Boxer Nikolai. What Nikolai Valuev was like as a child: photos and videos. Scandals and trials of Nikolai Valuev

A man who has won in the ring many times - what does he teach his children?

Nikolay Sergeevich Valuev- world-famous ex-world boxing champion, founder of several sports schools, successful showman and deputy State Duma. Born on August 21, 1973 in a family of factory workers. Graduated from St. Petersburg University physical culture named after P.F. Lesgaft. He started boxing in 1993. Valuev became not only the heaviest and tallest fighter in the history of boxing, but also the first Russian to win the title of world champion in super heavyweight among professionals according to the World Boxing Association (WBA). Nikolai Valuev officially announced his retirement from boxing in 2010. Now the ex-athlete is involved in politics and social activities.

Nikolay, when you were just thinking about your fatherhood, was your father a standard for you? Or, on the contrary, have you had thoughts: “I will never be like my father”? Does the experience of the past generation help or cause protest?

Neither one nor the other. My father taught me a lot by his example. If in my time there were as many distractions as there are today's children, maybe I would not pay attention to how my dad acted in different situations. But at that time there were only three programs on TV. No computers, gadgets - only books. Dad read a lot, and I followed him. My father and I also built a dacha, the plot for which was given to my mother from the factory...

In this communication I received a start in life. Now everything is different. I can't say it's definitely worse. It's just that our children's generation is different. It is much more difficult to influence them. But there is no escape from this. You need to keep up with the times, interest people by your example, and not grumble, as was good in past times.

- So you are raising your children differently than your parents raised you?

At least I strive to pay more attention to them. I try to patiently explain when they don’t understand something. You need to spend more time not only in joint activities, but also in simple conversation. Children really need conversations.

And what’s also interesting is that today’s children often do not want to participate in common family affairs. And I believe that this is necessary for the formation of responsibility. We almost force them to participate in family discussions of some issues.

Nikolai Valuev with his son and daughter

- Do you think you are a strict father? Do you forbid your children a lot?

I am ready to make concessions if I understand: now the child will make a mistake, and over time we will analyze his action, and he will draw conclusions himself. You need to insist on your own in cases where the child’s actions can cause real harm to him. Democracy in education is not always useful. If I see that the consequences of a mistake will be too serious, I am adamant.

- Will you use force?

There are different strengths. You cannot physically influence a child when he is far from you, at school, for example. Therefore, it is wiser to go through compromises. Grisha is a teenager, he can be quick-tempered and illegible in his words. If I answer him in the same spirit - be rude, insist on my own - it will be both a mistake and a weakness on my part, because I am smarter and more experienced than him. Therefore, you must be able to remain silent and even give back. But don't lose face.

- What does the phrase “parents should be respected” mean to you?

First of all, for me this means that you need to listen to your parents to the end, without interrupting. Just listen first. Do you think it's easy? This is quite a lot of psychological stress for a child. If a child learns to listen to his parents, even if he disagrees, then he will probably be able to respect other people's points of view. And this is perhaps one of the most important aspects of communication. Nobody likes to deal with people who don't listen to others.

Nikolai Valuev with his son and daughter. Photo: “7 days”

- How to distinguish veneration from submission?

It's easy. When a child obeys, out of fear he agrees with any of your opinions, even if you are absolutely wrong. For the sake of experiment, you can say some complete nonsense. If the child agrees with this, it means that your relationship is not developing in the best way, because it is built on fear and suppression.

In our family, children boldly express their opinions. They are not always able to do this politely; they often interrupt and raise their voices. But it’s better than keeping everything to yourself and silently being offended.

- How are household responsibilities distributed in your family?

The burden of household chores lies on the shoulders of the wife. Fortunately, we have a wonderful nanny. We couldn't have done it at all without her. Our children are of different ages, there is a five-year difference between them, so in their activities they do not overlap with each other in any way. Everyone has their own mugs. They are taken away and brought in by their wife and nanny.

We have matriarchy in our family simply because there are more women than men: wife Galya, daughter Ira, my mother, nanny... I come home late. I turned into a “Sunday dad.” But during school holidays I still try to spend more time with the children.

Nikolai Valuev with his daughter Ira

Do you look at children as extensions of yourself? Or do you understand that each of them has their own path in life?

