The legend of the Dagestan boxing Gaydarbek Gaydarbekov refers to the type of athletes who know how to stop in time and beautifully leave the ring. He won the gold of the Olympic Games and finished active performances, in his last fight defeating the future superstar of professional boxing Gennady Golovkin. The quick, maneuverable Dagestan was a formidable force for any opponent and could reach great heights in the professional ring, but decided to focus on other activities in life.
Lezginka between the ropes of the ring
Boxer Gaydarbek Gaydarbekov most of his career has performed in an average weight of up to 75 kg. Well gifted by nature, he moved perfectly in the ring, abruptly changing direction and confusing opponents. Freestyle wrestling in childhood developed in him an excellent sense of coordination and possession of his own body. According to many experts, Gaidarbek was one of the most plastic boxers of his generation.
Being right-handed, the Dagestani preferred to box in a classic left-handed stance. The hand of the Dagestan was quite heavy, he was not afraid to go in exchange with blows with the most physically strong fighters, often breaking through the defense and falling into his face through the exposed block.
With experience, the tactical arsenal of a boxer from Russia has become more diverse. He learned to control the rhythm of the battle, exploding during the fight at the most unexpected moment for the opponent. As a rule, Gaydarbek Abdulaevich Gaydarbekov preferred to dominate in the ring, driving the opponent to the ropes and methodically firing at him. However, the Dagestan was able to vary tactics depending on the situation in the ring, as happened in the final battle of the Athens Olympics, where he refracted the course of the game that was unsuccessfully developing for him.
The fight against boxing
Gaydarbek Gaydarbekov was born in the village of Khurukh, in the Charodinsky district of Dagestan. Like all Dagestan boys living in high-mountain villages, he did not know other sports except wrestling, and actively trained with his friends. In this, Gaidarbek achieved certain successes, began to participate and win in district competitions, and grew into an authoritative figure of a local scale. After graduating from seventh grade, he moved to the village of Sogratl in the Gunib region, where he continued to engage in freestyle wrestling.
A radical revolution in the biography of Gaydarbek Gaydarbekov occurred only after he moved to Kaspiysk. In this Dagestan metropolis, his brother lived, to whom the young Avar was sent.
Here he discovered the existence of such a sport as boxing. Gaydarbek Gaydarbekov unexpectedly became interested in this sport, treacherously changing his childhood passion - free-style wrestling.
In Kaspiysk, the Avar played for the local Dynamo, trained under the guidance of the renowned Dagestani coach Magomed Musaevich Magomedov, who trained more than one strong boxer.
Breakthrough
The young Dagestan athlete was rapidly progressing, but he had to withstand unusual competition at the national level, especially since he performed in the middleweight, popular among boxers.
At the junior level, Gaydarbek Gaydarbekov did not particularly stand out among the guys who were engaged in boxing from early childhood, and did not win big awards at youth tournaments. It can be noted only the final of the World Cup in the youth team of the country.
However, having stepped over the twenty-year milestone, the stubborn and hardworking Dagestani gained a decent level of skill and managed to prove himself perfectly in a number of tournaments. Unexpectedly for many, Gaydarbek Gaydarbekov managed to prove himself at the national qualifying tournament and earned a ticket to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
First Olympic Sunset
The Sydney Olympic Games became for the Dagestan boxer the first major tournament in his life, before that he had not been noted for his performances at the World and European Championships, inferior to other Russian athletes in the preliminary selection.
From the young debutant they did not expect long promotion in the tournament, but he managed to surprise many specialists and made it to the finals. Moreover, according to Gaidarbek, even then he felt confident in his abilities and was able to win the Olympics, but his excessive ardor and inexperience failed.
In the semifinals, he met with Zsolt Erdei, who effectively defeated, not giving the opponent a single chance. Later, opponent Gaydarbekova will make a good career in professional boxing and even become the world light heavyweight champion, having suffered his first defeat already in 2013. In the final, Gaydarbekova was expected by a strong opponent - Jorge Gutieres. A bright representative of the Cuban boxing school, he managed to beat Dagestan athlete on points.
Difficult selection
After a silver medal at the Games in Sydney, Gaidarbek overtook a series of annoying injuries. Because of them, he missed most of the major tournaments of the next Olympic cycle, showing up only at the 2002 European Championship, where he took off at an early stage of the tournament.
However, the Avar has set a specific goal for himself - to get in shape for the 2004 Olympics in Athens. The most important tournament on the way to the second Games was the 2003 national championship for him. In the final, he lost to Matvey Korobov, but this defeat was very controversial, so the national team’s coaching staff decided to send experienced Gaydarbekov to the 2004 European Championship. He did not disappoint and won the championship of the continent, at the same time having issued himself a ticket to the 2004 Olympics.
Champion of Athens
In Athens, Gaydarbekov was considered one of the main favorites of the tournament and justified the trust of mentors, reaching the decisive match. Here he was awaited by a young Gennady Golovkin from Kazakhstan. Later, he will grow into a real superstar in professional boxing, so far remaining an undefeated fighter.
Nevertheless, then he still did not have the skill to cope with Gaidarbek. The Kazakhstan boxer won the first two rounds, but then Gaydarbekov seized the initiative and managed to bring the fight to victory at the expense of his class. In the course of the last rounds, the Dagestan agreed to exchange with blows and constantly pierced the defense of Gennady through his left hand.
A vivid battle with Golovkin became a beautiful point in the career of the Dagestan boxer. He completed his performances in the amateur ring and refused to continue as a professional.