Aleksandr Miroshnichenko

Aleksandr Viktorovich "Alex" Miroshnichenko (me-ro-shnee-CHEN-koh, Russian: Александр Викторович Мирошниченко; 26 April 1964 – 19 May 2003) was a Kazakhstani professional boxer. As an amateur he represented the Soviet Union at the 1988 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal in the super-heavyweight division.

Aleksandr Miroshnichenko
Александр Мирошниченко
Statistics
Weight(s)Heavyweight
Height1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Nationality
BornAleksandr Viktorovich
Miroshnichenko
(1964-04-26)26 April 1964
Kostanay, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union
Died19 May 2003(2003-05-19) (aged 39)
Kostanay, Kazakhstan
Boxing record
Total fights22
Wins21
Wins by KO15
Losses1
Medal record
Men's amateur boxing
Representing  Soviet Union
World Championships
1989 Moscow Super-heavyweight
European Championships
1983 Varna Super-heavyweight
1989 Athens Super-heavyweight
Olympic Games
1988 Seoul Super-heavyweight
Goodwill Games
1986 Moscow Super-heavyweight
World Cup
1983 Rome Super-heavyweight

His other accomplishments included silver at the 1989 World Championships, as well as bronze at the 1983 and 1989 European Championships, and other international tournaments.

Early years

Miroshnichenko took up boxing at the age of 13, at the strong insistence of his mother, who thought that her son must be able to defend himself, and brought him to the gym at his hometown of Kostanay. Miroshnichenko shown little interest in boxing, but had a natural talent and considerable ability to compete both nationally and internationally, which he did during the 1980s. He was ranked world's #6 super heavyweight by the AIBA in 1984.[1]

Amateur career
Punch statistics for the Bowe vs. Miroshnichenko
at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Punches1st round2nd round3rd roundTotal
Thrown Bowe68102127297
Miroshnichenko573749143
Landed Bowe8324888
Miroshnichenko21171048
Percent Bowe12%31%38%30%
Miroshnichenko37%46%20%34%
External video
Bowe vs. Miroshnichenko, second meet at the 1988 Olympics

Aside from his Olympic performance, Miroshnichenko had a distinguished amateur career, winning 210 out of 233 bouts, including a win over future world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and 1984 U.S. Army and inter-service champion Wesley Watson. He won medals in the European Championships and the World Cup, and was a three-time Soviet champion. He represented the Dynamo Sports Society. At the 1988 Olympics semifinals Miroshnichenko floored U.S. Riddick Bowe momentarily in the first round, but Bowe managed to win by the decision.[2] Despite Miroshnichenko's loss to Bowe, Lou Falcigno, a New York-based boxing promoter of Momentum Enterprises, Inc., expressed a particular interest in bringing him to the United States to fight professionally. Negotiations began between the promoter and the Soviet Boxing Federation and Sovintersport, the entity responsible for the commercialization of Soviet sports,[3][4] but proven unsuccessful as the Soviet government dismissed the idea early in 1989.

Highlights

He had 233 fights as an amateur, finishing his amateur career with a record of 210–23.

Professional career

Miroshnichenko turned pro in 1990, at the very advent of professional boxing in the late Soviet Union, and had limited success. He began his career by knocking out Roberto Servin in the first round. In Miroshnichenko's third fight, he stopped future WBC International Champion, Ross Puritty.

In 1991, Miroshnichenko won the vacant Russian Heavyweight title from Nurlan Dzhanibekov. After vacating the Russian title in 1992, Miroshnichenko won a very close Split Decision against Samuel M'Bendjob by only one point. In 1993, Miroshnichenko beat former IBF Cruiserweight Champion, Ricky Parkey in an impressive third round Knockout.

After 21 consecutive wins against limited competition, Miroshnichenko was finally defeated by Oleg Maskayev in 1993 in Maskayev's first pro fight: a TKO in the third round. Miroshnichenko's cornermen later told that he entered the bout with his arm fractured. Miroshnichenko retired after the bout.

Retirement and later years

Upon his retirement from competition, he opened a state-sponsored boxing school for youth, and worked as a chief boxing coach of the Kostanay Region in 2000-2002. He also helped to establish the school of martial arts at the Kostanay State University (the only martial arts higher education unit in Kazakhstan,) which he headed as a dean until his death.

