Nikolay Valuev is alive or not. Biography of Nikolai Valuev. Scandals and trials of Nikolai Valuev

MAXIM met in an honest interview with the greatest world champion in boxing history!

Valuev Nikolai Sergeevich, professional boxer, was born on August 21, 1973 in St. Petersburg. Became the first Russian WBA world heavyweight champion in December 2005. Height - 213 cm, weight - 148 kg... Authors of sports encyclopedias usually get off with such dry lines. But can numbers (even such large ones as 213) convey the materiality of this little man, the scale of his talent? Nikolai Valuev is a cult figure, the hero of sports reports and jokes. A living refutation of the thesis that humanity is getting smaller!

His fans, whose number is growing every year, are often perplexed: how could parents of normal height (father - 170 cm, mother - 168 cm) produce such a giant? Already in the first grade, Kolya was head and shoulders taller than his teacher, and he was mistaken for a repeat student. When something broke at school, everyone immediately thought of Kolya Valuev. As a rule, in vain.

Of course, the boy was sent to sports. From the age of twelve, Valuev played basketball, but under the backboard he lacked coordination. Then he went into athletics, throwing discus. He became a national medalist, although due to his enormous height he fell out of the throwing circle. As a result, Valuev entered the Institute of Physical Education, the boxing department. “This sport is not for you, Kolya! - they told him. – Starting a boxing career at twenty years old is pointless. You’ll just be wasting your time.”

But Valuev did not allow himself to be intimidated: he graduated from the department, quickly moved from amateurs to professionals and ended up in a vicious circle. For ten years he traveled around the planet (Australia, Japan, USA), entering the ring with “bags” - that’s what weak opponents are called in slang. His rating did not grow, no money was added. The breakthrough came only at the end of 2003, when the famous German promoter Wilfred Sauerland began working with the giant. As a result, Valuev became world champion. I just couldn't help but become. It is not clear how it was even possible to defeat this giant, if most of his opponents, as a rule, are breathing down his armpit? In the title fight, Valuev beat American John Ruiz with one left. No joke: Nikolai’s right hand was injured shortly before the fight, but this was carefully hidden.

Three times, like in a fairy tale, Valuev defended his championship title. But on April 14 of this year, the heavens fell to earth, snow began to fall in the Maldives, and Valuev lost a fight for the first time in his life. Ruslan Chagaev turned out to be lucky. He was inferior to Nikolai in height by 20 cm, but gained his strength due to his technique. The judges gave “White Tyson” the victory on points. And after the fight, Chagaev’s representative quietly knocked on the locker room and returned the championship belt to Valuev: it turned out to be too big...

Not long before, Valuev, just like Tyson, got into a scandalous story. The 61-year-old controller of the Spartak sports complex, Yuri Sergeev, sued the champion, saying that he beat him for almost ten minutes, delivering about forty blows. Nikolai insisted that the guard had insulted his wife, and that the bruises were caused by him hitting the radiator when he was called to account. Whose side is right remains unclear. But it is obvious that if Valuev hits someone at least once, the person will then be rescued in intensive care. One day he broke his opponent’s jaw in two places in the ring. And here the pensioner survived almost four rounds.

But despite the loss of the title and the scandal in the press, Valuev is still respected in the boxing world. This can at least be judged by the nicknames that foreigners give him: the Beast from the East, the Rock, the Armored Train, the Eighth Wonder of the World... “In the West, everyone thinks that I am a wild animal,” Valuev laughs. “And they are very surprised that I’m talking!”

Now the patronage of Valuev has been taken by the most authoritative promoter in the boxing world - Don King, who once looked after Tyson himself. According to legend, when he saw the Russian, he exclaimed: “I am the King who found his Kong!” Don likes to tell his protégé: “Nico, almost all champions have lost their belts at some point. The truly great boxers were those who returned to the top." Valuev will begin this ascent on September 29, when he meets with Canadian Jean Francois Bergeron. Well, while there is time before the fight, the legendary giant gave an interview to MAXIM.

How did it happen that such a giant appeared in the family of parents of normal height?

No genetic failure or excess growth hormones. Everything is simpler: my great-grandfather was a hero. I won’t tell you his exact height: he lived at the beginning of the last century, the data in our family has not been preserved. But my great-grandmother said that my dad’s grandfather was much taller than the rest.

Has your height put you in any interesting situations?

Well, yes. The chairs broke under me. I sit down on a chair - and once again! - already on the floor. Well, this did not happen at an official reception. In general, tall people see more dirt. In the literal sense of the word: the roofs of cars, refrigerators, high shelves that are rarely washed because they don’t reach. Giants perceive the world from a slightly different perspective.

What's your shoe size?

Fifty-one. Nowadays it’s not a problem to get big shoes, but before it was a real problem. I had to order from abroad and buy through friends. And I wore each pair for several years.

Is it difficult to type SMS with such fingers?

Not at all, I write text messages quickly. In general, a boxer must have dexterous fingers - we earn our living with our hands.

When you met your wife, was she afraid of you?

No, what are you talking about! We were at a mutual friend's birthday party, and sympathy immediately arose between us. I can’t imagine how I would live without my Galya.

How much do you bench press?

I stopped doing bench presses: the muscles become clogged. And I do ten pull-ups on the bar.

Explain: what happened to the world of boxing? If earlier the “kings of the hill” were North Americans, now all four heavyweight champions are from the former USSR: Klitschko, Chagaev, Maskaev, Ibragimov...

Nothing surprising. The Americans abandoned amateur boxing, forgetting that it is there that personnel for professional boxing are forged. Besides, our Russian wave is hungry, that’s why we’re winning. This is a normal course of history, and not just sports history. Some peoples eat too much and become lazier. They are being replaced by others. Behind the Greeks are the Romans, behind the Romans are the barbarians... Maybe in a hundred years the Chinese will be boxing champions.

Why are you holding training camps in Germany?