I see in them a continuation of our family, but everyone has their own path. The main thing is not to look down on them. We need to treat children as full-fledged citizens, albeit small, but with their own opinions and their own unique path in life. Sometimes it is worth descending from your adult heights to the level of a child in order to see: he has his own world, this world is very rich and not always understandable to adults. We were also in his place, we just forgot about it. And this is our main mistake...

Interviewed by Elena Verbenina.

This interview is part , implemented by the online magazine “Batya”, the St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation and the publishing house “Nikea”. Full version You can read the interview at

On the Internet, Nikolai Valuev is credited with a height of 210 to 218 centimeters. The boxer himself in personal correspondence with him in social network said that his height is 213 centimeters. To check, compare Nikolai with tall celebrities so that there is the smallest error. We would like to draw your attention to the fact that during the day a boxer’s height can fluctuate by 2-3 centimeters, and a height of 213 centimeters is most likely morning.

First, let's look at a photo from Ivan Urgant's show. The TV presenter’s height is 190 centimeters maximum, and as we see, Nikolai Valuev’s growth is concentrated at around 210-211. There is an error here due to shoes, posture and subsidence of the spine during the day.

Let’s also look at a photo where Nikolai Valuev stands next to basketball player Alexei Bauer, whose official height is 220 centimeters. As you can see, here the boxer’s height is already at around 212 centimeters (+ - error).
The taller a person is, the more his height fluctuates throughout the day. That is why in the photo the boxer’s height is first at 210-211 centimeters, and then at 212. But nevertheless, there is no reason not to believe the words of Nikolai Valuev, and his real height is really 213 centimeters (in the morning).

How tall is Daniel Radcliffe?

The famous actor, who became famous throughout the world for his roles as Harry Potter on the Internet, is credited with a height from 163 cm to 169 cm. Which of these data is correct no one can say exactly. But to clarify, at least for ourselves, we will solve this issue with using photos. To do this, we will find photographs where Daniel Radcliffe will stand next to celebrities with known height.

In these two photographs we can see Daniel Radcliffe next to actress Erin Darke, whose height is in the region of 168-170cm. Now look carefully at the photo and tell me, does our actor look 165-169cm in them? Most likely no than yes. More like 163 cm. Well, if in addition to the lives of celebrities, you are interested in various world news, then go here to an interesting site. Lots of opinions on certain current news from around the world.

16.11.19

Megan Fox was born on May 16, 1986. She is an American actress and model. Foxx began her film career in 2004 in the film Teenage Drama Queen. Her first famous film was the blockbuster "Transformers" in 2007. After Transformers, she won many Teen Choice Awards. She has eight famous tattoos on her body, which include her ex-boyfriend's name "Brian" and Marilyn Monroe's face on her forearm. Fox said she has a Marilyn Monroe tattoo because: "She was one of the first people I saw on television. Marilyn was a big influence on me."

Megan Fox's height is 163 cm

Megan Fox's weight is 49-51 kg

How tall is Kristen Stewart?

For some reason, the famous actress from the Twilight saga is credited with a height of 165 cm in RuNet. Although the celebrity herself in her controversial interviews said that her height is 5 feet 8 inches, which is equal to 167 cm, and that she feels like she is 173 cm. But many eyewitnesses say that We saw the actress live near us and noted that her height was hardly higher than 160 cm. To figure out what is true and what is not, we will find photographs where the celebrity will be near people whose height is similar in their data.

Three photos show Kristen Stewart, who states that her height is as much as 167 cm; Dakota Fanning, with a real height of 163 cm. As we can see, our celebrity, with a stated height of 167 cm, turns out to be lower than 163 cm, which means that her parameters do not correspond to reality in reality her height is about 161 cm. This phenomenon is very common among Hollywood stars, when they talk about one thing, but in reality everything is different.

Mark Wahlberg is an American actor, former rapper and producer. He was born on June 5, 1971 in Dorchester. His full name— Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg. When he was a teenager, Wahlberg was charged with a variety of crimes, including violence and vandalism. His older brother Donnie Wahlberg was already a celebrity when he joined the band. In 1993, he began his acting career. He is actively involved in charitable activities through his "Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation", established in 2001.

Mark Wahlberg's height is 174 cm

Mark Wahlberg's weight is 79 kg

Geri Halliwell is an English singer born on 6 August 1972 in Watford, Hertfordshire. She was a member of the "Spice Girls" and she was known as "Ginger Spice". Her father Francis Lawrence Halliwell was of English descent and her mother Ana Maria was Spanish. After gaining fame, she appeared in many magazines including Playboy and Penthouse. Her solo debut "Schizophonic", released in 1999. In 2007, Halliwell announced she was reuniting with the Spice Girls for a world tour. She is actively involved in charitable works, including the fight against HIV/AIDS and breast cancer.

