Undefeated WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev goes for win #47

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."

Full article here: http://www.fightnews.com/boxing/bc/1430.htm

I voted;

I'm interested...but not enough to go along with Option #2.

I credit him for the Ruiz win I mean Ruiz isn't exactly the greates but hes a decent Heavy. with credibility....

Credit to Valuev for fighting Ruslan IMO the fight has credibility and is legit.....
If Valuev can perform well here then hopefully we will see him take on another champ. soon.

I voted option 3. I've not seen anything special from him at all other than his size.

I've not seen the Ruiz fight but I know the majority thought he lost and that alone puts him on a par with the likes of Rahman.

He didn't impress against Monte Barret and McCline seemed to be getting the better of him when he hurt his leg.

I'd love him to be great because I think he's a real talking point in the division, I just can't say he's done anything to impress as of yet.

Honestly...I can see where you both are coming from...& I am sure that I’ll catch much flack over this post…not to mention my answer…but here it is.

I voted #1. Why you ask? Here…let me tell ya.

First & foremost…if Valuev had network backing…he’d be great for boxing, considering that he kept fighting & winning in the fashion that he has.

While many of you will think that is a ridiculous answer & most likely will rip into this entire post…let me go a little bit deeper with my statements of stupidity.

Valuev started as a sideshow act. Really. He was nicknamed "The Beast from the East" & has now dubbed himself "The Russian Giant". The man’s accomplishments are over shadowed by his actual mass. He he stands at 7’ & 1” & weights between 318 to 330lbs & he is legitimately broken records by becoming the tallest and heaviest champion ever.

Granted that aint enough to win anything other than being dubbed by most boxing fans & writers as a freak show.

This is where I differ from most. While I am sure that I am one of the few…I think that Valuev has been improving leaps & bounds in the last four years…especially if you look all the way back to 1993 or 1994 before you condemn the man.

Back in 2003, for those of you that bought a ticket to the freak show, Valuev started showing gradual improvement by beating 2nd & 3rd tier opposition with devastating results. He destroyed Otis Tisdale & Dick Ryan with back to back first round knockouts. He then blasted out Bango, Levin, Vidoz, & Etienne to follow.

In his first major steps up he would go on to controversially win fights against two former heavyweight champs Larry Donald & John Ruiz. Controversial or not he won the WBA strap in December of 2005 by defeating John Ruiz over 12 rounds. He then would go on to defend that belt against Owen Beck, Monte Barrett & Jameel McCline.

Like it or not…the man’s record is stamped bold across all of the heavyweight body rankings at 47 fights, 46 wins with 34 knockouts, no defeats, & one no contest.

Again…like it or not…that’s an accomplishment. The men he defeated & his record can be picked apart…even by me…& I aint a dyed in the wool fan of the man…but he does deserve to be noted for his accomplishments.

Those men that he hammered out didn’t just step into the ring & let him knock them out. He did this. The boxers that he went 12 rounds with had to make a fight of it…no matter what anyone says…he was given the wins. He made them happen…although he did have a close fight with Ruiz…I pretty much disagree that it wasn’t the utter robbery that most made it out to be…especially those that have all seen snippets of the fight.

Now…the question that I want to ask I is this…is it so wrong to actually want to believe in the man just due to the fact that he's basically been a hometown hitter?

Is it wrong to hope that maybe he can do something more for the sport than just be dubbed as a bust or a freak show?

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Originally Posted by bilbo

I voted option 3. I've not seen anything special from him at all other than his size.

I've not seen the Ruiz fight but I know the majority thought he lost and that alone puts him on a par with the likes of Rahman.

He didn't impress against Monte Barret and McCline seemed to be getting the better of him when he hurt his leg.

I'd love him to be great because I think he's a real talking point in the division, I just can't say he's done anything to impress as of yet.

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IMO the Ruiz fight was a toughy to score but I think the judges had it right....

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Originally Posted by bilbo

I voted option 3. I've not seen anything special from him at all other than his size.

I've not seen the Ruiz fight but I know the majority thought he lost and that alone puts him on a par with the likes of Rahman.

He didn't impress against Monte Barret and McCline seemed to be getting the better of him when he hurt his leg.

