RSSRuslan Chagaev
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Valuev Unsure of Chagaev’s Challenge
WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev is unsure whether Saturday´s clash with mandatory challenger Ruslan Chagaev will be the toughest fight of his career. “That is something we will find out in the ring,” the Russian Giant said at today´s public work-out. “This fight is no different from my previous bouts. I am always prepared for my opponents.”
The biggest and tallest champion of all time (47-0), who is closing in on Rocky Marciano´s dream record of 49 fights without defeat, will use the remaining four days to “preserve my great form”. To get in the right frame of mind, he won´t just be working inside the gym. “I will go for walks and also go fishing,” he stated. “I found a nice little shop here in Stuttgart where I will buy a new fishing rod today.”
Funnily enough, his Uzbek challenger is no stranger to odd preparational methods himself. Coach Michael Timm put Chagaev through interesting work-outs during the long preparation. “Sometimes I would be standing on a box for Ruslan to get a feel for his size,” Timm revealed. “Facing a seven-footer certainly is very difficult.”
Chagaev (23-0) admitted a dream would come true for him on Saturday. “I have been working very hard to get a world title shot,” he stated. “It is my goal to become world champion. Now I have the chance and I want to make the most of it.”
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Valuev: “Chagaev No Different Than The Others”
Undefeated WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev expects his first mandatory title defense to be business as usual. The Russian Giant (46-0, 34 KOs) comes face to face with top-ranked contender Ruslan Chagaev (22-0-1, 17 KOs) in Stuttgart on April 14. “The fight will be no different from my other bouts,” Valuev said at today´s press conference in Stuttgart. “The fact that it will be my first mandatory defense does not make a difference at all. I take him very seriously. I´ve been in training for weeks.”
Last Sunday, Valuev flew from St. Petersburg to Berlin to continue his preparations in the Max-Schmeling-Gym. “Together with my coach Manuel Gabrielian I have been watching tapes of Chagaev every day in order to work out the strategy for the fight,” the 33-year-old added. “However, I can´t say anything else about my tactics or my opponent since he is sitting right next to me right now.”
Chagaev´s camp remained tight-lipped on how they plan to overcome the gigantic height advantage of 11 inches. Yet the Uzbek challenger is confident he will be ready come April 14. “This is the biggest fight of my life,” he said. “To have the chance and fight for the world title is the highlight of my career. I will do all I can to make the most of it. I have been working out very well and will be in top shape on April 14.”
Sauerland sports director Hagen Doering admitted he was pleased that both Sauerland Event and Universum Box Promotion had found common ground during the negotiations. “It was good that both sides came to terms before the purse bid,” he vowed. “Now we can focus on the boxing.”
After the press conference was over, Valuev wasted no time and immediately called his wife Galina in St. Petersburg. She had given birth to their second child - Irina - last week. Both Galina and Irina are doing fine and were allowed to leave the hospital today. “Now Grisha (5) has to get used to having a little sister,” the Russian Giant smiled.
Friday, March 02, 2007
EEC - March 2, 2007
The lighter weight classes dominate the big fights this weekend…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- The venue for Nikolai Valuev’s mandatory title defense against Ruslan Chagaev on April 14th will be the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart, Germany…
Weekend Fights:
Friday -
Ricky Quiles vs Nate Campbell - Tampa Bay, FL - IBF Lightweight Eliminator (ESPN 2)
Elio Rojas vs Johnnie Edwards - Belterra, IN - Junior Lightweight (Showtime)
Devon Alexander vs Scott Bell - Belterra, IN - Welterweight (Showtime)
Mike Stewart vs Enrique Colin - Philadelphia, PA - Junior Welterweight (Telefutura)
Scott Gammer vs Danny Williams - Neath, Wales - British Heavyweight Title
Saturday -
Israel Vazquez vs Rafael Marquez - Carson, CA - WBC Junior Featherweight Title (Showtime)
Vic Darchinyan vs Victor Burgos - Carson, CA - IBF Flyweight Title (Showtime)
Miguel Cotto vs Oktay Urkal - San Juan, Puerto Rico - WBA Welterweight Title (HBO)
Allan Green vs Edison Miranda - San Juan, Puerto Rico - Middleweight (HBO)
Juan Manuel Lopez vs Levi Brea - San Juan, Puerto Rico - Junior Featherweight (HBO)
Chris John vs Jose Rojas - Jakarta, Indonesia - WBA Featherweight Title
Robert Stieglitz vs Alejandro Berrio - Rostock, Germany - IBF Super Middleweight Title
Sebastian Sylvester vs Alessio Furlan - Rostock, Germany - Middleweight
Alexander Povetkin vs David Bostice - Rostock, Germany - Heavyweight
Some Good Reads
ESPN: Boxing does not escape the specter of steroids
FOX Sports: Too light to be a big fight?
