Maxim Vlasov: professional boxer from a young age

Boxers of light heavy and first heavy weights are not as popular as huge heavyweights and fast middleweights. However, among them there are bright, non-standard fighters who are not rich in awards, but whose fights are always interesting to watch. These include the native of Samara boxer Maxim Vlasov, whose biography will be described below. He does not have a bright career in amateurs behind the shoulders, he practically studied the basics of professional boxing from his childhood, so he is free from the schematics and stereotypes of many athletes who have already switched to the big ring in adulthood.

On a professional ring with the first rank

Maxim Vlasov was born in Samara in 1986. He studied sports since childhood, his classmates watched in amazement as Maxim diligently reeled circles around the school, independently engaged in his physical development.

From the age of 13 he began to attend the boxing section, having got into the group of Viktor Nikolaevich Petrichenko. He was a broad-minded coach, who tried to spare his students from the schematics and zashtampovannosti standard boxing technique. His lessons were more like the training of professional boxers, he taught the guys non-standard strokes and movements.

In response, Nikolai Petrichenko often faced with misunderstanding and criticism in his address. His pupils were often underestimated, pushed at competitions. Maxim Vlasov, a boxer who will later take several prestigious belts, could not even fulfill the candidate's standard for a master of sports, and remained forever a first-rate player. However, this did not bother the resilient Samaritan, who perceived his participation in amateur competitions only as preparation for a professional career. Maxim Vlasov has been working with Nikolai Petrichenko so far.

The first exits to the big ring

Rapid take-off on a professional level is possible with great achievements in the 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 held 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, negotiating fights with his coach Nikolai Petrichenko. Then they began to work with a regional promoter Alexander Petrov, who had the opportunity to organize battles for his ward only in Samara, Togliatti and Cheboksary.

Exit to the American level

Modest regional boxer Maxim Vlasov fought his way, confidently defeating in all of them, and soon got the opportunity to participate in the events that Rinat Yusupov organized. Remaining in the status of an undefeated fighter, he could already hold his first fight in the US. In his ninth fight in the professional ring, he defeated the local good boxer Sam Haynes.

Being in the US, Maxim Vlasov signed a contract with American promoter Art Velom. An inexperienced Samara guy did not yet know the tactics of such second-rate managers who do not care about the promotion of visiting boxers from Europe. The main thing for them is to hold several victorious battles with not the most powerful opponents, to earn the trust some reputation, and then to throw it under the beating of the local star in order to get good money for the fight with the favorite. Maxim himself then called his contract with Velom his biggest mistake.

Titles and Titles

In 2010, Maxim Vlasov finally met with a serious rival, which became Dominican Jerson Ravel. A native of Samara suppressed the opponent and defeated him for incomplete three rounds. After that, he won the first championship belt in his career. In the capital of Uzbekistan Maxim Vlasov defeated the Kazakh boxer Maxim Krinitsyn and became the champion of Asia according to the WBC version.

In the next fight, the boxer suffered his first defeat in a professional career, losing in a stubborn duel to Isaac Chilembe. At the same time Maxim was able to send the Malawian twice in a knockdown.

After the first loss, the sportsman focused on performances in Russia. For four years he spent a whole series of successful fights, without losing once. In the process, he became the Baltic champion in the WBC version. Among the rivals of those years are Khoren Gevor, Mark Soares, Ruben Acosta. This allowed him to go to the match against the strong Mexican Gilberto Ramirez. The battle took place in the United States, and the public furiously supported the Hispanic. The meeting turned out to be equal, and Maxim conceded on points after a bitter struggle. Gilberto subsequently won the world title.

Going to a heavier division

The year is taking its toll, and Maxim Vlasov is a boxer whose height, whose weight no longer harmonized with each other, did not mock his body and allowed him to gain a couple of extra pounds. This gave him the opportunity to move into the first heavyweight, where he had to adjust his tactics of fighting.

After the defeat from the Mexican, Maxim Vlasov again began to perform in the Russian arenas and issued a long-running unbeaten series, winning the intercontinental champion belts along the versions of the IBO and WBC. Especially spectacular was his title fight with Olympic champion Rahim Chakhkiev. An experienced professional literally overwhelmed a recent amateur. In the second round, Maxim could finish the fight ahead of schedule. However, Chakhkiev found the strength to resist and in one of the segments of the battle even sent Vlasov a knockdown with a strong blow to the liver. However, Maxim quickly recovered and in the seventh round finally figured out the opponent.

Vlasov is only thirty now, he is in the prime of his life for a heavyweight boxer and is capable of new feats.