Partners are more willing to come to the center of Europe than to St. Petersburg. Although there is a problem with them too. It is difficult to find a person who exactly fits the type of your future opponent. And when people find out that they are invited to a training fight with me... “Fight with Valuev? What are you talking about?!” Even high fees don't help.

How do you like working with King? They write that this is an odious scandalous person...

He is sociable and energetic. At seventy years old, he will give even young people a head start. Clever, knows how to look for benefits. Someone once told me: “After any fight, Don King leaves the winner.” I will sign every word. I can't imagine who would replace Don if he left. Even his younger brother Carl King can't handle it.

There is a tradition of verbal skirmishes before a fight. Don't they annoy you?

My opponents try to tease me, but I stay calm. John Ruiz said that he brought twenty-eight suitcases with him and one of them was empty. They say that after the battle he wants to put the pieces of the Russian giant there in order to distribute them later in America as souvenirs. Bloodthirsty guy. I replied that I would free him another suitcase - the one in which he brought the championship belt. And so it happened.

You are the tallest and heaviest world champion in boxing history. And aren't you ashamed to beat little ones?

Small ones? Yes, they hit like a sledgehammer! Fast, nimble. You'll suffer with them until you get there. That’s why I lost to Chagaev.

They call him White Tyson. Is he similar in style?

What is Tyson like?! Let's be objective...

Do you like movies about boxing? "Rocky", for example? After all, you were two steps short of the record of his prototype, Rocky Marciano: 49 fights in the ring without defeat...

The energy of boxing in Rocky is well depicted. But reliability is lacking. It’s the same as if ten clips of a machine gun are fired at you at point-blank range, and not even a hair falls off your head. This only happens in movies. Those who really understand boxing laugh at “Rocky”. If such a championship fight had happened in life, Stallone would have long ago gone into another world with his head thrown back. But overall, “Rocky” touches me – that means it’s a good film.

Have you acted in films yourself?

Yes, the German Otto Waalkes once released the painting “For the Seven Dwarfs the Whole Forest is Not Enough.”

My God, you played a dwarf?!

No, a prisoner. And the gnomes ran past. In general, this is a cameo role. But everyone said that I performed it well. They call me to Hollywood too. They offered to play with Robert De Niro. But while I’m seriously engaged in boxing, I try not to be distracted by other projects.

Does it bother you that directors only see you in brutal roles? I know, they called for the role of Mark Ratboy in The Master and Margarita...

Let's be realistic. I can’t play the role of DiCaprio in Titanic: I’m not a professional actor. And I have my own type. Yes, brutal. But everyone is happy. People joke that I could play Shrek in a feature film adaptation. If they offer me, maybe I won’t refuse. This green ogre is like a little brother to me.

When was the worst time in your life?

I'm terribly afraid of heights. Once I climbed a ten-meter tower, forced myself... I closed my eyes and fell down. Still gives me goosebumps.

And the most painful thing?

When I was betrayed by a person from whom I did not expect it. Mental pain is often stronger than physical pain.

How is Valuev resting?

I love fishing - I meditate on it. And hunting - you can move around there. Jeep, off-road. Then the forest. You walk with a gun... One day I climb a mountain in Armenia and come face to face with a bear. Healthy, as tall as me. He looked somehow unkindly. What to do? There is no use in running away. I screamed, “Wow!” The bear got scared and took off. He was so heavy that the ground shook as he ran.

Karelin went into politics, the Klitschko brothers. Maybe it's time for you too?

I met with the mayor of St. Petersburg, Valentina Matvienko. She whispered in my ear: “Kolya, just don’t go into politics.” But I'm not going to. For someone to use my face for personal gain? It hurts! I’d rather do boxing as long as my health allows. Since we have the strength, we need to regain the championship title. This is what I dream about.

Last music CD purchased: "Time Machine", "Time Machine"

Idol: Muhammad Ali

Car: Toyota Land Cruiser 100

Favorite city: St. Petersburg

Favorite dish: herring under a fur coat

Favorite Actor: Robert De Niro

Favorite movie: "Heat"

You can list for quite a long time the nicknames that Nikolai Valuev received. He was called the “Russian Giant” and “Kolya - a sledgehammer”, “The Beast from the East”, which is directly related to the impressive size of the athlete. After all, his height reaches 213 cm, and he weighs about 150 kg!

Nikolai Valuev with his wife

At the same time, many are interested in the question, who is Nikolai Valuev’s wife? And this is really very interesting to fans of the boxer. So, we present – Galina Valueva, nee Dimitrova. Next to her giant husband, she looks like a tiny inch. After all, her height is only 163 cm, and she weighs almost 100 kg less. According to others, they may well become record holders in the famous Guinness Book as the most unusual couple in the world.

Boxer with family

The future spouses met completely by chance - having met at mutual friends’ place at one of their birthdays. Of course, Galina was amazed by Nikolai’s size. They were very young - he was 24 and she was 20 years old. The chain of coincidences did not end there - their places at the table also turned out to be nearby. Communication continued after the party, first there was an exchange of phone numbers, then meetings began. Nikolai at that time was going through a breakup with his girlfriend, and Galina became for him that life jacket that helped him survive the loss.

Nikolay and Galina

For about six months, their meetings took place strictly according to schedule - 2 times a week, in between training sessions. Then they started living together and quite naturally formalized their relationship.
The most interesting thing in this romantic story is that Nikolai’s proposal initially came to the girl’s father. After they decided everything among themselves, they confronted Galina with a fait accompli. It was a period of intense sports activities, so the marriage took place during the breaks between battles.

Happy Valuev couple

Currently, Nikolai Valuev’s wife in the photo is raising three children, the eldest of whom is 11, and the youngest is only six months old. Having completed his career in sports in 2009, the boxer became actively involved in show business and politics.

Nikolai Valuev with his wife

According to his firm conviction, his wife is a reliable support for him, a faithful friend. He likes that she takes care of the house and looks after the kids. “From our first meeting, I liked her naturalness - she is always the way she really is. No masks or pretense. There were times when he said he had to get used to it.
They are happy together and hope that it will always be this way!

