When Zaurbek Baysangurov was awarded the
WBO light middleweight title back in October, he became the 12th Russian-born boxer to become a world champion. He was pleased to have achieved
his childhood dream of winning world honours yet disappointed having
not had the chance to do it in the ring since long-reigning champion Sergei
Dzinziruk was stripped for pulling out of a fight with Lukas Konecny.
Baysangurov, the “interim” champion since July, was bumped up to full champion
as a result. The 26-year-old, who boasts an impressive 26-1 (20) ledger, will
meet former European champion Konecny in the first quarter of 2012, where he'll
look to prove to the boxing world he is worthy of calling himself world champion.
Anson Wainwright - You
won the “interim” WBO light middleweight title back in July when you stopped Mike
Miranda in the first round. Since then, you have been upgraded to
full champion when Sergei Dzinziruk was recently stripped. Can you tell
us from your point of view how this came about and what it means to
you to be a world champion?
Zaurbek Baysangurov -
When I fought Miranda, I didn’t
expected such a quick
finish. I was prepared for a long, tough fight because my rival was a world-ranked boxer, WBO #5 before the fight. Miranda was an experienced guy who had almost 40 fights and lost only three of them. So when he didn’t stand up
after the
knockdown in the very first round, I was really surprised like all boxing fans who visited
that fight or watched it on TV. As for the WBO’s
decision to strip Dzinziruk, I think you should better ask not me but Dzinziruk personally. Because
lack of resistance from Miranda and that situation with Dzinziruk, I became a champion without a real fight so I don’t feel victorious
euphoria and strongly need to prove that I’m not “paper” beltholder but real world champion in the ring against legit contenders. And future
clash against official challenger Lukas Konecny is type of fight that I really need right now
to become reputable champ.
AW - Word is that you
will fight Konecny in February 2012 in your first defence. Is this correct? Can
you give us any details like the venue, date, etc.? Also, what do you think of Konecny?
ZB - Yeah, that is
correct. My promoter said to me that it’s a done deal and I will
fight Konecny in February. Our clash will take in Kyiv (Kiev)
or in Moscow. Lukas is good boxer and I will not underrate him but I will not overrate him too. I’m going to be 100%
prepared for this fight cause I realize that mandatory challenger cannot
be an easy fight.
AW - Who are the members
of your team and where do you train?
ZB - My manager is
Alexander Krassyuk. My promoter is the Klitschko brothers’ company K2 Promotions. My trainers are Uvais
Baysangurov, who is
my uncle, and Vagif Shirinov. I have my training camps in Moscow
and in Kyiv.
AW - Can you tell us
about your early years growing up in Russia and how you took up boxing?
ZB - I was born in
Samashki,
the Chechen Republic, and grew up in a sports atmosphere around me. In 1998, my uncle took me from Chechen Republic to Moscow and I
started boxing there. I was 13 years old at that moment.
AW - Though you turned
pro at 19, you had a good amateur career. Why did you turn pro so
young?
ZB - When I was a child, I liked professional boxing very much and dreamed to become a pro.
And from the start, I
wanted to qualify for Olympic Games in 2004. I
won a couple of fights till I won Russian amateur championship but it
was a pity I could not
take place in Russian national
team because a slot in my weight division was already secured for other
fighter. So I
had a choice to stay in amateurs waiting for Olympic Games 2008 or turn pro. Till that time, I had received a couple of offers from Russian, Ukrainian
and German promoters. I’ve chosen Ukraine and never have been sorry about my
choice.
AW - You moved quickly, beating world-rated Marco Antonio Rubio in 2006 before winning the
European championship in 2008. However, in late 2008, you lost to current IBF champion Cornelius Bundrage, setting you back. Can you talk to us about what happened to you in that
fight? Was it tough to rebuild?
ZB - I’m not going to
make excuses but there were couple of reasons. First of all, I made a big mistake when I underrated Bundrage. I was
sure that it would be easy fight for me so I wasn’t well-prepared for that
bout. That loss didn’t break me down. On the contrary, I started to
prepare for my fights much more seriously. Maybe it had to happen because that loss made me better fighter. Since that fiasco, I’m dreaming to avenge my loss and hope that this
opportunity will come soon. I will fight against Konecny in February and after
that, we are going to start negotiations with Bundrage’s team about unification.
AW - What are your
thoughts on the other current world champions at light middleweight, the WBC’s Saul Alvarez, WBA “super” champion Miguel Cotto and WBA “regular” titlist Austin Trout?
ZB - All of them are
serious guys because average fighters doesn’t become world champions but I
don’t think about them like rivals right now because at this moment, I care only about two fights. I’m targeting for the
victory in my next fight against Konecny and dreaming to avenge my only loss against Bundrage.
AW - To date, what fight do you consider being your best? Who has been
your toughest opponent?
ZB - The fight against
Marco Antonio Rubio for the WBC international belt in 2006 was definitely my best one. The fight
against Hussein Bayram for EBU title in 2007 was very hard and ugly.
AW - What do you like to
do away from boxing? What are your hobbies and interests?
ZB - My hobbies are
soccer and snooker.
AW - Do you also have a
day job away from boxing? If it wasn’t for boxing, what do you think you would be doing with your
life?
ZB - Boxing is my main job. Also, I’m owner of a little business. If I wouldn’t have
become a
boxer, I probably could become participant of the war which had
continued at that time in my native Chechen Republic.
AW – Finally, do you have a message for the light middleweight division?
ZB - I’m looking for all
world champions in my weight division. I’m going to come step-by-step to
unification bouts and I strongly believe that God will help me to take away
their titles.
