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Aleksandr Miroshnichenko

Aleksandr Viktorovich "Alex" Miroshnichenko (Russian: Александр Викторович Мирошниченко; 26 April 1964 – 19 May 2003) was a Russian-Kazakh professional boxer. As an amateur he represented the Soviet Union at the 1988 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal in the super-heavyweight division.

Aleksandr Miroshnichenko
Александр Мирошниченко
Born
Aleksandr Viktorovich
Miroshnichenko

(1964-04-26)26 April 1964
Kostanay, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union
Died19 May 2003(2003-05-19) (aged 39)
Kostanay, Kazakhstan
Nationality
Statistics
Weight(s)Heavyweight
Height1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Boxing record
Total fights22
Wins21
Wins by KO15
Losses1
Medal record
Men's amateur boxing
Representing  Soviet Union
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 1988 Seoul Super-heavyweight
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1989 Moscow Super-heavyweight
European Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1983 Varna Super-heavyweight
Bronze medal – third place 1989 Athens Super-heavyweight
Goodwill Games
Silver medal – second place 1986 Moscow Super-heavyweight
World Cup
Bronze medal – third place 1983 Rome Super-heavyweight

His other accomplishments included silver at the 1989 World Championships, as well as bronze at the 1983 and 1989 European Championships, and other international tournaments.

Early years

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Miroshnichenko took up boxing at the age of 13, at the strong insistence of his mother, who thought that her son must be able to defend himself, and brought him to the gym at his hometown of Kostanay. Miroshnichenko shown little interest in boxing, but had a natural talent and considerable ability to compete both nationally and internationally, which he did during the 1980s. He was ranked world's #6 super heavyweight by the AIBA in 1984.[1]

Amateur career

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Punch statistics for the Bowe vs. Miroshnichenko
at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Punches 1st round 2nd round 3rd round Total
Thrown Bowe 68 102 127 297
Miroshnichenko 57 37 49 143
Landed Bowe 8 32 48 88
Miroshnichenko 21 17 10 48
Percent Bowe 12% 31% 38% 30%
Miroshnichenko 37% 46% 20% 34%
External videos
  Bowe vs. Miroshnichenko, second meet at the 1988 Olympics

Aside from his Olympic performance, Miroshnichenko had a distinguished amateur career, winning 210 out of 233 bouts, including a win over future world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and 1984 U.S. Army and inter-service champion Wesley Watson. He won medals in the European Championships and the World Cup, and was a three-time Soviet champion. He represented the Dynamo Sports Society. At the 1988 Olympics semifinals Miroshnichenko floored U.S. Riddick Bowe momentarily in the first round, but Bowe managed to win by the decision.[2] Despite Miroshnichenko's loss to Bowe, Lou Falcigno, a New York-based boxing promoter of Momentum Enterprises, Inc., expressed a particular interest in bringing him to the United States to fight professionally. Negotiations began between the promoter and the Soviet Boxing Federation and Sovintersport, the entity responsible for the commercialization of Soviet sports,[3][4] but proven unsuccessful as the Soviet government dismissed the idea early in 1989.

Highlights

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He had 233 fights as an amateur, finishing his amateur career with a record of 210–23.

Professional career

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Miroshnichenko turned pro in 1990, at the very advent of professional boxing in the late Soviet Union, and had limited success. He began his career by knocking out Roberto Servin in the first round. In Miroshnichenko's third fight, he stopped future WBC International Champion, Ross Puritty.

In 1991, Miroshnichenko won the vacant Russian Heavyweight title from Nurlan Dzhanibekov. After vacating the Russian title in 1992, Miroshnichenko won a very close Split Decision against Samuel M'Bendjob by only one point. In 1993, Miroshnichenko beat former IBF Cruiserweight Champion, Ricky Parkey in an impressive third round Knockout.

After 21 consecutive wins against limited competition, Miroshnichenko was finally defeated by Oleg Maskaev in 1993 in Maskaev's first pro fight: a TKO in the third round. Miroshnichenko's cornermen later told that he entered the bout with his arm fractured. Miroshnichenko retired after the bout.

Retirement and later years

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Upon his retirement from competition, he opened a state-sponsored boxing school for youth, and worked as a chief boxing coach of the Kostanay Region in 2000-2002. He also helped to establish the school of martial arts at the Kostanay State University (the only martial arts higher education unit in Kazakhstan,) which he headed as a dean until his death.