What is the height and weight of singer Nina Shatskaya?

We did not find any information about the height and weight of singer Nina Shatskaya, so we will find out approximate data by comparing photographs with people whose height and weight are known to us.

In the photo on the right is Nina Shatskaya, shod in 9cm heels and next to her stands Andrei Derzhavin with a height of 179cm and shoes adding 2cm. In total, it turns out that Nina Shatskaya, shod in 9cm heels, is higher than 181cm by about 2-3cm. Accordingly, from 184cm we subtract 9cm and we get Nina Shatskaya’s approximate height of 175 cm. Externally, Nina Shatskaya’s weight looks 70-75 kg

Nina Shatskaya's height is 175cm

Weight Nina Shatskaya 70-75kg

What is Irina Nizina's height and weight?

Irina Nizina is a famous Russian theater and film actress, winner of the “Seagull” and “Moscow Debuts” awards. The actress’s greatest fame came from such film works as The New Life of Detective Gurov and The Lawyer. On the Internet, the actress is credited with a height of 174 cm and a weight of 65 kg.

Nobody knows for sure how reliable and accurate the height and weight of Irina Nizina are.

Irina Nizina's height is 174cm

Irina Nizina's weight is 65 kg

What is Nadezhda Obolentseva's height and weight?

Nadezhda Obolentseva was born in Moscow on July 24, 1983 and became best known as a socialite.

There is no information about the height and weight of Nadezhda Obolentseva, so we will roughly estimate the celebrity’s parameters.

In the photo, Nadezhda Obolentseva and Svetlana Bondarchuk are 177 cm tall. Based on the photo, it follows that Nadezhda Obolentseva’s height is about 174-175 cm, and her weight is 59 kg

Nadezhda Obolentseva's height is 174-175cm

Weight Nadezhda Obolentseva 59kg

What is Tatyana Denisova's height and weight?

Tatyana Denisova was born on February 11, 1981 in the Kaliningrad region of the RSFSR. She gained the greatest fame as a Ukrainian choreographer, founder and director of the dance group “JB ballet” in Germany; one of the permanent jury members and choreographer of the Ukrainian television project “Everybody Dance!” , as well as a mentor and choreographer of the Russian show project “Dancing”.

On the Internet, the famous choreographer is credited with a height of 166 cm and a weight of 58 kg. Whether these declared parameters correspond to real data, no one knows in reality

Tatiana Denisova's height is 166cm

Tatyana Denisova's weight is 58 kg

How tall and weight is Anton Makarsky?

Anton Makarsky was born on November 26, 1975 in the city of Penza. The actor gained the greatest popularity and fame thanks to his roles in films such as Smersh, Poor Nastya, as well as numerous roles in theater and cinema.

On the Internet, the famous actor is credited with a height of 177-178 cm and a weight of 79 kg. No one knows how reliable and accurate the stated data is

Anton Makarsky's height is 177-178cm

Anton Makarsky's weight is 79 kg

What is the height and weight of Sergei Kucherov?

Sergey Kucherov was born on August 22, 1989 in the city of Magnitogorsk. He achieved the greatest fame thanks to his sporting successes in the field of bodybuilding and the TV project Dom2

On the Internet, Sergei Kucherov is credited with a height of 178-179 cm and a weight of 88 kg. Whether these stated parameters correspond to reality and reality, no one knows for sure

Sergei Kucherov's height is 178-179cm

Sergei Kucherov's weight is 88-90kg

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Biography, life story of Nikolai Sergeevich Valuev

Nikolai Sergeevich Valuev (August 21, 1973, Leningrad, USSR) is a Russian professional boxer who competes in the heavy weight category.

Childhood

Nikolai Valuev was born on August 21, 1973 in Leningrad. The boxer’s parents are Sergei Nikolaevich and Nadezhda Mikhailovna Valuev. The “biggest” boxer was already head and shoulders taller than the tallest children in kindergarten.

At school I played basketball. As a member of the national team of the Frunze Youth Sports School, he became the national champion in basketball among junior boys.

Also at school he was involved in athletics - discus throwing. Trained at the V.A. school. Alekseev, who founded the Academy of Sports in Leningrad. In discus throwing, Nikolai Valuev fulfilled the master of sports standard.

Youth

After graduating from school, he entered the Institute. P.F. Lesgaft in St. Petersburg. He also attended a church school. Graduated from the National State University of Physical Culture, Sports and Health named after P.F. Lesgaft in June 2009, having defended his thesis on the topic “Psychological state and activity of men and women involved in boxing at different stages of preparation.” On Saturday, June 27, 2009, the Governor of St. Petersburg Ivanovna awarded Nikolai Valuev with a statuette of a bronze sphinx and presented a university diploma along with 78 best graduates of St. Petersburg universities in 2009.

Amateur career

Nikolai Valuev's first boxing training took place in the spring of 1993. And already in October, boxer Valuev made his debut in the professional ring. Oleg Shalaev became Nikolai’s first coach, and subsequently manager and promoter. Since 2000, Nikolai Valuev has been coached by Honored Coach of Armenia Manvel Oganesovich Gabrielyan. In 2004, a contract was signed with German promoter Wilfried Sauerland.

CONTINUED BELOW

Nikolai Valuev's debut fight took place on October 15, 1993 in Berlin against the American John Morton, who immediately became the beginning of his professional career. Despite this, Valuev continued to box as an amateur and competed in the Russian Boxing Championships in 1994, as well as the Goodwill Games, where he was disqualified because the fight with Morton was considered professional.

Professional career. 1993-2005

Nikolai Valuev turned professional in 1993, having spent only a little more than a dozen fights in the amateur ring.

On January 22, 1999 in St. Petersburg, in a fight against Alexey Osokin, he won the title of Russian champion among professionals, which he defended on December 15 of the same year in a fight against Alexey Varakin.