Jerry Halliwell's height is 157 cm

Jerry Halliwell's weight is 46-51 kg

Cindy Crawford is an American model, born February 20, 1966 in DeKalb, Illinois. She was named #3 on VH1's list of the most beautiful celebrities of the 90s. After a successful career in modeling, she starred in several films and worked as a publicist. She began modeling at the age of 16. She later joined Elite modeling agency. She stopped her education to pursue her modeling career. Her debut film was The Secret of My Success, released in 1987. Cindy was one of the top models during the 1980s and 1990s. Crawford was on cover of many fashion magazines, including Vogue, W, People, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Allure, etc. She is actively involved in charitable activities and also works with the Ronald McDonald House Foundation.

Cindy Crawford's height is 178 cm
Cindy Crawford's weight is 52-57 kg

Reference

Nikolay VALUEV(August 21, 1973, Leningrad, USSR) is a former Russian professional boxer who competed in the super heavyweight category. Member of the State Duma of the Russian Federation since 2011.

Russian boxing champion 1999. World champion according to the Pan-Asian Boxing Association (2000), world champion according to the World Boxing Association (WBA) (December 17, 2005 - April 14, 2007 and from July 27 to November 7, 2009), interim world champion according to WBA ( August 30, 2008 - July 27, 2009).

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

Biography

The boxer’s parents, Sergei 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. The "biggest" boxer is already in kindergarten was taller than the tallest guys by a head. At school I played basketball. As part of the national team of the Frunzensk Youth Sports School, he became the national champion in basketball among youths younger age.

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. After graduating from school, he entered the Institute. P.F. Lesgaft in St. Petersburg. Graduated from National State University physical culture, sports and health named after P. F. Lesgaft in June 2009, defending 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, 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.

Since the 2010-2011 academic year he has been studying at St. Petersburg State University at the Faculty of Economics. 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 trained by Honored Coach of Armenia Manvel Oganesovich Gabrielyan. In 2004, a contract was signed with German promoter Wilfried Sauerland, who has been organizing fights to this day.

Personal life

Wife Galina Borisovna Valueva (born Dimitrova) - (born July 26, 1977), son Grigory Valuev - (born February 26, 2002) and daughter Irina Valueva - (born March 2, 2007).

Political Views

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

Amateur 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.

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 the decision “no contest” was announced.

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.

July 21, 2002 at South Korea Valuev fought against Ukrainian Taras Bidenko. 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, promoter Bango removed his fighter from the fight.

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.

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 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.

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 now I’ve finally got it. 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 Vladimir Klitschko 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 missed 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.

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.

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.

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 clinching. In the end, Simakawa actually gave the victory not to Ruiz, but to the Russian.

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.

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. In particular, 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.

Interesting Facts

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.

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.

Filmography

- 2003 — Game without rules

- 2006 — 7 Dwarves: And the whole forest is not enough

- 2008 — Stone Head — Egor Golovin, “Stone Head”

- 2009 - Path - a prisoner nicknamed "The Beast"

- 2009 — Fight without rules is the main role.

- 2011 - Antique clock - cameo role. He played himself.

When I asked Nikolai Valuev to describe himself, he said that he did not like to do this. He believes that people from the outside know better. I decided to take the liberty. Nikolai Valuev’s dimensions are, of course, impressive. His height is 213 centimeters and his weight is 150 kilograms. And, for sure, from the outside the famous boxer may seem formidable and unapproachable. In fact, he is a gentle, sincere and very positive person. But this opinion is my own.

Dinara KAFISKINA

- How happy are you at the moment?

They say that you don’t need to shout about your happiness. There is enough happiness in my life. I probably don’t need more. The most important thing is that there are too many plans. Different. And it will take a lot of time to bring them to life. But it’s good that they generally exist. I am determined to implement these same plans in my immediate work, and, for example, I am ready to continue acting in films. There are very interesting proposals. As for my personal life, an event will take place in the summer - in July or August, which I was really looking forward to. My wife and I will have a third child. I always wanted three children in my family.

- How are your son Grisha and daughter Irina doing?

I dissolve in my children. And they are doing well. Grisha is now ten years old, Ira is five. And she has already begun to embody her creative urges. Sings and dances. She says she wants to become an artist. At least today she has such a desire. We'll see what happens next. My son goes to school and plays sports: he swims, plays football, and he is no stranger to wrestling.