Death

Miroshnichenko died under unclear circumstances in 2003, age 39, after supposedly falling down nine flights of stairs at his apartment building in his hometown.[5] Rumours initially circulated that his death was related to his testimony in the trial of a local judge, but local prosecutor's office later ruled his death was most probably accidental, and case was closed.

Professional boxing record
Professional record summary
22 fights 21 wins 1 loss
By knockout 15 1
By decision 6 0
No. Result Record Opponent Opp Record Type Round, time Date Location Notes
22 Loss 21–1 Oleg Maskayev debut TKO 3 (6) 17 Apr 1993 Taraz, Kazakhstan
21 Win 21–0 Ricky Parkey 22–15–0 KO 3 20 Mar 1993 Philips Halle, Düsseldorf, Germany
20 Win 20–0 Michael Simuwelu 18–4–1 PTS 8 19 Dec 1992 Berlin, Germany
19 Win 19–0 Samuel M'Bendjob 6–3–0 SD 8 3 Dec 1992 Rotterdam Ahoy Sportpaleis, Rotterdam, Netherlands 79–77, 77–76, 76–78
18 Win 18–0 Oleg Ushakov debut PTS 8 18 Oct 1992 Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan
17 Win 17–0 Carlos Pena 0–1–0 KO 1 2 Oct 1992 Waregem, West Flanders, Belgium
16 Win 16-0 Mike Cohen 30–18–0 KO 2 (6) 19 Sep 1992 Kassel, Hesse, Germany
15 Win 15–0 Nurlan Dzhanibekov 0–4–0 KO 1 (8) 23 Aug 1992 Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan
14 Wi 14–0 Yevgeniy Tulenov debut KO 2 (8) 8 Aug 1992 Rudniy, Kazakhstan
13 Win 13–0 Steve Garber 18–16–1 TKO 1 (8) 8 May 1992 Waregem, West Flanders, Belgium
12 Win 12–0 Albert Johnson debut TKO 1 (10) 1 Feb 1992 Willemstad, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles
11 Win 11–0 Nurlan Dzhanibekov 0–2–0 KO 4 (10) 7 Dec 1991 Rudniy, Kazakh SSR Won vacant Russian Heavyweight title
10 Win 10–0 James Holly 3–23–0 KO 2 28 Oct 1991 Arnhem, Netherlands
9 Win 9–0 Nurlan Dzhanibekov 0–1–0 PTS 8 26 Sep 1991 Karaganda, Kazakh SSR
8 Win 8–0 Vladimir Guguchkin 0–1–0 TKO 6 (8) 4 Sep 1991 Alma-Ata, Kazakh SSR
7 Win 7–0 Pyotr Skok debut TKO 8 (8) 7 Jul 1991 Pavlodar, Kazakh SSR
6 Win 6–0 Igor Shklyaruk debut TKO 4 (8) 18 May 1991 Semipalatinsk, Kazakh SSR
5 Win 5–0 Vazgen Ayvazyan debut PTS 8 17 Mar 1991 Kemerovo, RSFSR
4 Win 4–0 Viktor Aldoshin debut TKO 4 (6) 16 Jan 1991 Tokyo, Japan
3 Win 3–0 Ross Puritty 3–1–0 RTD 6 (8) 29 Oct 1990 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
2 Win 2–0 Juan Hernández 3–11–0 PTS 6 20 Aug 1990 Tokyo, Japan
1 Win 1–0 Roberto Servin 1–1–1 KO 1 (6), 2:27 23 Jun 1990 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan Professional debut

Memory

Alexandr Miroshnichenko Memorial annual junior boxing tournament has been established in his hometown of Kostanay.

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References
  1. Boxing Ratings; NEWLN:International Amateur Boxing Assoc.-World champion. a-U.S. titlist. UPI, February 27, 1984.
  2. Sports of The Times; Green to Gold, Now Green Again, The New York Times.
  3. From Russia With Glove: Soviets to Fight in U.S. by Earl Gustkey, The Los Angeles Times, July 8, 1989, p. 53.
  4. Soviet boxers to fight professionally in U.S. (AP,) Pacific Stars and Stripes, April 19, 1989, p. 27.
  5. Olympic boxing medalist dies after falling nine floors in building; 38, Lowell Sun, May 21, 2003, p. 15.
Preceded by
Arkady Kharlampiyev
(before the October Revolution)		 Russian Heavyweight Champion
7 December 1991 – 16 July 1993
Retired		 Succeeded by
Vladimir Yelbaev
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