بـــــــــــــــــــوکس ایــــــــــران

Yunusov is looking forward to fighting in APB

AIBA Pro Boxing's (APB) Boxer of the Week moved to Tajikistan this week to introduce the world to a great local boxer who will soon be turning pro with APB. His name is Anvar Yunusov. A two time Olympian, this promising boxing talent from Tajikistan makes fans hearts beat faster every time he climbs into the ring, particularly with his performances in the last two World Series of Boxing (WSB) seasons with Dynamo Moscow and the USA Knockouts. He just bagged a bronze for Tajikistan in the 2013 Asian Amateur Boxing Championships too. No wonder our fans had so many questions for him on APB's Facebook page.  Here is the full text of that fan generated interview:

Anvar, how did you get into boxing? Why did you choose this sport over others?
Well, this is quite an interesting story! When I was about 12 or 13 my friend got assaulted. He came to me and asked me to go to the boxing gym with him so that he could get ready to get revenge on his attackers. My first reaction was "why do we need to train for that? Let's just go and beat them right now" (laughs). But luckily he convinced me to go to visit the boxing coach he knew and we started training in the gym. As soon as the coach saw me, he told that I have a great potential and a natural aptitude for boxing and that I would go to the Olympics. I didn't really understand him as in those times I didn't even know what the Olympics were, but that is how I got into the boxing. Even though I lost in my first ever tournament, competing in the 34-kg weight category, it didn't disappoint me too much as I took it as a lesson to improve.

From the first moment I laced up my gloves, I got a feeling that this sport was for me. I had tried a lot of other sports before, rowing, swimming, even taekwondo, but I was never successful in any of them.

Talking about success, what is your most ambitious goal?
As you may know, sport is not as well-developed in Tajikistan as in other countries. We have a lot of difficulties even compared to other neighbouring countries, which have much stronger economies. Therefore I never even dreamt I would get to the level of becoming an Olympian. That is already an awesome achievement considering the conditions our athletes have. Let's be honest, things here are much more complicated than in other countries where the sport is developed constantly supported at all levels.

I have also had a chance to compete in the WSB, which is a competition that I love! This has given me even more experience and confidence. And now I have got a chance to start my pro career in APB. I am definitely aiming at becoming a successful pro boxer, but first and foremost, I would like to become an Olympic champion. Therefore I consider APB to be a major opportunity in my life and I am really grateful for the chance it represents for me to achieve my goals.

One of your fans would like to know what do think about your opponent Somjit Jongjohor from Thailand, who took gold in the Beijing 2008 Olympics. He has beaten you every time you have met each other in the ring, would you consider him the toughest boxer you faced in your boxing career so far?
Actually, I've met him three times and he was much more experienced than me. Maybe I was also too self-confident at those days. I don't really know. However, I wouldn't call those bouts difficult and I wouldn't call him a tough opponent. The guy doesn't attack, he holds back. The one in Beijing I just lost tactically and you can see that if you watch the fight. That happens when you are chasing points. And frankly speaking, I don't think I lost it anyway.

Actually, for me the most difficult bout is always the first one of the tournament. And if you get a tough opponent for that first fight, you can easily succeed in the following bouts. That's how it works. In the amateur tournaments your first opponent always hardens you for the following performances but he is always therefore the toughest too. 

Have you had situations when you had to lose weight before your fight? What do you usually do in those cases, mainly go on diet or focus more on training?
Actually it has happened to me several times when I was competing in the second season of WSB. As I had to compete in 54-kg category and I'm really far too heavy for that weight.  My usual weight is around 56 kg, so I was permanently on a diet and it was quite hard. I always combined my diet with special fitness exercises. As for the nutrition side of things, I prefer to go for proteins, mainly meat, as you have to get enough calories to train as well. Luckily, I don't have to go through it anymore as in APB I can compete in my own weight category which is 56-60 kg.

And as you mentioned the WSB, what are your memories about this competition? Would you like to compete in that format again, taking into consideration that even though you are joining APB it is still possible?
I had a wonderful experience in that competition and I really loved it! I remember when I was competing with the Russian team Dynamo Moscow in the second season, I just loved the conditions they provided for our training and for the whole competition, not to mention that the team was just great, we really got along together.  Then I fought for the USA Knockouts and I also had really good time even though I was only with them for the actual competitions (not training). But I appreciated the WSB format at lot, it is really unique and exciting and the show is always spectacular. It is definitely an interesting opportunity for boxers like me who compete in amateur competitions, to earn some money. As you know we don't get an opportunity to earn anything in our amateur careers, unless you get to the Olympics and you win, but that does not happen to everyone. That is why we should be thankful to AIBA and whoever came up with the idea of the WSB competition; they must have been a genius.

However, I am now thinking ahead to my performance in APB, which I believe will be even more exciting and challenging for me as this will be an individual not team event. I am really looking forward to it as this competition format is something that the world has never seen before.

What about your training? Has it changed a lot since you started to get ready for APB?
 Of course it has changed; we have a totally different approach now. I have never boxed for 8-12 rounds as will be the case in APB. But I believe that once you manage to compete in a 6-round bout, you can also compete for 8-rounds. While getting ready for 10 and 12 rounds is a lot more difficult. But you should increase it gradually, without haste and have a nice easy progression.

I'm concerned about the type of training we do as I fully rely on my coach to become my brain for training sessions. Actually, I am really lucky that my uncle is my coach, as he cares a lot about me. He knows exactly what I need and when to do it.  I follow whatever type of training he considers important. What is really essential to get ready for the competition is to be isolated from your usual environment, your family and friends. This is how you manage to concentrate only on your preparation.  Moreover, while getting ready for a professional career, you can't underestimate tactical preparation. For this you have to watch hours of footage from the best bouts to get important tips.

You prefer to get ready for your bouts in isolation from your family but how about the bouts themselves? Do you prefer it if your relatives are away when you are competing too?
Well, as I said, my coach is my uncle, thus, I always have my relatives close by (laughs). I always feel the support from my family, and if they are in the venue, you feel it even more. They like to come to see my fights even though it is not always possible as I am often boxing abroad. I usually suggest that they stay at home and have a rest instead of being stressed for me at the match. However, when I will start boxing professionally, I will definitely appreciate their presence during my bout.

What are the most important things a person can do to be successful?
You should just follow your goal, no matter what happens. If you keep on focusing on your aim and move forward towards it, doing what brings you closer to your purpose, sooner or later you will succeed. If you are an athlete, you should just train and always think about what you want to reach.

And finally, how would you like to finish your career?
Honestly, I haven't thought about it yet. I am now focusing on my closer target which is to get the medal from the next Olympics in Brazil. And this is my ultimate goal for now. Should I succeed in it, I will think about what to do later. As my contract with APB is for 5 years only, I will see if I will have a possibility to extend it after the Olympic Games. But I know that AIBA plays fair and square and trust is so important. This is why APB is an excellent choice for all boxers who want to turn pro without any risks. You know, when I was boxing with the Russian guys, they were telling really horrible stories about ruined lives and careers of boxers who turned pro with promoters who just used the boxers for their own benefits. I am not interested in such a future, but I am interested in APB. And that is it so far.