Death

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Miroshnichenko died under unclear circumstances in 2003, aged 39, after supposedly falling down nine flights of stairs at his apartment building in his hometown.[5] Rumours initially circulated that his death was related to his testimony in the trial of a local judge, but local prosecutor's office later ruled his death was most probably accidental, and case was closed.

Professional boxing record

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22 fights 21 wins 1 loss
By knockout 15 1
By decision 6 0
No. Result Record Opponent Opp Record Type Round, time Date Location Notes
22 Loss 21–1   Oleg Maskaev debut TKO 3 (6) 17 Apr 1993   Taraz, Kazakhstan
21 Win 21–0   Ricky Parkey 22–15–0 KO 3 20 Mar 1993   Philips Halle, Düsseldorf, Germany
20 Win 20–0   Michael Simuwelu 18–4–1 PTS 8 19 Dec 1992   Berlin, Germany
19 Win 19–0   Samuel M'Bendjob 6–3–0 SD 8 3 Dec 1992   Rotterdam Ahoy Sportpaleis, Rotterdam, Netherlands 79–77, 77–76, 76–78
18 Win 18–0   Oleg Ushakov debut PTS 8 18 Oct 1992   Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan
17 Win 17–0   Carlos Pena 0–1–0 KO 1 2 Oct 1992   Waregem, West Flanders, Belgium
16 Win 16-0   Mike Cohen 30–18–0 KO 2 (6) 19 Sep 1992   Kassel, Hesse, Germany
15 Win 15–0   Nurlan Dzhanibekov 0–4–0 KO 1 (8) 23 Aug 1992   Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan
14 Wi 14–0   Yevgeniy Tulenov debut KO 2 (8) 8 Aug 1992   Rudniy, Kazakhstan
13 Win 13–0   Steve Garber 18–16–1 TKO 1 (8) 8 May 1992   Waregem, West Flanders, Belgium
12 Win 12–0   Albert Johnson debut TKO 1 (10) 1 Feb 1992   Willemstad, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles
11 Win 11–0   Nurlan Dzhanibekov 0–2–0 KO 4 (10) 7 Dec 1991   Rudniy, Kazakh SSR Won vacant Russian Heavyweight title
10 Win 10–0   James Holly 3–23–0 KO 2 28 Oct 1991   Arnhem, Netherlands
9 Win 9–0   Nurlan Dzhanibekov 0–1–0 PTS 8 26 Sep 1991   Karaganda, Kazakh SSR
8 Win 8–0   Vladimir Guguchkin 0–1–0 TKO 6 (8) 4 Sep 1991   Alma-Ata, Kazakh SSR
7 Win 7–0   Pyotr Skok debut TKO 8 (8) 7 Jul 1991   Pavlodar, Kazakh SSR
6 Win 6–0   Igor Shklyaruk debut TKO 4 (8) 18 May 1991   Semipalatinsk, Kazakh SSR
5 Win 5–0   Vazgen Ayvazyan debut PTS 8 17 Mar 1991   Kemerovo, RSFSR
4 Win 4–0   Viktor Aldoshin debut TKO 4 (6) 16 Jan 1991   Tokyo, Japan
3 Win 3–0   Ross Puritty 3–1–0 RTD 6 (8) 29 Oct 1990   Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
2 Win 2–0   Juan Hernández 3–11–0 PTS 6 20 Aug 1990   Tokyo, Japan
1 Win 1–0   Roberto Servin 1–1–1 KO 1 (6), 2:27 23 Jun 1990   Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan Professional debut

Memory

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Alexandr Miroshnichenko Memorial annual junior boxing tournament has been established in his hometown of Kostanay.

References

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  1. ^ Boxing Ratings; NEWLN:International Amateur Boxing Assoc.-World champion. a-U.S. titlist. UPI, February 27, 1984.
  2. ^ Sports of The Times; Green to Gold, Now Green Again, The New York Times.
  3. ^ From Russia With Glove: Soviets to Fight in U.S. by Earl Gustkey, The Los Angeles Times, July 8, 1989, p. 53.
  4. ^ Soviet boxers to fight professionally in U.S. (AP,) Pacific Stars and Stripes, April 19, 1989, p. 27.
  5. ^ Olympic boxing medalist dies after falling nine floors in building; 38, Lowell Sun, May 21, 2003, p. 15.
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Preceded by
Arkady Kharlampiyev
(before the October Revolution)
 Russian Heavyweight Champion
7 December 1991 – 16 July 1993
Retired 		Succeeded by
Vladimir Yelbaev
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