I'd love him to be great because I think he's a real talking point in the division, I just can't say he's done anything to impress as of yet.

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I voted option 5 for these same reasons. IMO he gets utterly destroyed by Wlad, Peter or Vitali (if he really comes back). I think this Chagaev fight is a pick 'em.

Yeah the Ruiz fight could have gone either way really. But Donald got the short end of the stick. He did enough to win his fight with Valuev and got slapped in the face by the judges.

I will give him credit for fighting Chagaev, but Chagaev is no world beater and neither is Valuev. It'll be a good win for Valuev. I don't think he will have to much trouble hitting Chagaev from the top. But he has really got to push for bigger fights if he wants an ounce of credibility in the heavyweight division.

If he wins this fight, he wont have another mandatory for a year. He will brake Marciano's record. Then everyone will walk around saying, yeah but Marciano was a World Champ not an alphabet champ.

This will inturn take credibility away from all alphabet champ records. Tyson will go from being youngest heavyweigth champ to just being youngest heavweight alphabet champ

Holyfield will only be a 2 time champion, and not a 4 time champ when you count all his alphabet titles.

It further will diminish the value of the alphabet titles.

I dont watch heavy weight fights so I had to vote for I'm interested...but not enough to go along with Option #2. That still does not fit me but this monster is intriguing. I have never watched him fight.

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Originally Posted by lance Uppercut

If he wins this fight, he wont have another mandatory for a year. He will brake Marciano's record. Then everyone will walk around saying, yeah but Marciano was a World Champ not an alphabet champ.

This will inturn take credibility away from all alphabet champ records. Tyson will go from being youngest heavyweigth champ to just being youngest heavweight alphabet champ

Holyfield will only be a 2 time champion, and not a 4 time champ when you count all his alphabet titles.

It further will diminish the value of the alphabet titles.

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Interesting Lance...& no offence...but the corruption of the Alphabet's have done enough to already demerit themselves...period.

Again...no offence...I just think that he's not THAT bad...he might be bad...but he aint the downfall of the division.

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Originally Posted by Danny_G

I dont watch heavy weight fights so I had to vote for I'm interested...but not enough to go along with Option #2. That still does not fit me but this monster is intriguing. I have never watched him fight.

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YouTube it babe.

He aint the second coming...seriously...but he aint the swirling turd in the toilet taht most sink him as.

Again...I just think that he deserves a bit more credit than discredit.

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Originally Posted by wacko3205

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Danny_G

I dont watch heavy weight fights so I had to vote for I'm interested...but not enough to go along with Option #2. That still does not fit me but this monster is intriguing. I have never watched him fight.

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YouTube it babe.

He aint the second coming...seriously...but he aint the swirling turd in the toilet taht most sink him as.

Again...I just think that he deserves a bit more credit than discredit.

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Well thats another way of putting it....

The Barrett-Valuev fight was the first time I've seen the big man fight.Barrett made it a ugly fight but through it all Valuev showed some pretty smooth boxing for a man of his size.I know Barrett ain't known for power but he hit Valuev with some shots that would drop most other fighters.So add it up a good chin,some decent skills and power = a force to be reckoned with.You don't have to like the guy, just face the fact, he is dangerous to your favorite and mine.

His height makes for an awkward watch.. And yeah sure he is going to pose problems for fighters. anyone he fights will have to break form just to try and reach him . I feel that he is just too big for boxing, I think he is an accident waiting to happen.. when he fall it will be hard , in the mean time his huge size advantage could end up injuring smaller opponents , that being said there is a side show quality about him , no doubt he will keep the interest of the novice fight fan . Look at photos of him and the next opponent.. it’s a fuckin joke ! .. 7'4 350 lbs .. please. that’s just ridiculous ! O0

Photo: Andreas Rosar

I think he fits in perfectly with the current heavyweight crop. But there is nothing really special in the division so it's not saying much. If he defeats Chagaev I'll give him credit but he has only really fought 1 heavyweight who was ranked in the Rings rankings at the time of the fight & that was Ruiz. All the belt holders need to throw their belts in the trash & fight each other not undeserving mandatories!