Valuev: I’m talking World Title!
October 19, 2004
By Uwe Betker
The world’s tallest heavyweight fighter, Nicolay ‘Nick Value‘ Valuev (38-0-0, KOs), stays busy with his career. The Russian, who lives and boxes in Germany, fights on November 20 in Kempten/Germany. It will be his fifth match in one year. He’ll find himself up against the so far undefeated US American Gerald ‘The Jedi‘ Nobles (24-0-0, KOs 19). Valuev defends his WBA International Belt, which he recently took from Paolo Vidoz by TKO in round 9. Valuev found time to talk with Fightnews about the fight with Vidoz, the upcoming match and, of course, his height.
Until recently people could read that you are 2.17 metres (7’12). Now your promoter is saying that you are actually a lot shorter, that is ‘only‘ 2.13 metres (6’99). How tall are you?
I measure 2.13 metres (6‘99). A few centimetres more or less don’t matter to me. I’ve never cared what others say or write about my height. I’m as tall as I am, that’s all there is to it.
Everybody knows that, depending on the time you measure it, a person’s body height can vary. People are taller in the morning than in the evening. But 4 centimetres (1’57) is quite a lot. Have you been shrinking since you started boxing here in Germany?
[Laughingly:] No, of course I haven’t shrunk. I’m a grown-up person and have been that way for quite a while now. And I don’t think that I will either grow or shrink in the next years. But who knows what they are going to write next time when they measure me again.
Your body height seems to be a fascinating subject every time people write about you. Do you sometimes feel reduced to your tallness?
[Laughingly:] Reduced to 2.13 metres (6‘99)! [Serious again:] No, I don’t feel reduced to anything. What they want to focus on when they write about me is up to the journalists. I don’t have any direct influence on their writings. And it’s not that it bothers me when they write that I’m tall or how tall or things like that. What I can do and will keep on doing to influence what people think about me is giving it my best in the ring so that people will concentrate on my boxing skills rather than on my appearance. Right now it looks as if more and more journalists prefer to write about my boxing performances. If that goes on I might in future be ‘reduced‘ to being an ‘excellent and tall heavyweight fighter.‘ That’s something I could live with quite well.
Well, soon your height will be a topic again. Your next opponent, the undefeated Gerald Nobles (24-0-0, KOs 19) is only 1.82 metres (5‘97). What can you tell us about him, except that he is shorter than you?
To be frank, not much. I’ve seen videos, of course, and studied him, but I won’t know how he boxes or how good he actually is before I meet him in the ring.
What outcome do you expect or predict?
As always, I expect to win. A boxer who doesn’t think he can win should better give up boxing and go find another job.
In your last fight you boxed against Paolo Vidoz [2004-10-09, Erfurt, Germany; TKO 9]. What kind of fight was it for you?
It was very important for me. It gained me the International championship of the WBA. And it wasn’t easy.
What does this title mean to you?
It’s another important step to the top. It has gotten me up further in the world ranking list. If I can defend the title against good opponents I’ll move up higher and higher. The WBA International champion is a good title, but there is one that is even better.
Okay, we all know which title that is, but I’ll ask you anyway: You are talking world title?
Of course I’m talking world title!
In that fight you broke Vidoz’s jaw. Did you realize that during the fight?
No, I didn’t notice anything. I only heard about it days later. I am sorry that Vidoz got hurt. I don’t want to hurt anybody.
Critics credit you with having gotten better with every fight this year. How come that after eleven years of professional boxing you still have the potential to learn new things and improve on your skills?
After I came to Sauerland I suddenly had new opportunities. New horizons were open that before had been closed to me. Everything got better. The training got better. They challenge me there. They give me opponents that I can learn from. Every opponent is a new challenge. They work with me on a professional basis, which means I can work more professionally, too. I have now surroundings that allow me to develop my potential. And you can see the results in the ring.
Why didn’t you make this kind of progress in the first ten years of your professional career?
I don’t want to talk about the past. Everything has its time. This chapter is closed.
Your promoter Wilfried Sauerland recently said at a press conference that Wladimir Klitschko had come up and talked to him because he wanted to box you. Have you given thought to that and studied him as a potential opponent?
When the time is ripe I will prepare for this fight. It goes without saying that I’ve watched Wladimir Klitschko fight. And of course, as every heavyweight boxer in the world, I’ve thought on how I would box him if it were me standing there in the ring with him. But this is a fight for which the time has not yet come. When the time is there I’ll deal with Wladimir Klitschko. For now my opponent is the undefeated Gerald Nobles. It’s him I have to fight, whom I have to beat. So, right now I’m preparing for Nobles, he has my full attention.
What are your wishes for the future?
I wish all people in the world peace, health, success and happiness.