A career in professional boxing, as a rule, opens for fighters who have achieved great success in amateur sports, who have made a name for themselves at world championships and Olympics. However, the twin brothers Khabir and Sabir Suleymanovs committed a daring act and decided to try their hand at a new sport for themselves after several years in kickboxing. The first, having left for the USA, passed all the tests related to adaptation in a new place, worked as a loader, security guard, mechanic. At the same time, he trained hard and managed to win several significant titles in professional boxing, fighting in the bantamweight.
Life before professional boxing
The brothers Khabir and Sabir Suleimenov were born in the village of Ilyambetovo, Argayash district, Chelyabinsk region in 1980. They graduated from high school in a neighboring village, since only their elementary school operated in their native village. The children were fond of sports since childhood, but their first passion was far from boxing.
The twins played chess well and even became district champions. So the biography of Khabir Suleymanov is quite atypical for a standard boxer.
The father taught the children physical tests, who even took them to hunt in the most severe frosts. Soon, a kickboxing school opened in their home district under the leadership of Salavat Bayroamgalin, where Khabir Suleymanov signed up with his brother. Together with the kickboxing school, former chess players also moved to Chelyabinsk. Khabir Suleymanov, along with his brother, entered the Chelyabinsk Agricultural Academy and at the same time continued training.
Change of sports specialty and difficult decision
Small growth, but strong in spirit athletes showed good results in kickboxing. They won the championships of the region, country, won international awards. The peak of the achievements of Khabir Suleymanov was the world champion belt, obtained by him at a tournament in the United States. There was a fateful meeting with the American boxing coach, who was a native of Russia.
He advised the guys to try their hand at professional boxing.
With all the achievements of Khabir and Sabir in kickboxing, this sport did not promise them great prospects in life. It was not an Olympic sport, it was not particularly popular in the world, respectively, the earning opportunities even for world champions were very limited.
However, the change of sports discipline and moving to a foreign, unfamiliar country required serious courage. The guys essentially had to abandon their entire past lives and start all over from scratch. Khabir and Sabir determined their fate in an original way - they threw a coin. The lot fell in favor of the move, and a few months later in 2004, the Suleymanov brothers with two sports bags left the plane at the New York airport.
Adaptation period
A relatively simple way up in professional boxing is open to athletes who have achieved great awards in amateur sports, won or won medals at the Olympics.
Khabir and Sabir started from scratch, having no statistics in amateur boxing behind their backs. At first they lived in the apartment of their coach. In the hall, the Suleymanov brothers worked three hours a day, honing their skills with great intensity. To earn a living, Khabir and Sabir did not disdain to work as loaders, security guards, window washers.
Particularly extreme was the experience of Khabir in security when he had already moved to Los Angeles.
His duties consisted in inspecting things of suspicious passengers at a bus station in the most criminal area of the city. Having no weapons, the Bashkir boxer Khabir Suleymanov seized drugs and knives.
There were situations when you had to use fist fighting skills, and huge bandits were not ready to resist a puny-looking guy with an Asian appearance. One fine day, Khabir Suleymanov decided to leave the dangerous occupation. This happened when he found among the personal belongings of one of the passengers a disassembled Kalashnikov assault rifle.
First fights
The debut of Khabir Suleymanov in the professional ring took place in 2006 at one of the New York state arenas. The rival of the Bashkir athlete was not too well-known Lick Crawford, whom Khabir easily defeated by technical knockout. After another victory in the same year, a long break came in the boxer's career, which lasted almost two years.
In 2008, Khabir Suleymanov, whose biography in the United States was just beginning, made his debut at the legendary Madison Square Garden arena in New York. He was opposed by the newcomer Robert Philips, who fought frantically from the swift and continuous attacks of Khabir for most of the fight and lost by unanimous decision.
Then the boxer Khabir Suleymanov conducted a series of fights in which he won confident victories. Despite the fact that the level of opponents was low, Khabir gradually began to win his name in professional boxing.
Another important factor was that all of his fights were very spectacular and were broadcast with pleasure by television companies. Khabir Suleymanov never sat out on the defensive, attacked insolently and sought to decide the outcome of the match with his own attacking actions.
Dramatic denouement of the Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves competition is considered very prestigious in New York and attracts many strong boxers. The Suleymanov brothers also participated in the competitions. Exceeding their opponents, they both earned the right to participate in the decisive match. As a rule, close relatives avoid meeting each other in all kinds of martial arts. Moreover, Khabir and Sabir were not just brothers, but twins indistinguishable from each other. However, sport is sport, and the guys agreed to take part in the final duel between themselves.
Who knows how Khabir and Sabir agreed to box against each other, but the epic clash of the two twins did not take place. Professional boxing is largely a show business, there is a large space open for maneuvers and unexpected decisions.
The organizers unearthed an ancient rule according to which relatives could not fight among themselves and announced right in the ring that the main prize of the tournament would be divided between Khabir and Sabir without a fight.
The first titles of the brave Bashkir
In 2010, Khabir Suleymanov made it to his first title fight. At stake was the WBO NABO belt, for which he had to fight with a boxer of Mexican descent Benjamin Garcia. A native of the Chelyabinsk region was unstoppable and fought to the limit of his strength, winning a unanimous decision.
Six months later, he had a chance at another title. The WBO intercontinental world champion belts were played, as well as the WBA NABO belt. Again Khabir had to meet with a Latin American fighter, and in California, where they enjoy the deafening support of the stands. The fight was equal and very stubborn, but Suleymanov was able to win a difficult victory over Javier Halo and even sent him to the knockout.
Mexican adventures of Habira
After Khabir overgrown with a whole set of belts, he took part in a series of fights in Mexican territory. The local boxers were very strong, the audience supported the favorites with incredible strength, and the judges in controversial situations did not dare to show integrity and quietly played along with the Mexicans. Nevertheless, Khabir Suleymanov had several good fights and earned the right to a title fight, in which he could become the WBF world champion.
The match took place in Mexico City in 2012, the contender of Habir was the Mexican Alberto Guevara.
Native stands drove forward his favorite, and he continuously attacked the Bashkir. Khabir did not give up and dangerously counterattacked in response. As a result, Guevara won with a slight advantage, but Khabir himself could be pleased with the battle.
Last years
Defeats do not confuse the Bashkir warrior. In one of the fights, he replenished his collection of belts, having won the title of champion of North America WBA NABA USA.
Another hallmark of a boxer is his attachment to his roots. Despite the fact that he was born far from Ufa, Khabir Suleymanov always remembers his Bashkir origin and even enters the ring in the garb of a warrior in national costume.