PINOY HACK

Nikolai Valuev the world’s strongest and heaviest boxer. A man of gigantic stature became Russia’s first boxer, who obtained the champion title in the most prestigious weight category. Nikolai Valuev has become the WBA world champion. The 7ft, 23st 1lb Russian, who edged home on the scorecards to wrest the WBA heavyweight title from John Ruiz on Saturday in Berlin, shattered the previous records set by Italian Primo Carnera. Valuev’s victory in the fight with John Ruiz on Saturday won him the title of the tallest and the heaviest world champion in boxing history.

Nikolai Valuev was born on 21 August 1973 in Leningrad (later renamed to St.Petersburg). He was a common boy like everyone else until the age of 13, when he started growing very fast. Thin and cumbersome, Nikolai became the object of jokes and mockery at school.

Nikolai made his first steps in sports as a basketball player. Then he started going in for track and field, and achieved impressive results in shot and discus throwing.

When a student of the Academy of Physical Culture, Valuev got acquainted with a boxing coach Oleg Shalaev. The latter praised the natural physical potential of the student and offered the young man to try himself as a boxer.

The training sessions started in the spring of 1993. Nikolai became a master of sports a year later. He joined a local team, won a Russian Championship silver medal and succeeded at Goodwill Games.

Valuev was disqualified when the federation of amateur boxing found out that he had conducted a commercial fight in Germany. Valuev lost the tile of an amateur and had to look for his place under the sun in the world of professional boxing.

”I know that I have become the first Russian boxer, who managed to become a heavyweight champion. I also realize that it is not the point where I can stop. The most important thing for me at the moment is not to catch the star disease. I have to keep going and master my skills further on to climb another mountain,”

Watchout for NIKOLAI VALUEV vs MONTE BARRETT SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2006

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