Saturday, October 07, 2006 Sayson:The eighth wonder of the world? By Homer Sayson Secondovertime
CHICAGO—Don King, pro boxing’s king of hype, left no hyperbole unsaid the other day when he introduced one of the main protagonists of his Big Red October promotion tomorrow at the All-State Arena.
“He’s the eighth wonder of the world. He’s faster than a speeding bullet. He leaped over the Sears Tower in a single stride. Is he a bird? Is he a plane? He’s Super Nikolai Valuev!”
I like you a lot, Don. But I’ll have to disagree with your mythical description of the “Giant Russian.” Valuez is no eighth wonder of the world, but he sure makes me wonder if the train has left him at age 33. Valuev definitely ain’t faster than a speeding bullet, either. I saw him fight once and he throws jabs every other day. His combinations come only once a week.
Can Valuev really leap, or fly as Don King suggests? Nope, but try plodding. At two miles an hour. But Valuev is clearly an attraction. He is 7-feet tall and weighs 325 pounds. This guy is so huge his 21-and-a-half-inch neck is nearly as thick as Eva Longoria’s waist. And his fists, measured at 14 and 1/2 inches, look like bowling balls with knuckles.
Sipping a sweating cold can of diet Pepsi, I approached Valuev the other day at the Skyline Room of Allstate Arena where a final press conference for his fight took place. I was slightly taller than him. Unfortunately, Valuev was sitting on a chair. Man oh man, his wrists are so wide he wore a wall clock instead of a watch.
I tried to interview Valuev, but he was busy, always whispering something with someone in a table full of Russians. The only word I understood coming out of his mouth was “da,” which I guess is “yes” in Russian.
Eager to find out details of his personal life, I approached a member of Valuev’s massive entourage. And so while the press conference was raging with more and more of King’s hyperbole, I asked the guy in a black suit: “Can I interview you about Valuev?”
His eyes opened as though the KGB had just arrived at his front door, and he gave me a faint smile. “I’m sorry I don’t speak English,” he said, his accent thick as clam chowder.
Sadly, I have nothing go on in so far as Valuev’s life outside the ring is concerned. But like the show in show business, this column must go on. You just have to settle with pure boxing stats.
Valuev is the reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight champion. Undefeated in 44 fights with 32 KOs, this Beat from the East claimed the prestigious diadem by beating the unspectacular John Ruiz in 12 rounds last Dec.17, 2005.
A product of the old Soviet Union sports system, Valuev has been a pro since Oct. 15, 1993. Valuev’s challenger is an American named Monte Barrett, at best a journeyman with a sleepy record of 31-4 (17 KOs). Barrett fancies himself as “Two Gunz,” but at age 35, with little quality opposition to speak of, I don’t think he has enough bullets left.
But Barrett insists that he will beat the bejeebies out of Valuev. But such bold statement leaves me with more doubt than a courtroom. Look, Barrett’s eight inches shorter and 100 lbs. lighter than his foe. And the Russian is also two years younger.
Barrett really is easy to like. He is friendly, always ready with a smile. I hope the paycheck he gets is worth trading blows with an angry fellow who just happens to be 7-feet tall and 325 lbs. thick.
Valuev is no eighth wonder of the world, but at the end of Saturday night, he will be simply too tall and too big for Barrett to overcome. Will he end the bout in a flourish, by KO? In a flourish? No. By knockout? Da!!
