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ESB Exclusive Interview with Nikolai Valuev: “It always feels good to be first!”
07.12.05 - By Izyaslav “Slava” Koza: On November 9th 1996, Alexander Zolkin stepped into the ring against Henry Akinwande to fight for a piece of the Heavyweight crown. To that point, Zolkin, was the first Russian boxer ever to fight for a major world title in the heavyweight division. For roughly seventy years, starting from 1918, no Russian boxer could ever even dream about a fight for the world heavyweight title in the pros. Even Russian amateur fighters like the legendary Nikolai Korolev, and Igor Visotski, men who had accomplished more then Zolkin, were denied what many other fighters presently take from granted during Soviet times.
Not even the victory itself but just the opportunity, just the chance, to say that they fought for the heavyweight crown and gave it their best. The Zolkin fight meant nothing in the grand scheme of professional boxing, it was money for the promoters, but the underlying symbolism, spoke volumes to anyone who chose to listen.
Some fans might remember the fight because it was on the undercard of Mike Tyson’s shocking first loss to Evander Holyfield. However, to me, it was memorable because it was the first time that I had ever seen an ex-Soviet/Russian fighter step into the professional boxing ring on TV, and be almost equal in presence to Tyson, Holyfield, Bowe and Lewis. Zolkin lost that fight via TKO in the 10th round but not before giving a truly inspiring, spirited effort in trying to become the first Russian to hold a piece of the crown, shared by Ali, Louis, Marciano and some of the greatest boxers in the history of the sport.
Roughly a week and a half from now, on December 17th, another Russian, Nikolai Valuev, will step into the boxing ring to try and accomplish what Zolkin could not. Nikolai Valuev will be the second Russian to fight for a piece of the heavyweight title, and try to become the first to ever to hold a major belt in the heavyweight division; a prize, which has no equal in the professional ranks of the sweet science. Most boxing fans do not respect the idea of championship belts, and although I can agree in some ways, I also cannot deny the value a fighter places on one of those titles, when he holds it for the first time.
With a few days to go before the biggest fight of his long, and grueling, twelve year professional career, Nikolai Valuev took some time off to answer questions in an exclusive ******** interview.
Slava: Good Evening! Well first off I want to congratulate you with the victory over Donald.
Valuev: Thank You
Slava: How is the preparation for this fight coming along? Did anything unanticipated happen?
Valuev: Everything is going according to plan and nothing unexpected has really happened.
Slava: I know that last time you didn’t want to tell us who your sparring partners are but can you at least tell us if this time they are better because the opponent is better?
Valuev: Well this time yes of course, there is more of them and they are better, one is the same one we had for the last training camp.
Slava: Can you at least tell us how many of them are there?
Valuev: Five
Slava: What do you know about Ruiz as a boxer?
Valuev: Well, I watch his fights and basically use the fights to evaluate him as a boxer. See your asking questions that nobody (i.e., no boxer) would or should answer.
Slava: I understand I know you don’t like to give away your secrets or your training methods. O.K. do you know that his trainer (Norman Stone) likes to curse out and insult his opponents?
Valuev: Well I mean my team knows how to curse as well.
Slava: (laugh) Exactly that is what I wanted to ask if he starts to get into it with you or your trainer what will your response be? I mean I see him do it on TV all the time, where he just starts to curse.
Valuev: If he really wants to get under the skin of me, or my team, he would have to learn to curse in Russian, and I doubt he knows how to do that. Again English cursing cannot even begin to compare with Russian cursing. If somebody from my team covers him in curse words three stories high then obviously it won’t do any good.
07.12.05 - By Izyaslav “Slava” Koza: On November 9th 1996, Alexander Zolkin stepped into the ring against Henry Akinwande to fight for a piece of the Heavyweight crown. To that point, Zolkin, was the first Russian boxer ever to fight for a major world title in the heavyweight division. For roughly seventy years, starting from 1918, no Russian boxer could ever even dream about a fight for the world heavyweight title in the pros. Even Russian amateur fighters like the legendary Nikolai Korolev, and Igor Visotski, men who had accomplished more then Zolkin, were denied what many other fighters presently take from granted during Soviet times.
Not even the victory itself but just the opportunity, just the chance, to say that they fought for the heavyweight crown and gave it their best. The Zolkin fight meant nothing in the grand scheme of professional boxing, it was money for the promoters, but the underlying symbolism, spoke volumes to anyone who chose to listen.
Some fans might remember the fight because it was on the undercard of Mike Tyson’s shocking first loss to Evander Holyfield. However, to me, it was memorable because it was the first time that I had ever seen an ex-Soviet/Russian fighter step into the professional boxing ring on TV, and be almost equal in presence to Tyson, Holyfield, Bowe and Lewis. Zolkin lost that fight via TKO in the 10th round but not before giving a truly inspiring, spirited effort in trying to become the first Russian to hold a piece of the crown, shared by Ali, Louis, Marciano and some of the greatest boxers in the history of the sport.
Roughly a week and a half from now, on December 17th, another Russian, Nikolai Valuev, will step into the boxing ring to try and accomplish what Zolkin could not. Nikolai Valuev will be the second Russian to fight for a piece of the heavyweight title, and try to become the first to ever to hold a major belt in the heavyweight division; a prize, which has no equal in the professional ranks of the sweet science. Most boxing fans do not respect the idea of championship belts, and although I can agree in some ways, I also cannot deny the value a fighter places on one of those titles, when he holds it for the first time.
With a few days to go before the biggest fight of his long, and grueling, twelve year professional career, Nikolai Valuev took some time off to answer questions in an exclusive ******** interview.
Slava: Good Evening! Well first off I want to congratulate you with the victory over Donald.
Valuev: Thank You
Slava: How is the preparation for this fight coming along? Did anything unanticipated happen?
Valuev: Everything is going according to plan and nothing unexpected has really happened.
Slava: I know that last time you didn’t want to tell us who your sparring partners are but can you at least tell us if this time they are better because the opponent is better?
Valuev: Well this time yes of course, there is more of them and they are better, one is the same one we had for the last training camp.
Slava: Can you at least tell us how many of them are there?
Valuev: Five
Slava: What do you know about Ruiz as a boxer?
Valuev: Well, I watch his fights and basically use the fights to evaluate him as a boxer. See your asking questions that nobody (i.e., no boxer) would or should answer.
Slava: I understand I know you don’t like to give away your secrets or your training methods. O.K. do you know that his trainer (Norman Stone) likes to curse out and insult his opponents?
Valuev: Well I mean my team knows how to curse as well.
Slava: (laugh) Exactly that is what I wanted to ask if he starts to get into it with you or your trainer what will your response be? I mean I see him do it on TV all the time, where he just starts to curse.
Valuev: If he really wants to get under the skin of me, or my team, he would have to learn to curse in Russian, and I doubt he knows how to do that. Again English cursing cannot even begin to compare with Russian cursing. If somebody from my team covers him in curse words three stories high then obviously it won’t do any good.
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