Alexander Yagubkin facts for kids
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| Birth name | Alexander Gennadiyevich Yagubkin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Ukrainian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 25 April 1961 Stalino, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union |
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| Died | 7 August 2013 (aged 52) Donetsk, Ukraine |
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| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Boxing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight class | Heavyweight | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Avangard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Alexander Gennadiyevich Yagubkin (born April 25, 1961 – died August 7, 2013) was a famous boxer from the Soviet Union. He competed in boxing from 1979 to 1988. Alexander was the only boxer from the Soviet Union to win the World Heavyweight Championship in 1982. He was a top amateur boxer, but he never became a professional because of rules in his country at the time.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Alexander Yagubkin was born and grew up in the city of Stalino, which is now called Donetsk. He started boxing in 1974 when he was 13 years old. He joined the Avangard Sports Society.
He quickly became very good at boxing. He won the Soviet Youth Championships three times in a row, from 1978 to 1980. In December 1980, he won the Soviet Championship in the 91 kg (heavyweight) category.
His coach, Artyom Lavrov, said that Alexander truly loved boxing. Alexander also studied to become an aircraft technician. Later, he went to the Kiev Athletics Institute to continue his education.
Boxing Style and Career
Alexander Yagubkin was known for his smart and technical boxing style. He used his left jab very well. He once said, "I prefer the technical boxing, rather than the bump boxing." This means he liked to use skill and strategy more than just brute force.
He didn't usually prepare for a specific opponent's style. He believed it was better to adapt during the fight. He said, "A few seconds is enough to see what someone is doing." By the age of 23, he had won 155 out of 168 fights.
Alexander was praised for his strength, courage, and calm approach in the ring. He was also known for being flexible with his tactics and always wanting to win.
Battles with American Boxers
Alexander had some notable fights against American boxers.
- In 1981, he defeated Willie DeWitt from Canada at the World Cup in Montreal.
- He also fought Michael Bentt from the United States. Alexander beat Bentt badly at the World Cup in Seoul. Bentt was so impressed that he put a poster of Yagubkin on his wall.
- Alexander won 9 out of 11 fights against American boxers during special matches between the USA and the USSR.
Professional Boxing Dreams
Some American boxing promoters wanted Alexander and other Soviet boxers to become professional boxers in the United States. They even talked to the Soviet Ministry of Sport about it. They thought Alexander would do very well as a professional because of his great movement and defensive skills.
However, the Soviet government did not allow them to become professional boxers. This meant Alexander could not pursue a professional career, even though he was very talented.
Major Achievements
Alexander Yagubkin achieved many great things in his amateur boxing career.
- 1979: He won a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships in Japan.
- 1981: He won a gold medal at the European Championships in Finland. He also won a silver medal at the World Cup in Canada.
- 1982: He became the World Heavyweight Champion at the World Championships in Germany. This was a huge achievement!
- 1983: He won another gold medal at the European Championships in Bulgaria and a gold medal at the World Cup in Italy.
- 1984: He earned a bronze medal at the Friendship Games in Cuba.
- 1985: He won his third gold medal at the European Championships in Hungary and another gold medal at the World Cup in South Korea.
- 1987: He won a silver medal at the European Championships in Italy.
Olympic Challenges and Retirement
Even though Alexander was one of the best heavyweights in the world, he never competed in the Olympics.
- In 1980, he was considered too young.
- In 1984, he qualified, but the Soviet Union decided to boycott the games.
- In 1988, he was considered too old.
He retired from boxing shortly after 1988.
Honours and Awards
- Alexander was recognized as a Master of Sports of the USSR. This is a high honor for athletes in the Soviet Union.
- In 1989, he was made an honorary citizen of Ecuador. This happened after a match with his former opponent, Luis Castillo, from Ecuador.
Death
Alexander Yagubkin passed away on August 7, 2013, in Donetsk, Ukraine. He died from heart failure.
See Also
- List of Soviet and Russian boxing champions
