– After the fight between Muboraksho Muborakshoev and Timur Nikulin, Muboraksho supporters threw at least 10 bottles into the ring as a sign of disagreement with the referee’s decision. What were your thoughts when the bottles flew?
– I understood them. Truth has understood them. These guys came from all over Moscow to support, to be happy for their compatriot. They drowned, rejoiced at every blow. It was possible to count the points simply by shouting.
Or bottles.
No, I meant punches. Each blow was accompanied by a roar. They went through it all themselves. And so it seemed to them [победа, а не поражение Муборакшо]because when you encourage a person, you only see their successful actions. Maybe they’re right, maybe he won. I don’t blame them. I am very grateful to the Tajik public for knowing how to get sick.
– Boxer Soslan Asbarov said he would be interested in fighting Murat Gassiev. What do you think about it?
– We treat Soslan very warmly, we joke with him a lot, but about this battle I would say “that soldier who does not dream of becoming a general is bad.” Does Soslan dream of this fight? Maybe one day it will happen. The nice thing about sports is that when you go to the gym, you don’t know where your hand will be up five years from now.
If this fight is organized, then only in Pravda, because Murat and I are in contact, I wanted to make a fight with him and Kudryashov in our promotion. If he’s paid enough, I think he’ll appear, but considering the fee, he’s a bird of a different flight,
– That is, so far only the price of Murat Gassiev’s question stops?
– It seems to me that so far these guys are of different levels – I respect Soslan very much, but Murat reached the super series finale, interrupted Dorticos and other guys in terrible fights, so that’s a legend for Russian boxing. Soslan Asbarov beat Kudryashov at sunset, as Kudryashov was heavier and was losing speed.
I want Soslan to keep winning, to win with us. And when he has no more opponents in the country, it will be possible to talk about this fight.
– You paid Alexander Ilic $150,000 for the fight with Ismailov. Satisfied with his performance as a simple spectator?
– I am dissatisfied both as a spectator, as a promoter and as a person you want. I went to his corner twice and spoke through an interpreter: “Ask why he’s not knocking.” They said to me, “He’s tired. What does Tired mean? I get tired quickly, so I don’t box. If he tires quickly, he shouldn’t box either. He upset me. It’s just that Maga knows how to put on a show with everything, probably, he would jump with a chess player, if there was a story.
– I heard that Ilich was a bit scared by Maga’s friends when he first visited a press conference in Russia. Have you heard something similar?
– You said it earlier, I thought about it so much… Well, no, I don’t think it’s possible. Well no. Why, if we didn’t know for sure, we wouldn’t even think about it, if we knew for sure, we could condemn them for it. And here – the man won, everyone liked him, it seems to me that it is ugly to say that someone deliberately leaked it. I don’t even want to discuss it.
– Why did you choose the Vernadsky circus as the venue?
To be honest, it’s a random story. We wanted to do it in the palace of Irina Viner, but everything is planned there until the end of the year, but here it went well. Consciously, this number of people came to boxing. Here the capacity is 3700. I think about two thousand people came, but I didn’t distribute tickets, I didn’t bring people. It was a fundamental decision – to see who watches Pravda in Moscow, who stayed here at all.
– You just spent 39 million rubles for a six-round fight – how do you feel (Ismailov’s fee was announced at 30 million rubles, Ilic’s fee – 150 thousand dollars or 9.3 million at the current rate)?
– Facilitate. I’m happy, I’m telling the truth. You can’t regret anything at all. I liked everything, everything is cool.
– Did you try to negotiate with Vladimir Mineev?
– I don’t know him specifically, maybe we greeted him several times. We have warm relations with Kamil. For me, the boxing match between Vagabov and Mineev would be interesting. It’s an interesting story, no one is lucky enough to slip away or not beat.
– You said that Kudryashov had back problems and because of them they might not have a rematch with Vagab. If not Kudryashov, then who?
– That’s how it can be Mineev. There is still Vakhitov, we negotiated with him, he is also an interesting guy, but so far we have promised that the Vagabov vs Kudryashov rematch will happen, and we will do everything to make it happen.
– Do you have the feeling that after 30 million for Magomed Ismailov, other fighters of the same status will refuse to fight for this money?
– And who is of the same status?
– Mineev, Shlemenko.
– They will not be able to swing the fight like Ismailov. I think everyone knows its price, it is made up of different circumstances, so there is no such feeling at all. If a man wants to fight, he will. Also, Mineev, for example, in principle, may be interested in a fight with Vagabov. Vagabov usually positions himself as a Pravda boxer.
– Is it possible that you have a boxer of the level and status of Sergei Kovalev?
– Maybe. By the way, I haven’t told anyone yet, but I really like Papin, he’s an interesting boxer, I’ve been watching him for a long time, maybe I’ll make him an offer. I also know Kovalev – we’ll see. If they are ready for a good opposition, we will.
Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
