The shock defeat Amir Khan suffered at the hands of Breidis Prescott “is not the end of the world” according to Audley Harrison. Harrison, an Olympic gold medallist in 2000, has backed Khan to return to boxing stronger than before. Speaking to Setanta Sports News during Steve Bunce’s Boxing Hour Harrison said:
“Sometimes a loss is actually the best thing that can happen to you because that’s when you become a real fighter.
“You talk to Lennox [Lewis]; he’ll be the first to tell you that when he lost to Oliver McCall it was probably the best thing that happened to him. He became a real fighter after that.”
Harrison also believes that Khan has what it takes to overcome the backlash he is currently suffering following his first professional defeat. Harrison described boxing as “a cold, harsh world.”
“When we get in the limelight and it’s all rosie, it’s very comfortable. But on the flipside you see how the thorns come out and it’s vicious.
“Amir Khan’s had to wake up to that following the defeat.”
MASKAEV IS BACK! THE RING STARS IN THE RED SQUARE
On September 6th, 2008 over 25000 people witnessed a unique sporting event in Russian history. For the first time ever a boxing ring was set up in the Red Square and two dozen boxers around the world showcased their skills. The climax of ‘The Ring Stars In The Red Square’ spectacular boxing event was a bout between Oleg Maskaev and Robert Hawkins.
The evening opened with boxers of the Russian Youth Olympic team. The young promising fighters already possess Champions’ titles of Russian amateur tournaments and European championship prizes. Vitaly Dunaitsev, though 16 years of age, already has three European championship titles. And on September 6th he and his teammates won still more victories. The winners of the amateur bouts were also Sergey Sobylinsky, Avak Uzlian, Igor Kharitonov, Vyacheslav Barsukov and Tigran Uzlian.
The program continued with the performance of best professional boxers from the post Soviet Union. Timur Ibragimov of Uzbekistan, Khabib Allakhverdiev and Muhamet Abdusalamov (both – Russia) all won their fights.
Light welterweight Khabib Allakhverdiev went professional in 2007 after an impressive amateur career. During last year he had 6 fights and won all of them, 2 by KO. On September 6th he added another win to his record winning over his rival Roland Mills of Ghana by technical KO.
Heavyweight Muhamet Ablusalamov is the first fighter in amateur boxing who won all of his bouts by KO. On Sepbember 6th he debuted as professional. And what a debut it was – he knocked out his rival Epyphany Pipi just 1 minute and 20 seconds into the fight.
The show climaxed in a bout between Oleg Maskaev and Robert Hawkins. The Big Philly was seeking a revenge having once lost to Maskaev in 1995. But Oleg prevailed again in this heavyweight fight. For Maskaev it was not just a win but yet a sign of comeback to regain a championship title.
Ring stars were both in the ring and at the ring side. Watching the fights were world known Russian heavyweights Nickolay Valuev and Sultan Ibragimov. Honorable guests also included many Olympic champions, legends of Russian boxing.
Besides showcasing the best talent in national boxing ‘The Ring Stars In The Red Square’ event also announced the forthcoming AIBA World Cup which will take place in December in Moscow.
The show was broadcast live by NTV, a major Russian TV network, and online on the www.ringstars.ru web-site.
‘The Ring Stars In The Red Square’ boxing event was promoted by Yuri Fedorov Sports Lab company. It started operation in 2006 by promoting the first WBC (the World Boxing Counsel) world heavyweight championship in Russian history between Oleg Maskaev of Russia and Peter Okhello of Uganda. The next boxing event promoted by Yuri Fedorov Sports Lab took place in June 2007 in Moscow with Alexander Povetkin vs. Larry Donald’s rating fight topping the card. On October 13th 2007 Yuri Fedorov Sports Lab promoted a show in the new Megasport arena in Moscow with the WBO world heavyweight championship between Sultan Ibragimov of Russia and Evander Holyfield of the U.S. as the main event.
By holding boxing shows of international appeal the Yuri Fedorov Sports Lab company builds a ground for the development of professional boxing in Russia and for today is the only promoter of world class boxing events in this country.
In September 2007 the company launched a full color glossy magazine ‘The Ring Stars’ dedicated to world boxing with periodicity 6 issues a year. The online presence of the magazine is the www.ringstars.ru web-site which also conducted an online live broadcast of ‘The Ring Stars In The Red Square’ boxing event.