Sports Celebrity: Nikolai Valuev Russian Boxing Player

Nikolai Sergeyevich Valuev (born August 21, 1973) is a Russian professional boxer and former two-time WBA heavyweight champion. In his most recent fight (on November 7, 2009), he lost the title to David Haye via 12-round majority decision.

Valuev was born on August 21, 1973, in Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). He is of Russian descent, but he also had a Tatar grandfather.He has two young children, daughter Irina and son Grisha (Grigoriy). In his professional boxing career Valuev has been defeated only twice by Ruslan Chagaev and David Haye. Valuev is a Russian Orthodox Christian. During his youth he played water polo and basketball.

In 2005, Valuev squared off with WBA heavyweight champion John Ruiz, and won a twelve-round majority-decision, becoming both the tallest and heaviest champion in boxing history. In his first defence he defeated challenger Owen Beck (25–3, 18 KOs) by a third-round technical knockout in Hannover, Germany. In October 2006, Valuev fought Monte Barrett and defeated him with a technical knockout in the 11th round. In January 2007, Valuev fought Jameel McCline (38–6–3, 23 KOs) in St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland. Valuev won the match, successfully defending his title, after McCline was not able to continue the bout after injuring his knee when throwing a punch near the end of the 3rd round.

he title defense was held on April 14, 2007. Chagaev defeated Valuev by a majority decision (117–111, 115–113 and 114–114). Valuev changed trainers, from Manuel Gabrielian to Alexander Zimin, who coached the old Soviet Union amateur boxing team. On September 29, 2007, Valuev won against Jean-Francois Bergeron in Oldenburg, Germany, by a 12-round unanimous decision (118–111 on all three cards).

In a 16 February 2008, title eliminator, Valuev defeated former titleholder Sergei Liakhovich from Belarus, winning every round at the Nuremberg Arena in Germany. The victory earned Valuev the right to face Chagaev for the WBA title again, the only man who had defeated him in his boxing career. He was scheduled to face Chagaev for his WBA title on 5 July 2008, but Chagaev pulled out with an injury. Valuev instead fought John Ruiz for the vacant title on 30 August 2008 and the WBA decided to make Chagaev "Champion In Recess".

Valuev defeated Ruiz by unanimous decision to regain the WBA heavyweight championship, with Valuev and Chagaev set to fight no later than 26 June 2009 to determine who the WBA regarded as their champion. Their scheduled rematch on May 30, 2009 was cancelled due to Chagaev's viral infection and on 24 July 2009, when the WBA published their Official Ratings as of June 2009, Chagaev was no longer the "Champion In Recess" but the #1 challenger instead. Valuev's first title defence of his second reign as WBA Champion was against the 46-year old, four-time heavyweight champion of the world, Evander Holyfield, on 20 December 2008, in which Valuev won a controversial majority decision.

In his second defence, Valuev lost his title on 7 November 2009 against former unified and lineal cruiserweight champion David Haye in Nuremberg on points (114–114, 116–112, 116–112).Valuev's doctor has gone on record saying that he is treating Valuev for 'serious bone and joint problems'. Valuev will undergo two operations that will require at least six months on the sidelines.

Valuev's first role in a movie was a cameo appearance in the German film 7 Zwerge – Der Wald ist nicht genug in 2006. In 2008 Valuev played the main role in the film Stonehead by Philip Yankovskiy, playing an ex-boxer who lost his memory. The film took the main prize at the movie festival "Window to Europe". After the success of Stonehead, it was announced Valuev is being filmed in two new films at the same time.

In January 2006 Valuev was accused of assaulting a security guard at the Spartak Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. No criminal investigation was ever launched by local police.Valuev has written a book in Russian called My 12 Rounds, with the help of prominent Russian journalist Konstantin Osipov. The book discusses his life in general and his boxing career in particular. For that book, Valuev received an award from the government of Saint Petersburg.

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Sports Celebrity

Nikolai Valuev Russian Boxing Player

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