- Is it important for Nikolai Valuev that children care about sports?

It is important for me that they become confident, self-sufficient people. And so that they live in harmony with themselves. The task of me and my wife is to make sure that this is the case.

- Is Galina somehow connected with sports?

Not at all. She fell in love with sports only from the moment she became my friend, and then my wife. And now, of course, it’s connected. Galya is my rear. Throughout her life, she takes care of the house and, of course, children. Otherwise, there will be no one to do it, because I’m too busy.

- What is your wife like?

She is mine". The word “mine” means that it has everything that suits me. And our acquaintance took place without any romanticism. The first time we met was at a mutual friend's birthday party. There is no transcendental story here. What struck me about her was that she never puts on a mask under any circumstances. Galina is who she is. I even had to get used to it at one time.

- You probably value inner peace more?

You guessed it. This is true. Inner peace comes first for me. There is a principle in life that works always and everywhere - you are greeted by your clothes, you are escorted by your mind. It takes time to get to know a person. Therefore, I cannot say that at the first meeting I fell in love with my wife at first sight. Before the wedding, we dated for a year and a half. But what is a wedding, marriage... It's just a stamp in a passport. Love came much earlier.

- How important is this stamp in your passport for you personally?

I put it on for my wife's sake. Galya really wanted it. But personally, it doesn’t matter to me whether there is a stamp in the passport or not.

- Are you still a supporter of a woman being a businesswoman or a housewife?

My opinion is subjective. I do not at all want to offend those representatives of the fairer sex who work and make a career. They just have their own way. But I still believe that a woman should take care of the house and children. Even though I'm ambitious. But I am a very down-to-earth person. And I have priorities.

- What sports, besides boxing, do you like?

Hockey with a ball. And with the puck, too, though. By the way, I played hockey as a child. But I couldn’t continue to do it at a professional level because my size got in the way. And then there were no skates in my size. It was just predetermined that I couldn't play hockey.

As far as I know, you are very friendly with world boxing champion Natalya Ragozina. Can you watch when women fight in the ring?

No. I can not. In general, I think that boxing is not a women's sport. I myself don’t understand how you can hit a woman. And it’s simply impossible to see how they themselves “beat” each other. To be honest, I don’t go to women’s boxing. I was only at Natasha’s battles a few times. But that doesn’t stop me from respecting her as a person and an athlete.

- Moreover, she manages to remain very feminine. Despite the fact that he does not feminine look sports

It's either given or it's not. From nature. It is probably impossible to develop this. Given by God. And she, by the way, just like my Galina, never hides under a mask. By the way, Natasha is the only friend in my life who is a woman. She truly embodies my understanding of friendship. The wife, to a certain extent, is, of course, also a friend. But this is different. In general, you can philosophize on this topic for a long time.

- Natalya recently had a birthday. What would you wish for a colleague and friend?

The main thing is women's happiness. Unfortunately, there are not many real men now. Therefore, I wish this for her. For every woman there is a man. Only the one that suits her. And, most importantly, she finds him sooner or later. Or he is hers. Never mind.

Nikolai Sergeevich Valuev is a world-famous ex-world boxing champion, a successful showman and deputy of the State Duma of Russia. Born in the Northern capital on August 21, 1973 in a family of factory workers. He became not only the heaviest and tallest fighter in the history of boxing, but also the first Russian to win the title of world super heavyweight champion among professionals according to the World Boxing Association (WBA).

Childhood and family of Nikolai Valuev

The parents of the future talented athlete did not suspect that their only son would have such extraordinary physical characteristics. At birth, his height was quite normal - 52 centimeters. But while still a preschooler, Nikolai began to rapidly outstrip his peers in height.

Sports coaches did not miss the opportunity to use his unique qualities and attracted him to basketball, where height gives advantages in the fight for victory. He became the national champion in this sport among junior boys, being a student of the honored coach of Russia Anatoly Steinbock.

However, over time, it turned out that rapid growth negatively affected the coordination of the teenager’s movements and physical strength - the ability to withstand fatigue, endurance. So he switched to athletics, namely hammer throwing. And in this type of sports competition, Valuev achieved success - in a stubborn struggle he earned the title of Master of Sports.

Sports victories of Nikolai Valuev

After graduating from school in 1990, our hero entered the National State University of Physical Education, Sports and Health. P.F. Lesgaft. A year later he interrupted his studies (but later, in 2009, he still completed it).

