on floor with that wild right I got up and said to myself, “Roman, what are you fucking doing?! You should move to your right” And it has worked for me perfectly.

- Roman, your promoter Steven Bash created a minor sensation by outbidding Sauerland Event for the upcoming fight. There were rumors that the fight would be arranged in your hometown of St. Petersburg but in early April it changed its location to Germany. Are you disappointed with this fact?

- No, I’m not disappointed. I feel that it’s even better that the fight will take place in Neubrandenburg and not in Russia. Alexey, I’ll tell you fair and square, “It’s good to fight Sylvester in Germany”. If the fight was in Russia, I would be brainwashed by all these inadequate men in audience. They would say, “C’mon, you should knock him out in two!” or “You must do it, you ought to do it” et cetera. Psychologically the fight would turn into a nightmare for me. When fighting abroad it’s a rare case. I’m not here to make excuses. I fully recognize the importance of this fight for both me and my country. However, I’m tired of this entire stir and muddle around the significance of the fight. I know I’m here to win it and I’ll do what I should… On the other hand, judges will not be too grateful for me so chances for a decision victory are very slim. That’s a big minus. If such an experienced fighter is given an order just to last on his legs till the final bell, he will surely accomplish this tiny feat. I’m seeing a hard night for me but it is what it is.

- Have you won anything in terms of finances?

- The relocation of the venue has benefited me a bit. Maybe I’ll be able to get some extra money.

- When did you head over to Germany?

- I flew over to Berlin on Monday, May 31.

- It’s better not to look past Sylvester but I cannot avoid the next question. What is next for you both after a win and after a loss? Will it be your last fight regardless of the outcome or do you plan to continue fighting in future?

- No, if I lose this fight, I’ll hang’em up. If I lose to such a boxer as Sylvester (whom I respect much by the way), then it’s time to say goodbye to the Sweet Science. That will mean I’m not capable of achieving anything of note anymore and that I’ve faded so much that it’s time to vacate my place for a younger, hungrier fighter.

- You know I’ll root for you anyway. So losing is not an option, Roman! (Laughs) What will you do if everything goes smoothly?

- Well, then I’ll have a chance for a voluntary defense of the title. If so America is the best opportunity for me which can give me both money and TV recognition. Another variant is to make an initial defense of the belt in St. Petersburg. I know there are powerful men who are interested in giving me a chance to shine in front of my beloved fans in my hometown. They can spare a good share of money for that. Though, as I’ve already said, I have several viable opportunities from America as well. We shall see. I cannot look past Sebastian Sylvester as he is too dangerous not to punish me for any kind of underestimation.

- Please, address a few words to your fans both in Russian and worldwide.

- I’m short on words. Alexey, you ask me this question every time we are conducting our interviews. I have nothing to add to my previous thoughts and wishes. I wish that fans will be forgivable for their idols and that those fans will root for them fairly and cordially. In Russia it’s a shameful practice that some wannabe fans give up on you immediately after your first loss. That strikes me really bad. But for those who are real fans of their idols I wish all the best both in boxing and in daily life. I promise I’ll give my all to get over the reigning champion and to bring the trophy back. Let the better man win.

- Thank you and best wishes for June 5!

- Thanks!

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Russian biggest boxing web portal Allboxing.ru also had something to add to this story.

St. Petersburg reporter Vladimir Begun Jr. arranged a specific action to connect Roman with his fans. Boxing aficionados from all over Russia and neighboring countries were able to ask Karmazin what they wanted and were lucky to get detailed answers to these questions. Here we present some most interesting samples and Karmazin’s answers as well.

Dobryak (Kashira): Roman, you have a soft spot in your defense. You can be easily hit by right hand! Have you done anything to correct this usual mistake in your boxing? Good luck on June 5!

Karmazin: Thanks greatly for your kind wishes. I know about this weakness. It was hard to locate what was going wrong but finally I have got it. I hope you won’t see any holes in my guard in the coming future. We have worked it out during sparring sessions.

Gost’ s Zapada (Kazakhstan): What will you do after your boxing career is effectively over?

Karmazin: Well, I have no other choices but to stay in boxing. Boxing is an incredibly cool sport! Possibly I’ll end up being a trainer. We shall see. However, Sylvester fight is the only thing I’m interested in right now.

Voltaje (Ukraine): Do you believe in your victory over Sylvester yourself?

Karmazin: 200 hundred percent!

Hwoarang_WTF (Ulyanovsk): Roman, you have been knee deep in problems through the majority of your boxing career. What have helped you to overcome all the adversities? How you were able to remain as strong and as solid as rock even though a few gave you any chance at all?