In the interval between these fights, on May 7, Valuev fought against the German Andreas Sidon. Valuev knocked down his opponent twice. In the 3rd round the referee stopped the fight. The audience, dissatisfied with the premature stop, threw bottles at the ring. Sidon provoked Valuev to continue. In the 6th round the fight was stopped and a no contest decision was announced (the fight was declared void).

On June 6, 2000, Nikolai Valuev won the Pan-Asian Boxing Association (PABA) heavyweight title in a fight against Ukrainian Yuri Elistratov. The twelve-round fight, which took place in St. Petersburg, was intense, and the winner was determined by points. Subsequently, Nikolai Valuev defended the PABA champion title five times in fights against Tony Fiso, George Lindbergh, Toakipa Tasefa, Taras Bidenko and Pedro Daniel Franco.

On July 21, 2002, Valuev fought against Ukrainian Taras Bidenko in South Korea. This was only Bidenko's 4th fight, however, he went up against a huge opponent for a 12 round fight. Valuev had the advantage in the 1st half of the fight, but towards the end he began to get tired. In the 12th round, Valuev could barely stand on his feet. Bidenko was close to winning by knockout. However, Valuev survived to the end and won on points.

On July 24, 2004, Nikolai Valuev fought against Nigerian Richard Bango, in which Nikolai Valuev won the title of intercontinental champion among professionals according to the WBA (WBA) by technical knockout in the sixth round. Subsequently, Nikolai defended this title four times. The outcome of the battle was controversial. Valuev knocked down Bango with a blow to the back of the head, which is prohibited in boxing. The referee ignored the violation and opened the scoring. In response, Bango's corner removed his fighter from the fight.

May 14, 2005: Nikolai Valuev - Clifford Etienne.
Venue: Oberfrankenhalle, Bayreuth, Bavaria, Germany.
Result: Valuev's victory by knockout in the 3rd round in a 12-round fight.
Status: rating battle.
Referee: Stanley Christodoulou.
Time: 1:25.
Weight: Valuev – 151.00 kg; Etienne - 98.70 kg.
Broadcast: ARD.

In May 2005, Valuev met in Germany with American Clifford Etienne. The aggressive Etienne boldly traded with an opponent who was significantly larger than him. In the middle of the 3rd round, Valuev delivered two left uppercuts to the jaw and Etienne fell to the canvas. He stood at the count of 6. A few seconds later, Valuev again delivered a left uppercut to the jaw and added another right cross to the forbidden area - to the back of the head. Etienne found himself on the floor. The referee ignored Valuev's violation of the rules and began counting the knockdown to his opponent. Etienne lay on the floor and pointed to the back of his head with his hand, never getting up for the count of 10. The referee recorded a knockout.

October 1, 2005: Nikolai Valuev - Larry Donald.
Venue: EFE Arena, Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany.

Status: qualifying fight for the WBA heavyweight title.
Referee: Stanley Christodoulou.
Judges' scores: Guy Jutras (114-114), Takeshi Shimakawa (117-112), Ove Ovesen (115-113) – according to BoxRec; according to ARD, Ove Ovesen gave scores of 114-113.
Weight: Valuev – 147.30 kg; Donald – 111.00 kg;
Broadcast: ARD.

In October 2005, a qualifying fight for the WBA heavyweight title took place between Nikolai Valuev and Larry Donald. For Donald, this was the 3rd eliminator in his career. Valuev had an advantage at the beginning of the fight. However, in the 2nd half of the fight, Donald began to dominate: he threw more accurate punches and kept his distance due to his jab and footwork. Between the 10th and 11th rounds, Valuev's trainer Manvel Gabrielyan informed his protégé that he was losing the fight and encouraged him to throw more right hands. Valuev did not heed the call, performing inexpressively in the 11th round. Between the 11th and 12th rounds, Gabrielyan shouted at the Russian: “Well, shall we fight? A? Yes? Shall we fight? Last round, look. If you do not win it with a big advantage, then consider that this fight is not yours. I have not seen a single professional blow. Repeat right, repeat right, straight right. No, I don’t see the blow, you know? Why are you dying? Where are your right punches? Why are you so upset? Why aren't you working? Why are you standing with him? Hit him with a combination. I don't have the strength to talk to you anymore. Left-right, left-right, left-right. Wake up, they tell you, wake up!”. Valuev was unable to change the situation in the last round. The judges declared the Russian the winner by majority decision. The audience booed the decision.

2005-2006

On December 17, 2005, having won his 44th fight, Nikolai Valuev became the first Russian world professional heavyweight champion according to the World Boxing Association (WBA), defeating John Ruiz by a majority vote of the judges. On the eve of the battle in Berlin, Nikolai Valuev was present in the church at a festive Sunday service, where he received the blessing of the rector of the Alexander Nevsky Church in the city of Potsdam, Archpriest Anatoly Kolyada. Victory in the fight for the championship title was not easy for Valuev. Following the results of the twelve-round fight, two judges gave preference to Nikolai, and one judge determined a draw. The result, like the previous fight between Valuev and Donald, was controversial. At the press conference after the fight, Nikolai Valuev said: “I've been waiting for this for 12 years and it's finally here. I expected that the battle would not be short. And so it happened. Fortunately, everything ended well. The championship belt is easy, but the fight was difficult. Today is a great day for me".

After acquiring the world title, Ukrainian and Pole Andrzej Golota were named as new contenders for the championship belt. However, Nikolai Valuev made his first defense of the World Champion title on June 3, 2006 against Jamaican boxer Owen Beck. Nikolai Valuev won by technical knockout in the third round in this fight, successfully defending his world champion title.

