Boxers of light heavy and first heavy weights are not as popular as huge heavyweights and fast-moving middleweights. However, among them there are bright, non-standard fighters, not rich in rewards, but whose fights are always interesting to watch. Among them is a native of Samara, boxer Maxim Vlasov, whose biography will be described below. He has no bright amateur career behind him, he has been engaged in the basics of professional boxing since childhood, therefore he is free from the schematic and stereotypical nature of many athletes who already entered a big ring in adulthood.
To professional ring with the first category
Maxim Vlasov was born in Samara in 1986. He had been involved in sports since childhood, his classmates were surprised to see how conscientiously Maxim wound circles around the school, independently engaged in his physical development.
From the age of 13 he began to attend the boxing section, falling into the group of Viktor Nikolaevich Petrichenko. He was a coach of wide views, who tried to save his students from the schematic and stamped standard boxing technique. His classes were more like training of professional boxers, he taught children non-standard strokes and movements.
In response, Nikolai Petrichenko often came across confusion and criticism. His students were often underestimated, pushed in competitions. Maxim Vlasov, a boxer who will subsequently pick up several prestigious belts, could not even fulfill the norm of a candidate for a master of sports, and remained forever a first-class sportsman. However, this did not bother the cheerful Chechen Samaritan, who perceived his participation in amateur competitions only as preparation for a professional career. Maxim Vlasov still works with Nikolai Petrichenko.
First exits to the big ring
A quick take-off at a professional level is possible with great achievements in an amateur career. Faster and more willing leading promoters will sign a contract with an athlete who won at the Olympics, world championships. However, Maxim Vlasov had to start from scratch. Already at the age of eighteen, he spent his first professional fight, having won in four rounds over Kirill Guznov.
At that time, the tall boxer still performed in the second middleweight. With a height of 192 cm, he boxed in the weight category up to 76 kg, being one of the highest fighters in his division. At first, Maxim Vlasov did not even have a manager, agreeing on fights with his coach Nikolai Petrichenko. Then they began to work with regional promoter Alexander Petrov, who was able to organize fights for his ward only in Samara, Tolyatti and Cheboksary.
Entrance to the American level
The modest regional boxer Maxim Vlasov spent his fights, confidently winning all of them, and soon got the opportunity to participate in the events organized by Rinat Yusupov. Remaining in the status of an undefeated fighter, he could already hold his first fight in the USA. In his ninth fight in the professional ring, he defeated local decent boxer Sam Haynes.
While in the United States, Maxim Vlasov signed a contract with American promoter Art Vel. The inexperienced Samara guy did not know then the tactics of such second-rate managers who do not care at all about the promotion of visiting boxers from Europe.
The main thing for them is to conduct several victorious battles with not the most powerful opponents, earn a ward some reputation, and then throw him under the beating of a local star in order to get good money for the fight with the favorite. Maxim himself then called his contract with Vel his biggest mistake.
Titles and Titles
In 2010, Maxim Vlasov finally met with a serious rival, which became the Dominican Jerson Ravela. A native of Samara crushed his opponent and defeated him in less than three rounds. After that, he won the first championship belt in his career. In the capital of Uzbekistan, Maxim Vlasov defeated Kazakh boxer Maxim Krinitsyn and became the WBC Asian champion.
In the next fight, the boxer suffered his first defeat in his professional career, losing to Isaac Chilembe in a stubborn fight. At the same time, Maxim was able to knock down the Malawian twice.
After the first loss, the athlete focused on performances in Russia. For four years, he spent a series of successful fights, not losing even once. Along the way, he became the WBC Baltic Champion. Among the rivals of those years, one can note Khoren Gevor, Marc Suarez, Ruben Acosta. This allowed him to enter the match against the strong Mexican Gilberto Ramirez. The fight took place in the United States, and the audience vehemently supported the Hispanic. The meeting turned out to be equal, and Maxim lost on points after a bitter struggle. Gilberto subsequently won the world title.
Transition to a heavier division
The year is taking its toll, and Maxim Vlasov is a boxer whose height, the weight of which was no longer in harmony with each other, did not scoff at his body and allowed himself to gain a couple of extra pounds. This gave him the opportunity to go to the first heavy weight, where he had to adjust his tactics of warfare.
After losing to the Mexican, Maxim Vlasov again began to play in Russian arenas and issued a long unbeaten run, winning along the way the IBO and WBC intercontinental champion. Especially spectacular was his title fight with Olympic champion Rakhim Chakhkiev.
An experienced professional literally overwhelmed a recent lover. In the second round, Maxim could prematurely end the fight. However, Chakhkiev found strength in himself to resist and in one of the sections of the battle he even knocked Vlasov down with a strong blow to the liver. However, Maxim quickly recovered and in the seventh round finally figured out his opponent.
Vlasov today is only thirty years old, he is in the prime of life for a heavyweight boxer and is capable of new exploits.