Alexander Yagubkin

Alexander Gennadiyevich Yagubkin (ya-GOOB-kin, 25 April 1961 in Stalino, Ukrainian SSR – 7 August 2013, Donetsk, Ukraine) was a Soviet Ukrainian Olympic boxer, who competed between 1979 and 1988. The only Soviet boxer to become the World heavyweight champion (1982,) never turned pro for political restrictions imposed by the Soviet government. He was ranked the world's #2 amateur heavyweight by the AIBA in 1984,[1] and #1 in 1986.[2]

Alexander Yagubkin
Personal information
Birth nameAlexander Gennadiyevich Yagubkin
NationalitySoviet
Ukrainian
Born(1961-04-25)April 25, 1961
Stalino, Ukrainian SSR
Died(2013-08-07)7 August 2013
Donetsk, Ukraine
Sport
SportBoxing
Weight classHeavyweight
ClubAvangard
Medal record
Men's amateur boxing
Representing  Soviet Union
Friendship Games
1984 HavanaHeavyweight
World Championships
1982 MunichHeavyweight
World Cup
1981 MontrealHeavyweight
1983 RomeHeavyweight
1985 SeoulHeavyweight
Junior World Championships
1979 YokohamaHeavyweight
European Championships
1981 TampereHeavyweight
1983 VarnaHeavyweight
1985 BudapestHeavyweight
1987 TurinSuper heavyweight

Early years

Yagubkin was born and grew up in a Petrovka locality of Donetsk (the city had 11,000 registered boxers by 1984.)[3] He took up boxing in 1974 at the age of thirteen with the Avangard Sports Society, he won three consecutive Soviet Youth Championships continuously in 1978, 1979 and 1980. In December 1980 in Tomsk he won the Soviet Championship in 91 kg. He has excelled, and Soviet coach Artyom Lavrov said this is a boxer worthy of his success. "In Russian, "amateur" and "like" are expressed by the same word lyubitel. He is a real amateur. He likes what he is doing."[4] "I hope to follow the tradition of the Russian heavyweights," Yagubkin said.[5]

Apart from boxing he was schooling as an aircraft technician, and later graduated from the Slavyansk Civil Aviation Vocational School. Later he graduated from the Kiev Athletics Institute.[4]

Career

Steve Sneddon of the Reno Gazette-Journal, described Yagubkin as "a classic boxer with an educated left jab."[6] As Yagubkin described his style in his own words, "I prefer the technical boxing, rather than the bump boxing." His style has been built around an effective jab. Untipically for a southpaw outboxer, he never got himself prepared for any particular style of his next opponent (while the U.S. team carefully studied available filmings of the ring performance of their Soviet opponents).[7] "I'm never bothered not knowing an opponent. It's better not knowing him before going into the ring. If you prepare for one thing, it's difficult to change in the ring. A few seconds is enough to see what someone is doing." At the age of 23, he has won 155 of his 168 bouts.[8] After he defeated Canadian Willie DeWitt, Novosti Press Agency praised him, "Yagubkin is known for his staunchness, courage, cold-bloodedness, flexible tactics and desire for victory." Always go with cold-bloodedness. Besides, Yagubkin won on points over deWitt, 21, in the World Cup at Montreal in 1981. DeWitt has a puncher's chance but Yagubkin rates a solid edge in international experience."[9] "He's got a very strong punch. I want to avoid getting hit," said Yagubkin of DeWitt.[10] After DeWitt won a controversial decision year-and-a-half later, Yagubkin doesn't complain about that decision. Yagubkin only says he was not at his best.[4] After his two stand-offs versus American Michael Bentt, as Yagubkin beat Bent badly at the World Cup at Seoul, where Yagubkin was regarded as one of the sport's outstanding defensive stylists,[2] Bentt got himself the poster of Yagubkin on a wall in his room.[11] U.S. Team visited Yagubkin in the USSR in 1984.[12][13]

