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Igor VysotskySoviet boxer
Date of Birth: 10.09.1953
Country:  Russia |
Content:
- Biography of Igor Vysotskiy
- A Little and Persistent Boxer
- Before the Fight
- A Look into the Past
- Memorable Fights
- Two Fights
- Not a Professional Boxer
- Respect from Stevenson
- Retiring from the Ring
- Life After Boxing
- Life After Boxing
Biography of Igor Vysotskiy
Soviet BoxerFormer heavyweight boxer Igor Vysotskiy, who we have all somewhat forgotten about, is still mighty at the age of forty-five, and if judging by his appearance, he has become even more powerful: weighing around 160 kilograms, he managed to maintain himself within the limits of ninety-something kilograms in the ring. "So, here's how it goes: right - straight, left - hook, and again a straight right," recalls Igor Vysotskiy about one of his most significant fights. The one who fell to the floor of the ring was none other than the legendary Teofilo Stevenson. "And now, Igor, if the situation forced you, would you be able to defend yourself if someone attacked?" "God forbid! I haven't lost my punching power..." And the fight began.
A Little and Persistent Boxer
Zaev, a small and persistent boxer, attacked Vysotskiy like a moth to a dark-skinned giant, but Vysotskiy casually defended himself. The rounds with Gorstkoy were colorless. Then it was Vysotskiy's turn, and he managed to hit him well. "I also managed to hit him a couple of times," Vysotskiy recalls. "But I also caught him with a good straight right punch..." He was a boxer without complexes, without trembling before authorities, even though he was a human being and all human things were not foreign to him.
Before the Fight
"Did you get nervous before the fight, even though it was an exhibition with Ali?" "Of course! But I also valued myself." "And who is Igor Vysotskiy now, what did he find himself in?" "I have an unusual job. I organized a fish smoking workshop in Khimki. My wife Marina helps. There is not much profit, but I can help other boxing veterans who are in need." "Where do you live now, Igor?" "I have a regular two-room apartment on Dmitrovskoye Highway. I have a summer house near Zelenograd. It is guarded by a dog that I love very much, a 3.5-year-old American Staffordshire named Young. He peacefully coexists with another smaller dog, Boy, a 6-year-old French Boxer. My mother-in-law, Valentina Ivanovna, takes care of the household, but I am torn between Moscow and the Moscow Region."
A Look into the Past
Vysotskiy never achieved such high ratings in the ring as, for example, Lev Mukhin and Jonas Cepulis, who managed to win silver medals at the Olympic Games in the heavyweight division. He was far from the national fame of his predecessors Nikolay Korolev, Algirdas Socikas, and Andrey Abramov; he remained in the shadow of heavyweights like Gorstkov and Zaev. However, just hearing the name Igor Vysotskiy, the heart of a Russian boxing fan began to beat unevenly, and abroad, he was known and respected more than others. But that's in the past. That's why I'm asking: "Which of the fights you've had do you remember the most? Let's start with the ones you won."
Memorable Fights
It's a sacramental question, I admit. Well, judge for yourself, who else in the world managed to defeat, not once, but twice, the incomparable Teofilo Stevenson? After Laszlo Papp, who, however, boxed in a less prestigious weight class, the Cuban was the only boxer who was lucky enough to become a three-time Olympic champion. I had the luck, thanks to my reporting, to have a chat with Stevenson at the world championships, I believe in 1978 in Belgrade. When I mentioned the name Igor Vysotskiy, Teofilo became animated and reacted in Russian: "Respect, my friend!" They had the same coach, although in different eras - Andrei Chervonenko, who passed away not long ago. "Yes," confirms Igor Vysotskiy. "Perhaps the most memorable fight was with Teofilo."
