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Aleksandr Miroshnichenko

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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

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.

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

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

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
video icon 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

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

Professional career

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

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

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

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 Uzbekistan Oleg Maskaev debut TKO 3 (6) 17 Apr 1993 Kazakhstan Taraz, Kazakhstan
21 Win 21–0 United States Ricky Parkey 22–15–0 KO 3 20 Mar 1993 Germany Philips Halle, Düsseldorf, Germany
20 Win 20–0 Zambia Michael Simuwelu 18–4–1 PTS 8 19 Dec 1992 Germany Berlin, Germany
19 Win 19–0 Cameroon Samuel M'Bendjob 6–3–0 SD 8 3 Dec 1992 Netherlands Rotterdam Ahoy Sportpaleis, Rotterdam, Netherlands 79–77, 77–76, 76–78
18 Win 18–0 Russia Oleg Ushakov debut PTS 8 18 Oct 1992 Kazakhstan Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan
17 Win 17–0 Colombia Carlos Pena 0–1–0 KO 1 2 Oct 1992 Belgium Waregem, West Flanders, Belgium
16 Win 16-0 United States Mike Cohen 30–18–0 KO 2 (6) 19 Sep 1992 Germany Kassel, Hesse, Germany
15 Win 15–0 Russia Nurlan Dzhanibekov 0–4–0 KO 1 (8) 23 Aug 1992 Kazakhstan Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan
14 Wi 14–0 Kazakhstan Yevgeniy Tulenov debut KO 2 (8) 8 Aug 1992 Kazakhstan Rudniy, Kazakhstan
13 Win 13–0 United Kingdom Steve Garber 18–16–1 TKO 1 (8) 8 May 1992 Belgium Waregem, West Flanders, Belgium
12 Win 12–0 Netherlands Antilles Albert Johnson debut TKO 1 (10) 1 Feb 1992 Netherlands Antilles Willemstad, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles
11 Win 11–0 Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Nurlan Dzhanibekov 0–2–0 KO 4 (10) 7 Dec 1991 Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic Rudniy, Kazakh SSR Won vacant Russian Heavyweight title
10 Win 10–0 United States James Holly 3–23–0 KO 2 28 Oct 1991 Netherlands Arnhem, Netherlands
9 Win 9–0 Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Nurlan Dzhanibekov 0–1–0 PTS 8 26 Sep 1991 Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic Karaganda, Kazakh SSR
8 Win 8–0 Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic Vladimir Guguchkin 0–1–0 TKO 6 (8) 4 Sep 1991 Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic Alma-Ata, Kazakh SSR
7 Win 7–0 Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic Pyotr Skok debut TKO 8 (8) 7 Jul 1991 Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic Pavlodar, Kazakh SSR
6 Win 6–0 Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic Igor Shklyaruk debut TKO 4 (8) 18 May 1991 Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic Semipalatinsk, Kazakh SSR
5 Win 5–0 Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic Vazgen Ayvazyan debut PTS 8 17 Mar 1991 Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Kemerovo, RSFSR
4 Win 4–0 Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Viktor Aldoshin debut TKO 4 (6) 16 Jan 1991 Japan Tokyo, Japan
3 Win 3–0 United States Ross Puritty 3–1–0 RTD 6 (8) 29 Oct 1990 Japan Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
2 Win 2–0 Mexico Juan Hernández 3–11–0 PTS 6 20 Aug 1990 Japan Tokyo, Japan
1 Win 1–0 Mexico Roberto Servin 1–1–1 KO 1 (6), 2:27 23 Jun 1990 Japan Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan Professional debut

Memory

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

References

  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.
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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