October 7, 2006: Nikolai Valuev - Monte Barrett.
Venue: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Illinois, USA.
Result: Valuev's victory by technical knockout in the 11th round in a 12-round fight.
Status: WBA heavyweight title (2nd defense of Valuev).
Referee: John O'Brien.
Judges' score: Hubert Early (98-91), Tad Giemsa (96-93), Medardo Villalobos (98-92) - all in favor of Valuev.
Time: 2:12.
Weight: Valuev – 148.80 kg; Barrett - 100.90 kg.
Broadcast: HBO.
Unofficial judge's score: Harold Lederman (97-92 – Valuev).

In October 2006, Valuev met with challenger Monte Barrett. In the middle of the 8th round, Valuev casually passed Barrett’s head with a right cross. The American fell. The referee counted the knockdown. Barrett rose to the count of 8. At the beginning of the 11th round, Valuev hit Barrett in the head with a right hook and he fell. The referee did not consider it a knockdown. After the fight resumed, Valuev immediately threw a long left hook and Barrett fell again. Barrett stood at the count of 5. Valuev rushed to finish him off. Barrett tried to escape in the clinch. In the middle of the round, he landed a deuce to the head, then added another right hook. Barrett went to the ropes. Valuev landed a left uppercut to the head and Barrett fell again. Barrett again stood at the count of 5. Valuev again tried to finish him off, but Barrett again began to clinch. The American’s coach entered the ring and, pushing the referee, forced a stop to the fight.

2007

On January 20, 2007, Nikolai Valuev made his 3rd consecutive voluntary defense of the World Championship title against the American Jamil McCline. This fight, which took place at the St. Jakob Hall arena in Basel, Switzerland, was recognized as the “heaviest” in boxing history. The boxers' total weight was almost 272 kg (600 lb). The fight ended with a victory by technical knockout in the third round. McCline refused to continue the fight, citing an injury to his left knee, as a result of which the victory was awarded to Valuev.

April 14, 2007: Nikolai Valuev - Ruslan Chagaev.
Venue: Porsche Arena, Stuttgart, Germany.
Result: defeat of Valuev, victory of Ruslan Chagaev on points.
Status: championship fight for the WBA heavyweight title
Weight: Valuev – 151.50; Chagaev – 102.50.

The next opponent of Nikolai Valuev was the Uzbek boxer Ruslan Chagaev, a mandatory contender for the world title. The fight took place on April 14, 2007 at the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart, Germany. Ruslan Chagaev dominated the entire fight. According to the results of the twelve-round fight, the championship title passed from Nikolai Valuev to Ruslan Chagaev, who won on points. After the fight, Nikolai Valuev agreed with the judges’ decision and referred to the physical fitness of Ruslan Chagaev.

2008

August 30, 2008: Nikolay Valuev - John Ruiz (2nd fight).
Venue: Max Schmeling Halle, Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Germany.
Result: Valuev's victory by unanimous decision in a 12-round fight.
Status: championship fight for the vacant WBA heavyweight title.
Referee: Derrek Milham.
Judges' score: Takeshi Shimakawa (114-113), Antonio Recuena (116-113), Ove Ovensen (116-111) - all in favor of Valuev.
Weight: Valuev – 144.1 kg; Ruiz – 108.4 kg.
Broadcast: Nuts TV.

In August 2008, the 2nd fight took place between Nikolai Valuev and John Ruiz. The vacant WBA heavyweight title was at stake. The fight was similar to the 1st fight: there was also a lot of equal fighting and clinches. In the end, Simakawa actually gave the victory not to Ruiz, but to the Russian.

December 20, 2008: Nikolay Valuev – .
Venue: Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland.
Result: Valuev's victory by majority decision in a 12-round fight.
Status: championship fight for the WBA heavyweight title (1st defense of Valuev).
Referee: Luis Pabon.
Judges' score: Pierluigi Poppi (116-112 – Valuev), Guillermo Perez Pineda (114-114), Mikael Huck (115-114 – Valuev).
Weight: Valuev – 141.0 kg; – 97.2 kg.
Broadcast: ARD;

In December 2008, a fight took place between Nikolai Valuev and. For most of the fight, the American “danced” around the Russian, occasionally throwing precise and precise hooks. Valuev tried to jab, but it didn’t always help. There were practically no active actions on the part of the boxers. In a close fight, the judges gave the champion the victory by majority decision. The audience booed the decision. Among boxing experts, opinions regarding the winner of the fight were divided: most Russian journalists believed that the Russian won, while Western analysts expressed the opinion that he was robbed by the judges.

year 2009

November 7, 2009: Nikolai Valuev - David Haye.
Venue: Nuremberg Arena, Nuremberg, Germany.
Result: Haye wins on points (114-114, 112-116, 112-116).
Status: championship fight for the WBA heavyweight title (2nd defense of Valuev);
Referee: Luis Pabon.
Broadcast: ARD.

In November 2009, Nikolai Valuev sensationally lost to the Briton David Haye. For Valuev, this was one of the best fights: counting the number of punches from both athletes showed that the Russian boxer landed three times as many punches. But the opponent was ready for this and not all of the Russian’s strikes reached the target. The 12th round was decisive, in which Haye successfully reached Valuev’s head with his glove. After this loss, a lot of criticism fell on Nikolai Valuev. In particular, the German doctor Walter Wagner expressed the opinion that due to the heaviest loads, Valuev’s legs could hurt and that he should end his career. However, Nikolai Valuev himself categorically rejected these speculations and told the media that he had no intention of leaving professional sports. True, already in 2010 Nikolai Sergeevich publicly announced that he was saying goodbye to professional boxing.

Outside the ring. Litigation with Top Heads

At the beginning of his career, Nikolai Valuev signed a contract with the promoter Top Glove. However, after holding one fight, due to disagreements, Nikolai Valuev refused to work with Top Glav, as a result of which Top Glav filed a lawsuit in the Federal Court of New Jersey, which ruled that Nikolai must pay his promoter $176,000 and has no right to hold fights without its permission (in the United States). It should be noted that Valuev did not react in any way to the Top Heads’ claim.

In 2004, with the assistance of attorney Patrick English, the New Jersey Federal Court overturned the earlier decision.