Karmazin: You know, people’s disbelief drives me. I found inner resources in proving my doubters wrong and by doing some I’m extending the border of my abilities and move forward to future accomplishments.

Max UA (Moscow): Hi Roman! How much do Wild Card Gym’s season tickets cost for a casual boxing fan who wants to train there? What car do you have?

Karmazin: 20 or 25 USD for a single training. But you won’t be trained by Freddie. You’ll be guided by one of his protégé. So that’s a chance to train near Freddie, not to be trained by him. I drive Toyota car.

Pensioner (Yaroslavl): Do you have anything left in your tank? C’mon, Roman, kick some ass!

Karmazin: Thanks! I’ll surely try to deliver my best.

Boxing (Belgorod): Roman, I’m a starting boxer myself. I’m an orthodox fighter boxing out of the southpaw stance. Once I had badly injured my left hand in a fight and was forced to use only right hand after that. If you have a chance to use the only hand which one you’ll choose for yourself?

Karmazin: You know, I’ll gladly remain with the left hand in this case. I’m an orthodox fighter and it’s possible to win a fight with only your left hand working in. I use right hand on occasion. It helps me much but I can survive in the ring without it. And it’ll be damn hard to do that with only your right hand working.

Santi (Moscow): Hi Roman! I’m fascinated with your entire career. You are a true warrior of the ring. You are known to be boxing and training much in America. Which boxing school is the strongest? Which one do you prefer and why?

Karmazin: Without a doubt, that’s Russian school. In America you will not be taught boxing. You will be thrown right into the pool. If you can swim then, well, actually you will start swimming with the help of your talent and your innate skills. If not you’ll become a journeyman. It’s all based on your inborn qualities, your flexibility. Once again in America you will not be taught basics as much and as profound as it’s the case in Russia. Here coaches will start making a fighter from you since the very beginning. They will teach you all the basics and you’ll know boxing fundamentals. It’s all about thinking in the ring and trying to outsmart your opponent. To get a benefit from American methods of training you should either have a granite chin or to be a huge talent.

Campeon (Spain): Roman, I was your translator in the corner during Castillejo fight. You were amazing and you still are. I wish you all the best against Sylvester. How about writing a book of memoirs about your boxing career?

Karmazin: That’s a great question. I hope to see it published pretty soon!

Guest (Ukraine): Roman, it’s time to put some real heat on Sylvester’s ass!

Karmazin (laughingly): I’ll try to follow your tips.

Tiniko (Kursk): Roman, there are a number of strong middleweights in your weight class: Kelly Pavlik, Sergio Martinez, Felix Sturm and some others. Who is the most difficult for you to handle?

Karmazin: I think that Winky Wright is definitely a hard nut for me even now when he is just a shell of his former self. He is so cute in his defense, he sees it all and he can wait for his chance through dozen of punishing blows. Personally, I think that Kelly Pavlik is much easier to deal with. I can’t even guess how my fight with Martinez could play out.

Guest (Ukraine): Roman, what do you think about using some powerlifting techniques in boxing trainings? What do you think about shadowboxing with low weights (about 2 lbs) in your hands? Can it provide you with additional speed?

Karmazin: Well, I doubt that. I don’t use weights when I’m shadowboxing and I can’t see how in the world it can help you be faster. I surely work with weights in the gym though. You should be pretty careful when doing this.

Limonadoss (Lytkarino): Roman, who was the best trainer in your boxing career?

Karmazin: No one can be compared to late Igor Mikhailovich Lebedev. He was unique man, let alone coach. He was a genius of the ring and he gave me all. And I’m not the only one to praise him. Even now, when “Mikhalych” rests in peace, I’m hearing his voice in the hardest moments of my career. He was truly a marvel.

Ingmar (Latvia): Roman, why did Kelly Pavlik lost to Sergio Martinez?

Karmazin: Plain and simple. The Argentinean was just a better boxer at the moment. He is better equipped and Pavlik was slightly overestimated.

El Torro (Kazakhstan): Buenos Dias, Roman. After Kostya (Tszyu) departure you are the only one I’m really interested in following. I know you have trained for several weeks in my Homeland. If you hear a measured beat in your heart during the fight or mysterious voices in unknown language in your head, please don’t worry. That the souls of steppe nomadic warriors which will guide you to victory! Alga!

Karmazin: Thanks greatly for your support. I’ll try to catch it inside me and to follow these voices. I’ll be victorious. You will see!

The original interview with Roman (in Russian) can be found here . Roman’s answers (also in Russian) to the rest of questions can be seen here and here . If you know Russian you can also browse a big preview article by Alexander Belenky.