Two Fights
There were two of them. Which one do you mean? "Probably the second one - at the tournament in Minsk, in April 1976. I was very nervous before the final fight. In the evening, I even had a glass of wine, about 200 grams of red wine, to calm my nerves." "How could you? What about the regimen?" "Oh, come on, Alexey! I read in your own articles about Brumel, how he couldn't fall asleep in Tokyo before the fight with Thomas, so, on the advice of his coach or, at least, with his blessing, he had a glass, not of wine, but of alcohol. The insomnia went away, and in the morning, he was in top form. Honestly, I was in the best mood, the most important thing was to get enough sleep." "Alright, I'll drop the question..."
Not a Professional Boxer
"I got enough sleep, that's for sure, thank God! I entered the ring modestly. And he - like an artist, jumped over the ropes. One word - a professional, even though, seemingly, like me, an amateur. The stands were roaring, there were so many Cuban students who received education in our country! I immediately went on the offensive, and he responded, I retreated, showing that I know how to defend myself, there were ducks and dodges. In the second round, I hit him in the body, he hit me in the head. Honestly, we both almost got knocked out. But both he and I stayed on our feet. Well, in the third round, I got to him: a technical knockout. The first in the career of a Cuban who had knocked out his opponents 98 times before."
Respect from Stevenson
"Was he afraid of you, Igor? It was your second fight. And the first one didn't bring happiness to the famous champion either." "I think Teofilo was never afraid of anyone. But I suppose he remembered the first fight." "And you? Especially since it took place, if memory serves me right, in Santiago de Cuba, in July 1973?" "Exactly. At the tournament commemorating the Cuban revolutionary and boxer Hiraldo Cordova Cardina. I went there as the champion of the USSR among young athletes. Teofilo was already an Olympic champion, the winner of the Barker Cup. Before our meeting, I had already defeated two Cubans. So, what did I have to lose? Maybe I lost the first round, but in the second, I started to get into my stride. Rafik Megrabyan was my second. He advised me: 'Hit him first.' And that's what I did, to be honest, I just beat up Teofilo. Of course, I was hindered - by the referee and the Cuban coach: they kept saying that they needed to fix Teofilo's glove, or something else, just to stop my attacks. Nevertheless, I won by a close score of 3:2, and, mind you, the fight took place in Santiago de Cuba, and the jury included two Cubans, apart from a German, a Bulgarian, and our own. Such a victory is worth more than any knockout."
Retiring from the Ring
"Well, if not after the first fight, then at least after the two unsuccessful fights for the brilliant Stevenson, did your personal relationship, as one can assume, get soured?" "Not at all. We met again, let's not lie, in Moscow, at the 1989 World Championship. We just hugged, sat down, had a drink together."
Life After Boxing
Now it is necessary to delve into the delicate subject. Even slippery. Still, I finally decide to ask: "Boxers often get hit in the head, and heavyweights, with their power, especially suffer. Let's not hide it, we both know that it affects health and mental state. Even years after the end of a sports career. Let's remember Ali, for example. And we have many sad examples in our memory. But looking at you - clear-headed, full of energy..." "The most important thing," Igor says confidently, "is to retire in time, not to take unnecessary blows." "And did you retire from the ring fully aware? When you still had plenty of strength?" "I already talked about it - the situation forced me. I started losing more and more often, not because I was weaker, but because of the repeated cuts on my eyebrows. Maybe my brow arches were too unreliable, or something else."
Life After Boxing
"And where did you start after that?" "I started working as a mover in a furniture store, not far from home - on Kahovskaya. It was a convenient job. And I earned 50-100 rubles a day, much more than when I was a sports star."
I asked about his free time. It turned out that O. Henry is one of Igor Vysotskiy's favorite writers, as well as Jack London and Arthur Hailey. He also loves music and has a collection of recordings. He has a box of tools in his house. He enjoys tinkering, finding relaxation and pleasure in it. He is good with his hands and fixes car problems himself, like a skilled mechanic.
"When you're at your summer house, how do you spend your leisure time?" "If you can call it leisure... I have a plot of land of 12 acres, with all kinds of berries and fruits. I even bought a cultivator because I enjoy working in the soil."
This is how the famous boxer, a big and kind man, lives. He lives modestly, working hard and honestly.