Incident in a parking lot

In January 2006, in the parking lot of the Spartak sports palace in St. Petersburg, a conflict occurred between Nikolai Valuev and 61-year-old parking security guard Yuri Sergeev. As a result of the incident, the guard was hospitalized in moderate condition at the city hospital of St. Elizabeth. As a result of the examination, Sergeev was diagnosed with a closed craniocerebral injury, concussion and chest contusion.

Galina Valueva, the wife of the world champion, admitted that the incident occurred after she parked her car near a bus stop. This is prohibited by traffic regulations and apparently caused a conflict with the sports palace parking guard. It should be noted that, according to the press service of Nikolai Valuev, Galina was repeatedly insulted by security. Nikolai Valuev, having come to help his wife, got into a fight with a security guard, as a result of which the security guard was injured.

On January 20, 2006, Yuri Sergiev filed a statement with the Main Internal Affairs Directorate of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, but no criminal case was opened regarding this incident. The media reported that during the New Year holidays of 2006/2007, Valuev paid the security guard of the Spartak sports complex Sergeev the 41 thousand rubles he demanded. as compensation for moral and material damage from injuries received on January 19, 2006.

However, on January 9, 2008, a hearing was held in the Kalinsky District Court of St. Petersburg at which Nikolai Valuev was found guilty of beating a sports complex security guard. The court ordered the athlete to pay the victim 100 thousand rubles.

Then the higher court released Nikolai Valuev from punishment. At the beginning of 2009, the St. Petersburg City Court returned the case for retrial.

At the end of October 2009, the charge was reclassified: instead of “causing minor harm,” the athlete was accused of “deliberately causing moderate harm to health,” for which he faced up to three years in prison. The basis was a medical examination, during which the victim Yuri Sergeev was found to have fractures of three ribs.

The case was sent for investigation to the Kalininsky District Internal Affairs Directorate. In the early summer of 2010, the case was closed.

School of modern boxing by Nikolai Valuev

In 2009, Nikolai Valuev and a group of trainers created the Nikolai Valuev School of Modern Boxing with branches in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region. Three types of groups are formed: for schoolchildren in grades 3-5, schoolchildren in grades 6-8 and for adults (sports and fitness section with elements of classical boxing). Pupils of the school participated and won in various boxing competitions, as well as in the youth boxing tournament “Valuev Cup”, which became regular in St. Petersburg.

Nikolai Valuev has repeatedly agreed to appear in photo and video advertisements for various goods and services. In November 2009, the athlete signed an advertising contract with a German sausage manufacturer, according to which Valuev was to be the advertising face of large-sized sausages for five years. Nikolai Valuev was also going to open his own family restaurant in Germany, the signature dish of which would be a cake with the image of the Klitschko brothers, which Kolya promised to eat in one bite every time in front of the public.

Television and radio

In May 2012, Nikolai Vaulev became the host of a program on the Radio Sport radio station.

In mid-February 2013, Valuev became the host of the television game “Fort Boyard”.

Cinema

Nikolai Sergeevich more than once took part in the filming of various films and television series. Mostly he got a cameo role - that is, he played himself. However, in 2008, Valuev managed to reveal himself and the artistic side most fully. He played the lead role in the drama

Nikolai Sergeevich Valuev. Born on August 21, 1973 in Leningrad. Russian professional boxer. Deputy of the State Duma of the VI convocation.

Parents - Sergey Nikolaevich Valuev and Nadezhda Mikhailovna Valueva - were from the village of Podol, Tver region on the paternal side and from the Yaroslavl region on the maternal side.

His parents had a fairly standard anthropology. But Nikolai quickly gained in height; already in kindergarten he was head and shoulders taller than the tallest children.

Later, as an adult, he decided to find out what was causing his gigantic growth. As it turned out, this is a consequence of improper development of the pituitary gland. Doctors explained to him that such a problem is extremely rare, and in the absence of proper treatment can be fatal. He himself said: “Let’s just say that the pituitary gland has a small nut-shaped tumor, benign. Its evil is that it puts pressure on the pituitary gland, and growth hormone is produced. As a result, a person grows out of proportion. There may be thick fingers, an overly large head. The problem can subsequently be fatal. Well, maybe not in all cases, but definitely towards early scrapping. That is, the kidneys fail, and the heart valves become depressurized. When I found out about this, I decided to have surgery. In the end there were several of them.”

Valuev said that each fight was a kind of test for him, but then he simply did not know about the diagnosis. “I only realized what a risk it was when the doctors told me everything. When they got in there, they performed surgery on me. At that time I already had a family, two children. And before that, I didn’t know anything, I just lived with it,” Nikolai shared.

At school I played basketball. As a member of the national team of the Frunze Youth Sports School, he became the national champion in basketball among junior boys.

Also at school he was involved in athletics - discus throwing. He trained at the school of V. A. Alekseev, who founded the Sports Academy in Leningrad. In discus throwing, Nikolai Valuev fulfilled the master of sports standard.

Didn't serve in the army. He said: “I dreamed of being a sailor. Didn't fit the height. They offered infantry. I told the military commissar: where will you find such an overcoat and shoes?” Not found. So Valuev did not end up in the army. But his service was replaced by a professional career as an athlete and performances for the Soviet Army Club. “Athletes defend the honor of the Fatherland in a special way - not with a machine gun in their hands, but on sports grounds,” he noted.

Since 2000, he was trained by the Honored Coach of Armenia Manvel Oganesovich Gabrielyan.

In 2004, a contract was signed with German promoter Wilfried Sauerland, who organized fights until the end of Nikolai’s sports career.

Nikolai Valuev's debut fight took place on October 15, 1993 in Berlin against American John Morton, who immediately became the beginning of his professional career. Despite this, Valuev continued to box as an amateur and competed in the Russian Boxing Championships in 1994, as well as the Goodwill Games, where he was disqualified because the fight with Morton was considered professional.

