- On September 30, your ward Murat Gassiev will fight Otto Wallin in Turkey. The previous fight took place in Yerevan. Why was Belek chosen this time?
"It wasn't up to us. Murat doesn't care where to box. I know that several options were discussed. Tajikistan and Monte Carlo also appeared. But in the end we settled on this city.
— Is it easier to bring a top-level opponent to Turkey? After all, it would be more pleasant for Murat to enter the ring, say, in Yerevan.
- He is most comfortable in Moscow. But now, unfortunately, this is impossible.
- In addition to Yerevan, Gassiev performed in Serbia last year, where a lot of attention was riveted on him. Is there any interest in it in Turkey?
- We are now a little closed off from everything, focused on preparation and try not to pay attention to this. But there is a certain excitement. This can be judged at least on the basis of how many people recognize Murat on the streets. Moreover, not only Russians and Turks, but also other foreigners - Czechs, Italians - approach it. Even one Englishman.
– Who do you think the Turkish fans will support more this time?
- Of course, we hope that Murata. But it's not that important to us. Gassiev repeatedly entered the ring and in those places where the audience was on the side of the opponent. He also boxed in the USA, and in Germany, and in Montenegro. He feels at home everywhere.
- Does any of Gassiev's relatives plan to attend the show?
- Yes, family and friends are going to Belek. I know that for sure. And who exactly and how many people - I can't say, I didn't specify. If the fight had taken place in Moscow, there would have been a very large support group.
- In July, it was said that Gassiev's opponent could be both Wallin and Martin Bacolé, who occupies the second place in the WBA ranking. Which of the options was a priority?
- There is no difference. They said that Wallin would be the opponent and named the timing of the battle - they began to train. If there was Bakole, they would prepare for it.
- Do you see the difference between them in terms of level?
"Why?" These are completely different boxers. But much depends on what physical form each of them is in at the moment.
— In addition to anthropometry, what strengths would you note from Wallin?
- This is a good athlete: big, daring, patient, strong-willed.
- Recently, Gassiev has often been criticized for choosing opponents. They said, they say, he beats the "bags" instead of fighting with the tops. How did you react to that?
- The criticism was not entirely fair. When an older Russian boxer gets the better of a person from the seventh or eighth dozen of the Boxrec rating, everyone praises him. At the same time, Gassiev is younger, he has already gone through a lot. And the last time he coped with an unbeaten opponent, who is quite a bit lower than him on the list. However, the people are dissatisfied. He didn't ask himself for this opponent ... They gave the enemy, he prepared. It just so happened that the fight ended quickly.
- In your opinion, if Gassiev easily beats Wallin, will he also be called a "bag"? After all, the Swede had previously lost only to Tyson Fury.
- I think there will still be such conversations. Because Gassiev was criticized after the fights with both Denis Lebedev and Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, least of all after the battle with Yunier Dorticos. But these are fans, they have the right to express their opinion. When I watch football, I am also dissatisfied if Lionel Messi made the wrong pass. Murat is calm about this.
- Compared to the same Michael Balogun and Nuri Seferi, Wallin is a real giant. Probably, it was not easy to find sparring partners to prepare well for it?
- Thanks to the Boxing Federation of Russia and the promotion companies "Patriot" and Ural Boxing. They dealt with this issue, and this time good and large sparring partners were selected. An American, a South African, and a Croat arrived. We are satisfied.
- Have you had any problems with this before?
– Before all the previous fights. And I'm not kidding. They promised ten people, and then something always happened. Either the plane was delayed, or some other problems. As a result, one Yuri Bykhovtsev saved us, came from Belarus, and we prepared with him. I don't criticize or complain to anyone. I'm just noting that for the first time I got sparring partners that are needed. Before the last four fights, they were weak. Even in Serbia. They brought us good amateur guys, but they were much inferior to Murat in terms of level.
- In one of your interviews, you said that the Boxing Federation of Russia also helped Gassiev with the training camp. What exactly was the assistance?
- Well, first of all, the camp itself is not cheap. Everything costs money: to maintain the team for more than a month, and to bring sparring partners. There are many other small nuances. The Federation approached the matter very well.
- Did the change of sports citizenship affect Gassiev's preparation in any way? Still, now he represents Armenia ...
—Murat was and remains a Russian. He did not change his citizenship, but took an additional one. Everyone understands what it is for. Therefore, when answering this question, there is no point in repeating myself.
- Earlier, a video appeared on the network with Gassiev's preparation for the confrontation with Wallin. And he got the impression that Murat had lost a lot of weight. Is that really the case?
- Not really. Perhaps the weight is a little less than usual. But that's okay. The striking power remained. We didn't do anything on purpose. It's just hot here in Turkey.
- It seemed that if you dry a little, you can again perform at 90.7 kg.
- Murat has not lost so much weight. I think you can forget about the first heavyweight. There we have already proved everything to ourselves and others. Now you need to achieve great heights in the weights.
- As far as we know, the PravdaBoxing promotion wanted to arrange a fight with the participation of Gassiev, Soslan Asbarov personally challenged him. Is Murat interested in this now?
– I don't want to say anything bad about the guys, but theyoften turn to famous athletes to draw attention to themselves. I remember there was a boxer Nikolai Kulpin - he always offered to fight Mike Tyson, although he was in the ranking at the end of the seventh hundred. And all the newspapers published it. It's the same story here. I think Murat didn't even hear Asbarov's words.
- So it's just PR?
- Of course. If he says that he is challenging Ivanov or Petrov, no one will notice. And so they will immediately speak. But I don't see anything wrong with that.
- You said that before the battles with Dorticos and Wlodarczyk you were very nervous. Are you worried about Wallin now?