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Thursday, February 22, 2007
EEC - February 22, 2007
Woooooooo!
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Lalia Ali will participate in the next edition of ABC’s Dancing With The Stars…
- Jim Lampley was sentenced to three years of probation after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of violating a restraining order. He was also was ordered to stay away from Candice Sanders as well, a continuation of the restraining order.
- Joel Casamayor was stripped of his WBC Lightweight Title for discussing a fight between himself and WBO Lightweight belt holder Acelino Freias. David Diaz has now been named the WBC champ. Strict I know…
Casamayor and his promotional company released this statement
Santa Barbara Management strongly disagrees with the decision of the WBC to strip Joel Casamayor of his Lightweight Championship. Joel won his title the way a true champion should, in the ring. He has done nothing to justify this outrageous decision by the WBC and we are considering all of our options, legal or otherwise. Joel and everyone at Santa Barbara Management would like to thank all of the fans and others within the boxing community who have phoned and emailed us to show their support.
- Reports are coming out that Nikolai Valuev will make a mandatory title defense against Ruslan Chagaev on April 14th in Germany like we previously reported. Just another reason to stay on top of us for the latest news…
- Tommy Morrison will speak in an interview after his fight tonight according to Versus…
VERSUS will have a pre-taped interview with Tommy Morrison as well as a live interview during the telecast tomorrow night as part of its VERSUS Fight Night in collaboration with Top Rank Boxing at 9 p.m. ET from the Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort in Chester, West Virginia.
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Wednesday, January 24, 2007
EEC - January 24, 2007
Not much today so bear with me. I’m trying to have KO Corner’s official rankings up by the end of the week at the latest…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Juan Lazcano and Vivian Harris will battle in a WBC Super-Lighyweight elimination bout on February 10th as part of the undercard of Shane Mosley vs Luis Collazo…
- The latest on Nikolai Valuev and Ruslan Chagaev per Boxing Scene:
Next up for WBA heavyweight champ Nikolai Valuev is the mandatory defense against Ruslan Chagaev. The WBA will call for purse bids on February 9 if no agreement is reached before that and wants the fight to go ahead no later than April 15.
- Stevie Johnston will take on Tyrone Harris for the vacant IBA Lightweight tile this Friday in Orlando, Florida.
- Rocky Balboa did not receive a Razzie nomination for one of the worst movies of 2006, the first time in years that Sylvester Stallone or a movie of his hasn’t been nominated apparently…
- Dominick Guinn has a taken a fight on extremely short notice and will take on Zuri Lawrence on February 2nd as part of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.
Some Good Reads:
ESPN: Reid’s a mean one, a la Grinch
Eastside Boxing: Is Inactivity Killing The Heavyweight Division?
Boxing Scene: Barrera-Marquez - A Beautiful Bastard Child
The Sweet Science: Weird Boxing Endings
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Tuesday, January 23, 2007
EEC - January 23, 2007
More on the whole Mayweather-De La Hoya training situation and what the recently victorious Valuev may be up to next…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Freddie Roach has come up as a strong possibility to be De La Hoya’s trainer for his fight against Mayweather Jr.