Nikolai Valuev turned professional in 1993, having spent only a little more than a dozen fights in the amateur ring.

On July 21, 2002, Valuev fought against Ukrainian Taras Bidenko in South Korea. This was only Bidenko's 4th fight, yet he went up against a huge opponent for a 12 round fight. The Ukrainian entered the ring as a complete underdog, but managed to show amazing tenacity and resilience. Valuev had the advantage in the 1st half of the fight, but began to get tired towards the end. In the 8th round, Taras was knocked down. The fight turned out to be very dramatic and intense. In the last round, Bidenko came into close combat with Valuev, and shook the Russian several times before the final bell. However, Valuev survived to the end and won on points. The result was booed by the audience. Despite the result, Bidenko rose in the ratings, because he not only managed to survive all 12 rounds at the initial stage of his career against a more experienced Russian, but also gave the Russian giant the toughest fight of his career in all 29 fights.

Etienne found himself on the floor. The referee ignored Valuev's violation of the rules and began counting the knockdown to his opponent. Etienne lay on the floor and pointed to the back of his head with his hand, never getting up for the count of 10. The referee recorded a knockout.

This was the last fight in Clifford Etienne's career; in the same year, Etienne would commit a crime for which he would be sentenced to 150 years in prison in 2006.

Nikolay Valuev vs Clifford Etienne

Between the 10th and 11th rounds, Valuev's trainer Manvel Gabrielyan informed his protégé that he was losing the fight and encouraged him to hit more with the right. Valuev did not heed the call, performing inexpressively in the 11th round.

Between the 11th and 12th rounds, Gabrielyan shouted at the Russian: “Well, shall we fight? A? Yes? Shall we fight? Last round, look. If you do not win it with a big advantage, then consider that this fight is not yours. I have not seen a single professional blow. Repeat right, repeat right, straight right. No, I don’t see the blow, you know? Why are you dying? Where are your right punches? Why are you so upset? Why aren't you working? Why are you standing with him? Hit him with a combination. I don't have the strength to talk to you anymore. Left-right, left-right, left-right. Wake up, they tell you, wake up!”

Valuev was unable to change the situation in the last round. The judges declared the Russian the winner by majority decision. The audience booed the decision.

Victory in the fight for the championship title was not easy for Valuev. Following the results of the twelve-round fight, two judges gave preference to Nikolai, and one judge determined a draw. The result, like the previous fight between Valuev and Donald, was controversial. At the press conference after the fight, Nikolai Valuev said: “I've been waiting for this for 12 years and now it's finally here. I expected that the battle would not be short. And so it happened. Fortunately, everything ended well. The championship belt is easy, but the fight was difficult. Today is a great day for me".

On December 22, 2005, at a press conference in St. Petersburg, Nikolai Valuev said that the championship belt was too small for the athlete’s figure and that a new championship belt would be made especially for him. After acquiring the world title, Ukrainian and Pole Andrzej Golota were named as new contenders for the championship belt. However, Nikolai Valuev made his first defense of the World Champion title on June 3, 2006 against Jamaican boxer Owen Beck. Nikolai Valuev won by technical knockout in the third round in this fight, successfully defending his world champion title.

In October 2006, Valuev met with challenger Monte Barrett. In the middle of the 8th round, Valuev casually passed Barrett’s head with a right cross. The American fell. The referee counted the knockdown. Barrett rose to the count of 8. At the beginning of the 11th round, Valuev hit Barrett in the head with a right hook, and he fell. The referee did not consider it a knockdown. After the fight resumed, Valuev immediately threw a long left hook, and Barrett fell again. Barrett stood at the count of 5. Valuev rushed to finish him off. Barrett tried to escape in the clinch. In the middle of the round, Valuev landed a deuce to the head, then added another right hook. Barrett went to the ropes. Valuev landed a left uppercut to the head, and Barrett fell again. He stood at the count of 5. Valuev again tried to finish him off, but Barrett again began to clinch. The American’s coach entered the ring and, pushing the referee, forced a stop to the fight.

In December 2008, a fight took place between Nikolai Valuev and Evander Holyfield. For most of the fight, the American “danced” around the Russian (the audience booed him), occasionally throwing precise and precise hooks. Valuev tried to jab, but it didn’t always help. There were practically no active actions on the part of the boxers.

In a close fight, the judges gave the champion the victory by majority decision. The audience booed the decision. Among boxing experts, opinions regarding the winner of the fight were divided: most Russian journalists believed that the Russian won, while Western analysts expressed the opinion that Holyfield was robbed by the judges.

Nikolai Valuev vs Evander Holyfield

In November 2009, Nikolai Valuev lost to Briton David Haye. For Valuev, this was one of the best fights: counting the number of blows of both athletes showed that the Russian boxer delivered three times as many blows. But the opponent was ready for this, and not all of the Russian’s strikes reached their target. The 12th round was decisive, in which Haye successfully reached Valuev’s head with his glove. After this loss, a lot of criticism fell on Nikolai Valuev.

Absolute world champion Lennox Lewis said that David Haye almost knocked out Valuev. In particular, the German doctor Walter Wagner expressed the opinion that due to the heaviest loads, Valuev’s legs could hurt and that he should end his career. However, Nikolai Valuev himself categorically rejected these speculations and told the media that he had no intention of leaving professional sports.

In 2010, Vitali Klitschko, the WBC world champion, challenged Valuev, saying that Valuev was afraid of this fight. Valuev later announced his retirement.

Achievements of Nikolai Valuev:

WBA world heavyweight champion (2005 – 2007, 2009), interim WBA world heavyweight champion (2008 – 2009). Champion in the heavy weight category according to the Pan-Asian Boxing Association (2000). Russian heavyweight champion among professionals (1999).

For outstanding physical data: height - 213 cm and weight - as of February 16, 2008, 146 kg (at the weigh-in before the fight with the Belarusian boxer Sergei Lyakhovich), received the nicknames “Russian Giant”, “Beast from the East” (English Beast). from the East), “Nikola Pitersky” and “Kolya the Sledgehammer”.

