Nikolai Valuev and his quest for acceptance

NIKOLAI VALUEV was born in Leningrad (now St Petersburg) on August 21, 1973. A large large of biblical proportions, he stands 7-feet-2-inches tall and weighs over 300 kilos. His measurement is accentuated by a protruding brow with massive bumps (frontal bossing) which are a traditional a part of his forehead however look as if they have been raised by blows. Every thing in his life has been shadowed by his measurement.

Valuev got here from a working-class household. Each of his mother and father have been 5-feet-5-inches tall. However his grandmother advised him that his great-great-grandfather was “an enormous of a person” named Vasily and a direct descendant of the Tartars (a Mongolian tribe that overran components of Asia and Europe within the thirteenth century).

At age 13, Valuev was despatched to a boarding college that specialised in sports activities. Quickly, he was taking part in on a staff that received a junior-level nationwide basketball championship. Then his pursuits broadened to incorporate monitor and area. At 19, he received a nationwide junior title within the discus and was invited to attend the Institute of Sport in Leningrad with a watch towards competing within the 1996 Olympics. On the institute, he caught the attention of a boxing coach named Oleg Shalaev.

Valuev was 20 when he took up boxing.

“At first, it was very onerous for me,” he later recalled. “Most boxers start at a a lot youthful age, and all the things was new to me. I had by no means thrown a punch in my life. Punching the heavy bag, shadow-boxing, sparring, even skipping rope was a problem.”

In late 1993, Valuev turned professional. Due to his measurement, he was marketed as a “particular attraction” on combat playing cards in Japan, Korea, Australia, England, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and the Czech Republic. In 2003, he signed a promotional settlement with Wilfried Sauerland. That led to improved coaching (with Manuel Gabrielian) and higher sparring companions.

Valuev’s first 12 fights underneath the Sauerland banner have been contested in Germany. Over time, the extent of opposition improved. Victories over Paolo Vidoz, Gerald Nobles, Attila Levin, Clifford Etienne, and Larry Donald adopted. On December 17, 2005, Valuev received a majority choice over John Ruiz to assert the WBA heavyweight belt. Then got here a three-round annihilation of Owen Beck that introduced his ring document to 45 wins in 45 fights. Had he been a foot shorter and 100 kilos lighter, he wouldn’t have been a lot as a fighter. However the identical may very well be stated about Shaquille O’Neal as a basketball participant.

Valuev entered the ring by stepping over the ropes, not by way of them. Between rounds, he sat on a custom-made stool. He was labeled “The Beast from the East” and “The Russian Monster” and disliked the nicknames. “My mother and father referred to as me Nikolai,” he stated. “My surname is Valuev. I’m Nikolai Valuev. For me, no different identify exists. Every thing else is for the kindergarten.”

Valuev was additionally specific in saying that he didn’t outline himself by his measurement. He wished his place on the earth to be extra like that of everyone else, to not be gawked at as an enormous. He considered himself as an athlete, not only a boxer. And that was secondary to his id as a husband, father, and buddy.

“I like loyalty,” Valuev stated in a dialog with this author. “I prefer it when folks say what they imply and stand by it. I hate injustice. I would like my household to be supplied for properly and to have a great place on this world.”

The phrases flowed.

“I’m not a machine,” Valuev continued, the gravitas of his remarks etched on his face. “I’m not a chunk of meat. I’m not a circus present. I’m a traditional human being. I’ve human emotions. I’ve a ravishing household. I’ve many pals. I like good music, classical music. I learn books. Individuals generally don’t deal with me like a human being due to my measurement. They make a sensation. I attempt to not take it personally as a result of they have no idea me as an individual. However there are occasions when it hurts me inside.”

Nikolai’s spouse Galina and their son Grishna represented secure harbour for Valuev.

He met Galina in 1999 and was sufficiently enamored to start writing poetry for her. “The poems are private,” he defined. “They have been written for Galina, and I don’t talk about them. ”

Then, in February 2006, Valuev’s picture took successful when he was accused of assaulting a 61-year-old parking attendant named Yuri Sergaev outdoors the Spartak Ice Palace in St Petersburg. In response to the attendant, Galina had parked illegally in an area reserved for buses and he advised her to maneuver her automobile. She then telephoned Nikolai, who got here to the world, dragged the attendant to a air flow shed, and beat him. Valuev countered that his spouse referred to as him in tears and stated that, as she was taking Grishna to the ice rink, Sergaev yelled at her and mocked her. He then rushed to Spartak to defend her.