At the age of 20, the young man decided to take up boxing. His first mentor was Oleg Shalaev. Our giant's debut in the ring as a professional took place in 1993 after just a few months of training and a little more than 10 amateur fights. The first fight was with the American John Morton, took place in Berlin and ended in victory for the Russian.

Six years later, Valuev, in a duel against Russian Alexei Osokin, became the national champion among professionals in the heavyweight division. The following year, 2000, in a meeting in the ring at the Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, under the leadership of his mentor Samvel Gabrielyan, Nikolai won the PABA championship title in a fight against a Ukrainian boxer, interestingly, also actually born in Northern Palmyra, Yuri Elistratov, to whom German boxing fans gave the threatening nickname Morder ("Killer").

In 2004, as a result of a victorious meeting in the ring with the Nigerian Richard Bango, Valuev became the intercontinental champion. After the fight, Nikolai changed his manager Shalaev to German promoter Wilfried Sauerland. A year later, in a fight with John Ruiz (USA), he won the title of the first domestic super heavyweight champion according to the WBA. He defended this high achievement in performances against Jamaican fighter Owen Beck, Americans Monte Barrett and Jamil McCline.

However, in 2007, he was defeated in a meeting with Ruslan Chagaev (Tatar by nationality) from Uzbekistan. After that, Nikolai Valuev competed in the heavyweight division, again defeating Ruiz, then the legendary US boxer Evander Holyfield. In 2009, the Russian boxer had one of his most brilliant fights against Briton David Haye, but was defeated.

Valuev and Klitschko

In 2010, Ukrainian boxer Vitali Klitschko, owner of many championship titles, challenged Valuev to a fight, announcing that he was allegedly afraid of him. Many boxing fans regret that these outstanding athletes never met in the ring. A year later, Valuev announced the completion of his sports career, during which he fought 53 battles, winning fifty victories and receiving many nicknames ("The Beast from the East", "Man-Mountain", "Koli-sledgehammer", "Nicholas of St. Petersburg").

It is known that Valuev intends to open his own restaurant in Germany. Moreover, Nikolai plans to offer visitors a cake with figurines of the Klitschko brothers as his signature dish. He promises that he himself will defiantly eat them in public, obviously for the sake of double pleasure - moral and gastronomic.

Nikolay Valuev today

After stopping performances in the ring, Nikolai demonstrates his versatile creative and political activity, desire to act, create and solve practical problems. He continues his education by entering MSUTU. K.G. Razumovsky, manages the boxing school, which he opened in 2009 in the city on the Neva (with branches in Leningrad region), is involved in organizing the Valuev Cup boxing competitions and popularizing sports among Russians. He became the founder of a charitable foundation for the development of children's and youth sports named after him.

Having an unusual appearance, he appears in advertising, in particular, he entered into an agreement with the poker site Pokerstars, became the “face” of one of the German sausage manufacturers to advertise large-sized sausages, works as a TV presenter, appears in films – both as “himself” and and in other character roles. In addition, he presented the book “My 12 Rounds” written with Konstantin Osipov. The former professional boxer went into politics, becoming a State Duma deputy and a member of the Duma Committee on Physical Education, Sports and Youth Affairs. Together with the Russian song ensemble "Grandma's Grandsons" he is currently working on recording a new album. The first work of the song project has already become “Anthem of Kuzbass”.

Secrets of the personal life of Nikolai Valuev

The famous athlete and parliamentarian is happily married to his wife Galina. The couple has a daughter and two sons - Irina, Grigory and Sergei.

As it turned out during the program “The Invisible Man” on channel TV-3, the heroes of which were the Valuevs last year, the wife, despite her height of 163 centimeters, dominates the family. It is known that one of Nikolai’s main hobbies is hunting. But during the broadcast, many of his unexpected traits were also revealed - vulnerability, sentimentality, the presence of complexes regarding his appearance.

Separately, Nikolai’s fidelity in terms of his relationship with his beloved woman was emphasized. Family and close people are the most important thing in life for him. Perhaps this was an involuntary reason known fact his fights in the parking lot when Galina was driving. The incident resulted in serious injuries to a security guard at Spartak Sports Complex and criminal proceedings. TV show experts also noted that the ex-fighter in life often had to prove his worth to others. Today the Valuev family owns several apartments in Russia, two in Germany, a house, cars and boats.