He is one of the most popular Russian heroes.

Nikolai Valuev's works on TV and radio:

Since May 2012, he has been broadcasting on Radio Sport.

In July 2016, it was announced that Valuev would become.

Nikolai Valuev in the program "Town" ("Under Repair")

On February 5, 2007, a presentation of the book by WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev and famous sports journalist Konstantin Osipov entitled “My 12 Rounds” took place in St. Petersburg.

Nikolai Valuev has repeatedly agreed to appear in photo and video advertisements for various goods and services. In November 2009, the athlete signed an advertising contract with a German sausage manufacturer, according to which Valuev will be the advertising face of large-sized sausages for five years. Nikolai Valuev is also going to open his own family restaurant in Germany, the signature dish of which will be a cake with the image of the Klitschko brothers, which Kolya promised to eat in one bite every time in front of the public.

The outstanding appearance and harsh fame of Nikolai Valuev are often the reason for attempts to use his image in advertising, even without his permission. In particular, the Penza cinema "Sovremennik" showed a video for some time before the start of the film, where Nikolai Valuev acts as a man who punishes spectators who interfere with others. Nikolai Valuev, having learned about this, intends to sue the cinema for 2 million rubles.

He starred in the video “Strong Girl” by singer Big Beta.

He graduated from the National State University of Physical Culture, Sports and Health named after P. F. Lesgaft in June 2009, defending his thesis on the topic: “The psychological state and activity of men and women involved in boxing at different stages of preparation.” On June 27, 2009, the Governor of St. Petersburg, Valentina Matvienko, awarded Nikolai Valuev with a statuette of a bronze sphinx and presented a university diploma along with 78 best graduates of St. Petersburg universities in 2009.

In 2010, Nikolai Valuev entered the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution MSUTU named after. K.G. Razumovsky to the Faculty of Economics and Management of the National Economy. Valuev is personally acquainted with the rector of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution MSUTU named after. K.G. Razumovsky Valentina Ivanova - both came from St. Petersburg.

On September 13, 2010, a new website of the Nikolai Valuev Foundation was opened on the Internet. The Foundation was created with the aim of: popularizing regular sports among young people; providing opportunities for children of different social classes to play sports; education and strengthening of sports principles among those involved in sports; spreading sporting principles and ideals to other areas of life.

On April 2, 2010, he joined the United Russia party. In December 2011, he was elected to the State Duma of the 6th convocation on the United Russia list.

Nikolai Valuev's height: 213 centimeters.

Personal life of Nikolai Valuev:

The couple has three children: son Grigory (born February 26, 2002), daughter Irina (born March 2, 2007), son Sergei (born July 30, 2012).

Scandals and trials of Nikolai Valuev:

At the beginning of his career, Nikolai Valuev signed a contract with the promoter Top Glove. However, after one fight, due to disagreements, Nikolai Valuev refused to work with Top Glove. As a result, Top Glove filed a lawsuit in the Federal Court of New Jersey, which ruled that Nikolai must pay his promoter $176,000 and has no right to hold fights without his permission (in the United States). It should be noted that Valuev did not react in any way to Top Glove’s lawsuit.

In 2004, with the assistance of attorney Patrick English, the New Jersey Federal Court overturned the earlier decision.

On January 19, 2006, in the parking lot of the Spartak Sports Palace in St. Petersburg, a conflict occurred between Nikolai Valuev and 61-year-old parking security guard Yuri Sergeev. As a result of the incident, the guard was hospitalized in moderate condition at the city hospital of St. Elizabeth. As a result of the examination, Sergeev was diagnosed with a closed craniocerebral injury, concussion and chest contusion.

Galina Valueva, the wife of the world champion, admits that the incident occurred after she parked her car near a bus stop. This is prohibited by traffic rules, and apparently caused a conflict with the Sports Palace parking guard. It should be noted that, according to the press service of Nikolai Valuev, Galina was repeatedly insulted by security. Nikolai Valuev, having come to help his wife, got into a fight with a security guard, as a result of which the security guard was injured.

On January 20, 2006, Yuri Sergeev filed a statement with the Main Internal Affairs Directorate of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, but no criminal case was opened regarding this incident.

During the New Year holidays of 2006/2007, Valuev paid the security guard of the Spartak sports complex Sergeev the 41 thousand rubles he demanded. as compensation for moral and material damage from injuries received on January 19, 2006.

On January 9, 2008, the Kalininsky District Magistrate Court of St. Petersburg found Nikolai Valuev guilty of beating Sergeev and sentenced him to a fine of 30 thousand rubles. The victim’s claim for compensation for moral damage in the amount of 100 thousand rubles was also partially satisfied.

The court's decision was appealed by both parties. The Kalininsky District Court left the verdict unchanged, but at the beginning of 2009 the St. Petersburg City Court returned the case for retrial. At the end of October 2009, at the request of Valuev’s lawyers, the court dismissed the case due to the expiration of the statute of limitations, while simultaneously reclassifying it to the more serious article “Intentional infliction of moderate harm to health.” The basis was a medical examination, during which the victim Yuri Sergeev was found to have fractures of three ribs. The case was sent for investigation to the Kalininsky District Internal Affairs Directorate.

In June 2010, due to the lack of evidence of a crime, the investigation was terminated.

Filmography of Nikolai Valuev:

2001 - Town, issue No. 89
2003 - Game without rules - cameo
2006 - 7 Dwarfs: And the whole forest is not enough
2008 - Stone Head - Egor Golovin, “Stone Head”
2009 - The Path - a prisoner nicknamed “The Beast”
2009 - Fight without rules - Nikolay Valov
2011 - Vintage watch - cameo
2012 - Voronins - cameo
2013 - Break the blockade (documentary) - presenter
2014 - A gift with character - A man at the airport