“He insulted my spouse,” Valuev defined. “I grabbed him by the collar to deliver him to his senses. I didn’t hit this man. There was a whole lot of ice within the parking zone. He slipped and fell. I sincerely remorse the battle however you must perceive; I acted like several regular man in my place would, whether or not he was the world champion or a easy engineer.”

Sergaev was handled for a concussion and facial bruises. One acquired the impression that few issues have been extra upsetting to Valuev than something that may deliver unhappiness to his spouse and son.

On October 7, 2006, Valuev defended his WBA belt for the second time in opposition to Monte Barrett in Chicago.

Valuev had fought twice earlier than in the USA. On Could 31, 1997, he’d knocked out Terrell Nelson in two rounds. 4 years later, he disposed of George Linberger in a single stanza. Each of these bouts have been in Atlantic Metropolis. The second was notable as a result of it was co-promoted by Don Elbaum, who hosted a pre-fight press convention on the Russian Tea Room in New York. “Blini and caviar will probably be served,” the media advisory promised. At the least there have been blini.

This time, Don King was the promoter of document. The combat marked Valuev’s debut on HBO. In the meantime, on the kick-off press convention in New York, the hyperbolae have been flying.

“He’s the eighth surprise of the world,” King proclaimed. “He’s the jolly pink large. King Kong. He picked up the Empire State Constructing. He’s sooner than a dashing bullet. He can leap over the Sears Tower in a single certain. Is he a hen? Is he a airplane? He’s Tremendous Nikolai Valuev.”

Valuev sat stoically by way of all of it. When the press convention was over, Alan Hopper (King’s director of public relations) complimented the fighter on the trendy pinstripe he swimsuit was sporting and advised him, “The media will like that. It’s an indication of respect for them and the game.”

“Thanks,” Valuev responded. “However I don’t put on the swimsuit and tie for them. I put on it as a result of I respect myself.”

That was adopted by an additional little bit of perception shared with this author.

“I’m not a toddler,” Valuev stated. “I do know for certain that I get all the things now as a result of folks need one thing from me. As quickly as they don’t want me anymore, all appearances will vanish. That’s like stunning packaging for a foul tasting sweet.”

Barrett was all however ignored within the hubbub. He was 35, had fought solely twice within the previous 31 months, and hadn’t been within the ring since shedding to Hasim Rahman 14 months earlier. His purse for preventing Valuev could be $175,000.

“Boxing isn’t a sport for me,” Barrett advised reporters. “It’s a enterprise.”

Previously, Barrett had skilled issue dealing with large males like Wladimir Klitschko and Lance Whitaker. Furthermore, Valuev had gone 12 rounds on six events, successful every time.

“There will probably be occasions when Monte has to combat with him and never simply field,” James Bashir (Barrett’s coach) stated two days earlier than the combat. “However we’ll decide our spots.” As for Valuev’s top, Bashir stated optimistically, “Hit him within the physique and, unexpectedly, he’ll be six-seven.”

Nonetheless, there was a 106-pound weight differential to take care of. Valuev would tip the scales at 328 kilos to Barrett’s 222. And Bashir was sad with the truth that the Illinois Boxing Fee had okayed an 18-foot ring reasonably than the standard 20.

“Belief me; these two ft make a distinction,” he stated. Then, the evening earlier than the combat, Crew Barrett went to the world, measured the ring, and located that it had shrunk to 16-feet-9-inches. They threatened to name the combat off and the 18-foot ring was restored.

There was an nearly preternaturnal calm in Valuev’s dressing room earlier than the combat. An hour earlier than the bout, his arms taped, Nikolai paced forwards and backwards. There was no music. Nobody talked. Roars from the group filtered into the room as Thomas Adamek and Paul Briggs battled furiously in a light-heavyweight encounter inside the world.

Valuev saved shifting… pacing… stretching… shadow-boxing. At one level, he bent over on the waist and touched his palms flat in opposition to the ground with ease, regardless of sporting braces on each knees.

Manuel Gabrielian gloved him up.

Valuev resumed warming up, extra intensely now with the coach issuing directions. The few occasions that Nikolai spoke, it needed to do with an gear adjustment or request for water. His sneakers have been retied. His protecting cup was repositioned beneath his trunks. Every sequence of hitting the pads was extra intense than the one earlier than.