- A lot of work has been done. We hope for a good outcome. The excitement is always present. It is impossible to get used to it. After all, every new battle is a challenge. Before the previous confrontations with Seferi and Balogun, I was also worried, as I am now before the fight with Wallin. Because any fighter who comes out against Murat is dangerous.
- Murat himself says that he does not worry at all before the performance. Is that really the case?
- Yes, moreover, with his confidence and composure, he reassures the whole team. Although, it would seem, it should be the other way around.
- Gassiev said in one of his interviews that he likes to fight in the ring and he is not interested in fighting in a different manner. Has his attitude to fighting changed with age?
"You can say whatever you want. First of all, he comes out to win. Gassiev always tunes in to a full fight. And then how it will turn out. In boxing, it is difficult to predict how the confrontation will go. It's great if you manage to win by knockout.
Much depends on the opponent. So, at the beginning of the duel with Dorticos, Murat generally worked as the second number, and then alternated: one round in attack, the next more calmly. It was a hot duel with Lebedev, when Gassiev constantly went forward.
- In which of the fights did he act perfectly in terms of tactics?
- For me, the fight with Wlodarczyk is the best in Murat's career. The promotion was enormous. There was advertising on American television, many posters were hung on the streets of New York. For several days, banners with the announcement of the tournament flaunted in Times Square. The excitement was crazy. And most importantly, in this atmosphere, Gassiev played the fight very competently. I didn't sleep for a week before the fight, and then three days after. I just didn't want to. I was so overwhelmed with various feelings. Before the fight - tension, and after - positive emotions. I have never felt such a thing in my life again.
- At interviews and during press conferences, Gassiev behaves as modestly as possible. Is he really like that or is he a little shy in front of the cameras?
"He's definitely not stewing. On the contrary, he is very confident. And it is with thisfeeling that he goes through life. But Murat is really very modest - both in terms of training and in everyday life. I never liked to stick myself out. Cheerful, good-natured, sociable. Very sociable. It is comfortable to be with him. In addition, he has a flexible mind. He knows and reads a lot.
- Do you pay a lot of attention to how your students spend time outside the ring?
- Of course. I try to ensure that they are not only in sports, but, in general, develop harmoniously. Physically, spiritually, and informationally. I try to help them in different ways.
- You now continue to work with both children and amateurs. You have your own school. How do you manage to combine this with the training of professionals?
"I'm not alone. We have a large team with whom we have been working together for more than 10 or 20 years. I am helped by guys who have become masters of sports of international class. They've been in boxing all their lives. There are also young people. Our students came to the training camp in Turkey, who have already become coaches. One person, of course, cannot cover everything.
- Are there guys who could also shine in the international arena in the future? Who should you start following now?
—A couple of fights before Murat, David Dzukaev will enter the ring, we hope for him. In general, a lot of good guys. And not only their pupils. People come to us from all over Russia. For example, Artem Suslenkov is a promising heavyweight. We also believe that he will make a great boxer.
- In Vladikavkaz, Gassiev is a real star and idol for boys. Does he take part in the life of the school?
- He can attend competitions if the schedule allows. Come, talk to the guys, prompt, hold a master class. But he is still a professional athlete, so he is focused on his work.
- Does he like to communicate with boys?
- Yes, he is very responsive and attentive in this regard.
- What is his personal quality that impresses you the most?
- It's hard to say, I've known him since childhood. I feel comfortable working with him. He's a good man and a great boxer.
- Dmitry Bivol said that at the training camp, his coach Gennady Mashyanov cooked borscht for his players. Has this ever happened to you?
- This is not a unique case. I also spent months preparing for pupils, and even Ural boxers. Now we have a very good coach, master of sports of international class Alan Chekhoev. The kitchen does not trust anyone. Once a week, the table is set.
- You said that you need to forget about the first heavyweight. At the same time, Oleksandr Usyk is considering the option of returning to this category. If there was an opportunity for revenge with him, would you reconsider your position?
- Why not meet in the heavyweight division? Why go down?
— Certainly. Anyway, does the defeat still bother Murat?
- Now he is calm about what happened. There is no such thing that directly craves revenge. If everything goes well, he will play a return match. If not, that's okay. The goal is not to meet Usyk again at all costs, but to become a world champion. And it is not so important who will be the opponent.
- In one of the interviews, Usyk admitted that the transition to a new category was not easy for him. I had to eat a lot to keep fit. Is Gassiev experiencing the same problems?
- On the contrary. In the last fights in the first heavy, he made weight with great difficulty. I had to dump a lot, so now Murat feels just comfortable.
- Speaking of Usyk, he recently met with Daniel Dubois. In your opinion, was it the most difficult fight for him during his performance in the heavyweight division?
- Of course not. With Derek Chisora, he had a harder time.
- In general, how would you assess Usyk's performance in this fight?
– Alexander is an outstanding athlete. And if I say something else, it won't be true. It's just that he did some fights better, some worse.
- Over the past years, they have only talked about a unification fight between Usyk and Fury. Who do you think is the favorite?
- It's hard to say. But, probably, still Fury. It is extraordinary, seemingly awkward, but despite its size, it is very coordinated and does not get tired. Shows non-standard boxing. Although there are many nuances and it is impossible to say unequivocally. However, I am inclined to believe that Tyson will win.
- If you imagine that now Gassiev is free to choose with whom he fights from the big four heavyweight divisions - Usyk, Fury, Joshua or Deontay Wilder, who would you choose?
- It would be interesting with anyone. All of them are good athletes, big, big. But Fury is probably a priority.
- After last weekend, many began to include Zhang Zhilei among the strongest in the category. Are such assessments justified?
"I don't think so. Rather, the fight showed that Joe Joyce is an "inflated" boxer. The Chinese did not impress with anything. Neither in the first fight with the American, nor in the second.