Murat Gassiev won the WBA championship title. 5 facts about the Russian boxer

On December 12, Russian Murat Gassiev finished his fight with Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev ahead of schedule, knocking out his opponent. This success earned him the title of regular world heavyweight champion of the World Boxing Association. What is known about the winner is in the Izvestia article.

Fact 1. The path to boxing was not obvious

Murat Gassiev was born in Vladikavkaz in the autumn of 1993. From an early age, he lived sports, but gloves and the ring did not immediately become a part of his life. As a child, the future champion devoted more time to football, various types of wrestling and judo. He came to boxing only at the age of 13, which by the standards of professionals is considered a rather late start.

Nevertheless, it was boxing that turned out to be the direction where Gassiev was able to fully realize himself. He started training under the guidance of Vitaly Slanov and practically passed the amateur stage, focusing on his professional career. Already at the age of 17, Murat had his first fight among the pros, betting on an early and aggressive start in big-time boxing.

Fact 2. The emphasis is on exhausting the opponent

• Murat doesn't look like a classic heavyweight in terms of size, but that's what shaped his boxing style. He's used to relying not on size, but on punch density, endurance, and constant pressure. This approach makes him dangerous even for larger opponents.

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• Gassiev prefers to work in series and gradually exhaust the opponent, reducing the distance. His strengths manifest themselves when a fight turns into a power struggle, where character and the ability to endure stress are crucial.

Fact 3. Fast career rise

• The beginning of Gassiev's career turned out to be rapid. In just two years, he had 13 fights, leaving no chance for his rivals. This period culminated in winning the WBC youth belt in the first heavyweight division, which immediately marked him as a promising fighter.

• Gassiev's signature feature throughout his career has been power, offensive boxing. He was constantly moving forward, working in series and did not give his opponents time to rest. It was in this manner that he quickly won the sympathy of the public. In 2014, Gassiev traveled to the United States, where he began working with renowned coach Abel Sanchez and began performing regularly on American arenas.

In the spring of 2016, he dealt with Jordan Schimmell with lightning speed, finishing the fight in the first round and rising to the top of the IBF rankings. This success made Gassiev a mandatory contender for the championship belt. The title match with Denis Lebedev became a landmark moment of his career. In December 2016, Murat held his first championship fight in Moscow and won by decision of the judges after twelve rounds. This is how Gassiev became a world champion for the first time and finally gained a foothold in the elite of sports.

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Fact 4. Painful damage from the Tendril

• The IBF belt opened the doors to the World Boxing Super Series for Gassiev. He looked impressive there. First, he knocked out Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, then stopped Junier Dortikos, while adding the WBA title to his collection. These victories took him to the finals of the tournament.

• The decisive fight against Ukrainian boxer Alexander Usyk was the hardest test. All the major belts of the division and the status of the absolute champion were at stake. However, the fight was not in favor of the Russian. Usyk outplayed him due to his speed and distance work, winning every round. A devastating judicial decision brought Gassiev the first defeat in his career, which seriously affected the further course of his career.

Fact 5. Career Reboot

• After the super series finale, Gassiev faced a series of difficulties. He had to treat injuries, including shoulder surgery, and his return to the ring was constantly postponed. Legal disputes with the promoters and rumors about a weight class change were added, which further delayed the downtime.

• A full-fledged comeback took place only in 2020, already in the heavyweight division. Then there were both striking knockouts and failures — the defeat by Otto Wallin showed that the problems of the fight from a distance did not disappear anywhere. Despite this, the fight with Kubrat Pulev was an opportunity for him to restart his career.