After working with Gabrielian for half-hour, Valuev sat on a chair in quiet repose. In that second, he seemed extra weak than fierce. The taking part in area within the battle forward could be extra degree than most followers thought it could be. Measurement is only one consider boxing. Nikolai must overcome Barrett’s pure benefit in pace, reflexes, and coordination. He could be referred to as upon to endure bodily ache. And if he have been felled by the smaller man, he would turn out to be an object of derision.

The nice and cozy-up started anew. At 10.15, Valuev threw his ultimate punches. Readying to go away the dressing room, he stepped on an HBO cable that had been stretched throughout the ground, felt the burden of his physique at a clumsy angle on his ankle, and uttered a phrase in Russian that sounded as if it had 4 letters. The ring stroll adopted.

Valuev was flawed and beatable as a fighter. However he was by no means simple to beat.

On the draw back, he was habitually gradual to set his ft and punch with leverage. His repertoire was restricted. He telegraphed all the things he threw. And he didn’t use his measurement in addition to he may have on the within. When an opponent tied him up, Nikolai ought to have leaned on him with all of his weight. However he didn’t. Which may have been as a result of he feared having some extent taken away by the referee. Or he won’t have wished to be mocked for his measurement. Regardless of the purpose, it diminished his effectiveness as a fighter.

The opposite aspect of the coin was that Valuev’s model allowed him to combat inside his limitations. Outstretched, his left hand saved opponents at bay. It was onerous to land over or round it. His jab, when used successfully, piled up factors. And given his measurement, he may counter with a proper hand over an opponent’s jab. He had good stamina and paced himself properly. His work price was fixed all through a combat. He took a great punch and, when hit, punched again. Additionally, when he was in a position to set his ft at correct distance, his blows had concussive pressure.

In different phrases; Valuev was predictable. Opponents knew upfront what he was going to do within the ring. Okay; now attempt to cease it.

It was clear from the opening bell that Barrett had come to combat. Within the early going, he set a quick tempo, stayed within the heart of the ring, and acquired off first, touchdown stiff jabs and overhand rights. He additionally managed to maintain Valuev turning, which denied Nikolai the time he wanted to set his ft and punch with leverage. But it surely’s onerous to take care of kind in opposition to a 7-foot-2-inch, 328-pound large who retains shifting ahead. Because the bout progressed, Barrett wore down. That allowed Valuev to dictate the tempo, and his measurement grew to become a determined benefit.

Valuev’s arsenal consisted largely of jab-right hand-jab-right hand, with an occasional uppercut. But it surely was sufficient. In spherical eight, a chopping proper hand that was extra of a cuff put Barrett down. Monte was skating on skinny ice.

In spherical 11, the ice cracked. Barrett was sufficiently exhausted that Valuev was in a position to set his ft and put his weight behind his punches. A roundhouse proper that will have damage anybody landed flush and despatched Monte to the canvas. He rose, badly damage, and was felled once more, this time by an uppercut. At that time, James Bashir jumped into the ring and stopped the carnage.

“Individuals would possibly criticise Valuev however they’ll’t beat him,” Don King proclaimed on the post-fight victory get together. “Nobody says that Nikolai is Muhammad Ali, however he’s enhancing on a regular basis. I’m elated and my coronary heart rejoices once I take into consideration the probabilities and potentialities of Nikolai Valuev. All roads result in the large.”

After beating Barrett, Valuev efficiently defended his belt by stoppage over Jameel McCline. Then, on April 14, 2007, he misplaced a majority choice to Ruslan Chagaev. Victories over Jean-François Bergeron, Serghei Liakhovich, John Ruiz (in a rematch for the newly-vacated WBA belt), and Evander Holyfield adopted. Within the final combat of his ring profession, on November 7, 2009, he was outpointed by David Haye.

Then, affected by continual bodily issues, together with two unhealthy knees (each of which had been operated on), Valuev retired from boxing. His ultimate document confirmed 50 wins in opposition to 2 losses with 34 knockouts. He was by no means knocked down as an novice or professional and left a legacy of getting at all times performed himself within the athletic area with dignity and private grace. As a coda to his ring profession, in 2011, he was elected to the Russian Parliament.

Thomas Hauser’s most recent book – Damaged Desires: One other 12 months Inside Boxing – was simply revealed by the College of Arkansas Press. In 2004, the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America honoured Hauser with the Nat Fleischer Award for profession excellence in boxing journalism. In 2019, he was chosen for boxing’s highest honor – induction into the Worldwide Boxing Corridor of Fame.