Russian athletes have always been famous for their high achievements. Many of them were champions not only of their country, but also of various international tournaments of the highest level. Successfully speaking at each such championship, the Russians raised not only personal authority, but also their entire homeland. The famous boxer Oleg Georgievich Korotaev, who once fought in the square of the ring with the best amateur boxers of his time, was no exception.
The birth and the beginning of boxing
The legendary fighter was born on September 4, 1949. His hometown is Sverdlovsk. Already in early childhood, he began to engage in boxing under the guidance of coach Anatoly Bogdanov, and a little later Alexander Volkov became his mentor. Having entered the university, Oleg Korotaev moved to Moscow, where he continued his training and performances. In the capital, the subtleties of martial arts, he was already taught by the famous trainer Georgy Dzheroyan. Training took place in the sports society "Petrel".
Career Summary
In total, Oleg Korotaev spent 196 fights in the amateur ring. In 187 of them he came out victorious, and by knockout he ended fights 160 times. Just a fantastic result, thanks to which he was recognized as one of the best light heavyweights in the USSR in the 70s of the last century. It is noteworthy that after the end of one of the fights in which the Russian won again, a sports correspondent from England, seeing Oleg’s fighting style, called him a “Russian tank”.
Championship of the Old World
In 1973, Oleg Korotaev took part in the only continental tournament for himself - the European Championship. He was part of the national team, where such outstanding personalities as Boris Kuznetsov, Vladislav Zasypko, Vyacheslav Lemeshev stood shoulder to shoulder.
Our hero was able to reach the stage of the semi-finals, where he was opposed by the representative of Yugoslavia Mate Parlov. Unfortunately, Oleg lost due to a strong dissection of the eyebrow. However, he still received a bronze medal.
World Championship
In the summer of 1974, Oleg Korotaev went to the world championship in Cuba, which was held for the first time among amateurs that year. The competition was attended by 263 fighters from 45 countries around the world.
Oleg successfully held preliminary fights, and already in the semifinal stage he fought with the hope of American boxing Leon Spinks, whom he defeated. By the way, the American three years later became the absolute champion, taking the title from Mohammed Ali himself.
In the final, the Russian once again met with Mate Parlov. Already in the first three-minute period, Oleg sent Yugoslav to a knockdown, but due to head-on collisions, Korotaev opened a cut. The fight was stopped, and the victory was given to Parlov. Korotaev was content with a silver medal. After some time, Yugoslav has already become the European champion among the pros, but all his life he considered Oleg the most difficult opponent in his career. In addition, only the Russians managed to knock down Yugoslav. Mate was never on canvas anymore.
Life after boxing
Having completed his performances in the ring, the Soviet boxer (champion of the USSR) did not leave his favorite sport. For some time he even served as vice president of the Russian Boxing Association.
According to some reports, the completion of Korotaev’s career was facilitated by his inclusion in the so-called black list. This was largely due to its difficult nature, systematic delays in training, and sports regime violations. The version was also expressed that his career decline had occurred after he was offered to perform on American soil, and for a lot of money. But since everything happened in the 1970s, this extremely negatively affected Oleg’s authority.
Crime life
In 1977, Oleg Korotaev, a boxer with outstanding physical data, was arrested. The reason for this was a fight with the son of the then Minister of the Interior Igor Shchelokov. Oleg was charged with grievous bodily harm, possession of drugs and weapons. The court sentence was harsh - five years in prison. Many contemporaries of the athlete believe that the entire criminal case was fabricated. Among the weapons seized during the search was a machete, which Korotaev inherited from Fidel Castro himself. The head of Liberty Island was so impressed with the battles of the Russian that he gave him such a magnificent gift. It is also reliably known that Oleg never used drugs in his life, so many of his friends suggest that they planted him.
In 1983, he again had to serve a prison term. And again on charges of harming human health.
In 1989, Oleg, together with his comrade, was involved in a traffic accident. "Lada", on which friends rode, crashed into a car, standing without the headlights on. As it turned out later, the car belonged to the embassy of a foreign power. The men were taken to the hospital, where their lives were saved with difficulty. And this time, Korotaeva again tried to "sew on time."
Death
Korotaev Oleg Georgievich, for whom boxing was already in the past in the 1990s, spent the last period of his life in the USA. There he opened a travel company with his wife. The business of novice businessmen went very well.
In 1992, a former athlete discovered that he was being watched. Perhaps because of this, he went abroad. In addition to business, Oleg was also actively involved in charity work. It was he who allocated 50 thousand dollars for treatment to the Russian boxer Artemyev.
Korotaev left for another world on January 12, 1994. That night he was shot in the back of the head. It happened in New York on Brighton Beach Avenue, where many Russians come from.
A criminal case was opened, but it was not disclosed. The exact cause of the murder is also difficult to name, but his friends associate it with the commercial activities of the murdered.
Oleg’s funeral was held at the Vagankovsky cemetery. A lot of criminal authorities of that time came with him on his last journey, with whom the deceased had friendship and spent time in places not so distant. Some of them were also killed after a while. The dashing 90s stood in the yard ...