60-SECOND INTERVIEW
Paul Wheeler talks to a man who was inspired by a martial arts legend
‘I CRIED HALF AN HOUR AGO – A STRONG WIND BLEW INTO MY EYES WHEN I WAS WALKING!’ Dmitry Bivol
When and why you started boxing:
I was six years old when I started boxing. When I was a kid, I really liked watching Jackie Chan movies, so I always wanted to do martial arts.
Favourite all-time fighter:
Sugar Ray Leonard. He was a unique fighter with his speed, mobility, movement and artistry. He had all the skills.
Best fight you’ve seen:
Muhammad Ali-george Foreman – The Rumble in the Jungle.
Personal career highlight:
Winning the WBA lightheavyweight title and showing the world my fighting skills.
Toughest opponent:
Each of my opponents have had their own strong points, but my toughest so far has been Felix Valera [w ud 12 – May 2016].
Best and worst attributes as a boxer:
My main strengths are my determination to win and, of course, my boxing skills. I don’t really want to talk about my weaknesses.
Training tip:
My advice is to think about what you’re doing. If you miss a punch, you have to think about what you can do differently next time to make sure you don’t miss again.
Favourite meal/restaurant:
I really like meat, especially steak.
Best friends in boxing:
I have a best friend who used to box, but now he’s involved in business. We’ve been friends for many years. There’s also Sergey Kuzmin. I train with Sergey, and we understand each other perfectly.
Other sportsman you would like to be: