Nikolai Valuev facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nikolai Valuev
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| Никола́й Валу́ев | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Valuev in 2018
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| Member of the State Duma for Bryansk Oblast | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 12 October 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Boris Paykin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Constituency | Bryansk (No. 77) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of the State Duma (Party List Seat) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 21 December 2011 – 12 October 2021 |
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 21 August 1973 Leningrad, Soviet Union |
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| Political party | United Russia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Galina Valuyeva | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Lesgaft National University Moscow State University of Technology and Management |
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Nikolai Sergeyevich Valuev (born August 21, 1973) is a Russian politician and a former professional boxer. He was a famous boxer from 1993 to 2009. During his career, he won the World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight title two times.
Valuev is famous for being the tallest and heaviest world champion in boxing history. He stands at 2.13 meters (7 feet) tall and weighed over 147 kilograms (324 pounds) at his peak. Because of his size, he was often called the "Beast from the East" or "The Russian Giant."
Contents
Early Life and Background
Nikolai Valuev was born in Leningrad, Soviet Union, which is now called Saint Petersburg, Russia. Interestingly, his parents were not tall. His great-grandfather, however, was said to be a very large man.
For a long time, people wondered if his great height was because of a medical condition called gigantism or acromegaly. Valuev later confirmed that he has acromegaly, a condition that can cause extra growth.
Valuev is a Russian Orthodox Christian. He also wrote a book about his life and boxing career called My 12 Rounds.
Boxing Career
Valuev started his professional boxing career in 1993. His huge size gave him a big advantage in the ring. He won 50 of his 53 fights, with 34 of those wins by knockout.
First Time as World Champion
In 2005, Valuev fought the WBA heavyweight champion John Ruiz. Valuev won the match after twelve rounds. This victory made him the tallest and heaviest boxing champion in history.
He defended his title several times. However, on April 14, 2007, he fought Ruslan Chagaev and lost the title in a close match. This was his first-ever loss as a professional boxer.
After this loss, Valuev changed his trainer and kept fighting. He won his next two matches, which gave him another chance to fight for the championship.
Second Time as World Champion
Valuev was supposed to have a rematch with Chagaev, but Chagaev was injured. Instead, Valuev fought John Ruiz again on August 30, 2008, for the empty WBA title. Valuev won the fight and became the WBA heavyweight champion for the second time.
Fighting a Legend
One of his most famous fights was against the legendary American boxer Evander Holyfield on December 20, 2008. Holyfield was 46 years old at the time. Valuev was nearly 100 pounds heavier than Holyfield. After a tough fight, Valuev was declared the winner, though many people who watched the match disagreed with the decision.
Losing the Title
On November 7, 2009, Valuev defended his title against David Haye from Great Britain. The fight was promoted as David vs. Goliath because of the big size difference between the two boxers. Haye was much smaller but also much faster. Haye won the fight, and Valuev lost his championship title.
This turned out to be Valuev's last professional fight. A few days later, he announced he was retiring from boxing. He explained that he had serious bone and joint problems and that his doctors advised him to stop fighting.
Life After Boxing
After retiring from boxing, Valuev started a new chapter in his life. He became involved in movies, television, and politics.
TV and Movie Star
Valuev has appeared in several movies. He played the main character in a 2008 film called Stonehead, where he acted as a former boxer who lost his memory. In 2016, he also became a host on a popular Russian children's TV show called Good Night, Little Ones!.
Political Career
In 2011, Valuev entered politics. He was elected as a member of the State Duma, which is part of Russia's government, representing the United Russia party. He has been active in politics since then.
Helping Young Athletes
Valuev has also worked to help young people get into sports. In 2009, he started the Nikolai Valuev Boxing School to train young boxers. The school holds a yearly tournament called the "Valuev Cup."
He is also the general manager of the Russia national bandy team. Bandy is a popular winter sport in Russia, similar to ice hockey.
See also
In Spanish: Nikolái Valúyev para niños