As the American professional boxing promoters negotiated with the Soviet Boxing Federation for sending to the U.S. for competing professionally there, they specifically requested for Yagubkin, Miroshnichenko, and Yakovlev. Bob Arum negotiated with the Soviet Ministry of Sport, he wanted them to turn pro on the second Leonard vs. Hearns card. In the words of the Los Angeles Times sportswriter Earl Gustkey, "Yagubkin does have great movement, however, and is a brilliant defensive boxer. He's an accurate puncher, though not a banger. After Adams (Ken Adams, 1988 U.S. Olympic Coach) brings him up to speed on the pro game, it's not hard to imagine Yagubkin running U.S. pro heavyweights ragged and piling up a lot of early wins on decisions. In fact, all three Soviet heavyweights would figure to be in significantly better physical condition than many of the fat U.S. heavyweights on the scene."[14]

But that never happen as the Soviet government dismissed the idea early in 1989, and did not allow the three boxers neither to turn pro, nor to be employed as a sparring partners for the professionals.

Highlights

Retirement and later life

Despite being one of the world's top heavyweights, Yagubkin, who staunchly represented an essentially provincial sports club on the outskirts, turning down all offers to join highly regarded sports societies, for that and some other purely political reasons never made it to the Soviet Olympic boxing squad on three occasions, in 1980: on the pretext that he was way too young and inexperienced he was replaced with Pyotr Zayev (who won the silver), in 1984: he qualified successfully, but the Soviet government boycotted the Olympics,[4] in 1988: on the pretext that he was too old he was replaced with Ramzan Sebiyev (who was dropped out in the preliminaries).[15][16] He retired shortly afterwards. He won 9 out of 11 fights versus American boxers during the USA–USSR match-ups.

Honours and awards
  • He was honoured as a Master of Sports of the USSR.
  • In 1989 Yagubkin was made an honorary citizen of Ecuador for match-up with his former opponent Luis Castillo.

Death

Yagubkin died of heart failure after repeated cardiac arrest (previous heart seizure roughly a month before his death was relatively mild and went unnoticed, he didn't pay much attention) on 7 August 2013 in Donetsk, Ukraine.[17]

References
  1. From Canada, a New Image For Boxing in Willie deWit.
  2. 2 Protests Filed; Bent Scores Upset by Earl Gustkey, The Los Angeles Times, May 15, 1986, p. 6.
  3. U.S. Boxing Team Rallies for 3-3 Tie in Soviet Tour Final by Earl Gustkey, The Los Angeles Times, February 6, 1984, p. 27.
  4. Soviet champ by Steve Sneddon, Reno Gazette-Journal, January 25, 1985, p. 21.
  5. Amateurs by Steve Sneddon, Reno Gazette-Journal, March 18, 1983, p. 19.
  6. They fight for glory, not money by Steve Sneddon, Reno Gazette-Journal, May 7, 1986, 3B.
  7. U.S. vs. Soviets, Reno Gazette-Journal, January 27, 1985, p. 21.
  8. Soviet heavyweight proves a gracious champion by Steve Sneddon, Reno Gazette-Journal, January 25, 1985, p. 19.
  9. Look for Cuban champ to get revenge by Steve Sneddon, Reno Gazette-Journal, March 17, 1983, p. 22.
  10. Top amateurs fight tonight by Steve Sneddon, Reno Gazette-Journal, March 18, 1983, p. 15.
  11. Bent is still one hungry fighter by Michael Katz, Daily News from New York, April 7, 1988, p. 102.
  12. You drive to Russia?, The Los Angeles Times, February 26, 1984, p. 87.
  13. The Soviet Expedition: Diary of US Boxing Tour, The Los Angeles Times, February 26, 1984, p. 12.
  14. Some Soviets May Be Turning Pro by Earl Gustkey, The Los Angeles Times, February 25, 1989, p. 50.
  15. Summer games, access, 1988.
  16. U.S. Boxing by Steve Sneddon, Reno Gazette-Journal, May 22, 1988, 2B.
  17. Чемпион мира по боксу Александр Ягубкин скончался на 53-м году жизни (in Russian)
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