| For the first time, a Russian heavyweight won the prestigious title Last Saturday in Berlin, Russian giant Nikolai Valuev, winning on points, took the WBA world heavyweight title from American John Ruiz. Valuev went down in history as the first Russian to win the championship title in the most prestigious weight category, but the level of boxing demonstrated by Nikolai left an ambiguous impression, and the decision of the judges was greeted by a crowd of ten thousand in the stands of the Max Schmelling Arena with a disapproving roar.
It’s hard to say what Ruiz was counting on when he went to defend his title in the “den of the enemy.” Without possessing a crushing knockout blow, hoping to win a fight with Valuev in his “home” ring was, to put it mildly, naive. The 32-year-old Russian heavyweight demonstrated unconditional confidence and a complete absence of any anxiety on the eve of an important test.
The packed hall at the Max Schmeling Arena was covered with banners with Valuev's image, and not a single person seemed to sympathize with the reigning champion. Ruiz, on the contrary, was full of respect for the German people and lavished compliments on the local population at every turn. The entire team of the American boxer even dressed in clothes specially made for the occasion with the logo of the German football team.
The fight, as expected, turned out to be uneventful and not very spectacular. Although Ruiz somewhat changed his favorite style of alternating rare blows and constant clinches. In the fight with the Russian, he was in no hurry to close the distance, periodically making attacks, which often ended in accurate hits. Valuev relied on working with a jab - given the length of his arms, this tactic seemed the most justified. Nevertheless, of the first three rounds, two went to the American and only one to Valuev.
The Russian boxer had a better performance in the middle of the fight, but later weakened the pressure, despite the desperate admonitions of his coach in between rounds. At the end of the fight it was difficult to give preference to any of the boxers. Valuev periodically got hit, but Ruiz also snapped back quite successfully and shook Nikolai several times with very sensitive blows. The opponents got tired and got stuck in clinches more and more often, and the fight looked less and less like a championship battle. Perhaps the fairest outcome of this fight would be a draw, but it is quite difficult to say anything categorically in such cases, and we can only rely on the objectivity of the judges. We can only state the fact that Ruiz looked more interesting in Germany than in most of his last fights, and Valuev in the main fight of his 12-year professional career looked rather faded, although a little brighter than in the qualifying fight with Larry Donald.
As a result, two of the three judges gave the victory to Nikolai - 116--113, 116--114, another one recorded a draw - 114--114. Valuev is the first Russian heavyweight champion in history, but he clearly won this title without sparkle, and the audience who came to cheer for Nikolai booed the judge's decision! Ruiz’s coach Norman Stone acted even more radically, who simply tore the championship belt from the Russian boxer’s shoulder, accompanying this antics with obscene language, and tried to take the trophy from the ring. As a result, a fight ensued, as a result of which Stone was punched in the ear by one of the representatives of the Russian corner and was expelled. Perhaps this incident can be called the most striking episode of Saturday evening.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for 12 years and it’s finally arrived. Simply fantastic! - said the newly-minted champion. - As for the reaction of the audience, this is normal. The public always feels sorry for the little ones.” At a press conference, Ruiz complained about the refereeing, insisted that he had been robbed, demanded that chief referee Christodoulou be disqualified, and claimed that his promoter Don King would definitely organize a rematch. King, meanwhile, lavished compliments on Valuev and argued that he really won. Apparently, an insidious promoter who collects heavyweight champions is already making plans for the Russian boxer, and Ruiz, brought to Germany “for slaughter” like a sacrificial bull, seems to be already used material for King.
It’s probably not worth arguing that the judges gave the victory to Valuev undeservedly, but it’s also impossible to deny that Nikolai, demonstrating boxing of this level, risks remaining caliph for an hour. How will he prove himself in fights with more serious opponents, and even outside of his now native German soil? These questions remain unanswered for now.
It was especially painful to watch Valuev’s torment in the ring against the background of the performance of another Russian heavyweight, the silver medalist of the Sydney Olympics Sultan Ibragimov, who the day before, in a very bright and aggressive manner, crushed the experienced American Lance Whitaker, who was noticeably superior to him in size. The 30-year-old Russian, demonstrating amazing mobility and a varied striking arsenal, sent his opponent to the floor three times until he refused to continue the fight in the seventh round. After the fight, the legendary Mike Tyson entered the ring, who, publicly kissing Ibragimov on the cheek, announced that he saw a future champion in Sultan. Much, of course, will depend on the actions of the Russian boxer’s team, but Ibragimov, undoubtedly, has so far supported his claims to the champion’s throne very convincingly. Anton VALIEV |
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