We all know that Mayweather Sr. wants $2 Million in order to train Oscar to defeat his son and De La Hoya’s camp isn’t prepared to give him anything close to that. Apparently De La Hoya offered Mayweather Sr. $500,000 to train him and another $500,000 if they won last year but Mayweather Sr. rejected the offer.
Roach has informed The Boston Herald that he has been approached by De La Hoya to train him for this fight. He didn’t sound very confident that he would be training him however…
“Oscar did approach me about training him for the Mayweather fight,” Roach said. “But then he’s spoken to me about training him for his last three fights before that, too, and nothing ever came of it.”
Roach then went on to blast Mayweather Sr. for his recent behavior:
“Exactly who did he ever train?” Roach asked. “Oscar was already a finished product when Floyd got him, and the whole time Floyd Jr. was developing as a boxer, his uncle Roger (Mayweather) trained him because Floyd was in jail.”
- Mikkel Kessler’s WBC and WBA Super Middleweight title defenses against Librado Andrade on March 24th may actually have to be rescheduled in the coming weeks. Denmark, where the fight is supposed to be held, plays Spain in a soccer game that same night on live TV. Officials are speculating that because of this the bout may be pushed back…
- It is almost certain that WBA Heavyweight Champion Nikolai Valuev will have to make his mandatory defense against Ruslan Chagaev in his next fight.
Some Good Reads:
FOX Sports: Hatton, Castillo revive 140, Hatton figures to have a tougher time in next Vegas visit
The Sweet Science: Very Superstitious…..
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Sunday, November 19, 2006
Chagaev Earns Split Decision Over Ruiz, WBA Title Shot
For both, this was probably the biggest fight of their careers: One will ascend up the heavyweight rankings and have a chance at championship gold at some point next year. The other may be on his way to a path towards obscurity…
Ruslan Chagaev won a split decision victory over John Ruiz in Germany on Saturday night, earning the Uzbekistan native a shot at Nikolai Valuev and the WBA Heavyweight Title.
Even though Chagaev seemed to be the clear winner at the end of the fight, he barely squeezed out a win thanks to another judge who thought completely different than the rest. That lone wolf scored it 115-114 for the Ruiz with the other two scoring it 116-112 and 117-111 for Chagaev.
However Valuev who watched the fight at ringside knew who the true winner was…
“Chagaev won two or three rounds more than Ruiz, the win was earned,” said Valuev.
Both fighters landed their fair share of good shots throughout the fight - Chagaev stunned Ruiz with punches in the fifth and eighth rounds but Ruiz managed to keep his composure and stay on his feet.
Ruiz rocked Chagaev with an uppercut late in the 11th round but it wasn’t enough to hurt his opponent nor turn the tide in his favor.
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Friday, September 29, 2006
Ruiz-Chagaev Changed
It looks like John Ruiz and Ruslan Chagaev just might happen after all…
It’s only been a few days since Ruiz went to the WBA and filed a complaint against the scheduled date for his fight against Chagaev on October 28th. The organization ruled that the fight could not happen unless the two fighters came to an agreement that would allow them to fight on that day, even though Ruiz says that it falls short of the 45 day notice time period.
Now the two will lace up the gloves on November 18th. Where? Dusseldorf, Germany…
The winner of the fight will most likely be the number one contender to WBA Heavyweight Champion Nikolay Valuev’s title. I thought that Ruiz was actually the number one contender as of right now but I’m guessing not now that he has to take on Chagaev.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Ruiz Goes to Court
Former heavyweight champion John Ruiz is scheduled to fight Russlan Chagaev on October 28th. Or is he?
The WBA’s executive board ruled in favor of Ruiz’s arguement stating that the October 28th date falls short of the minimum of 45 days from the date of the purse bid. A bout is not permitted to be held before the 45 days except for granted exceptions. The fight now will not happen on that date unless both fighters can come to an agreement on the matter.