Valeriy Abadzhyan - heavyweight that knocked out Lennox Lewis

[Boxing Writer]

Valeriy Abadzhyan. Soviet heavyweight that knocked out Lennox Lewis in October 1986. Abadzhyan was late starter - his first amateur fight had beed held when he was 17-years-old. He was really small heavyweight (about 5'11'' - 6'0''), but very tough one. Valeriy Abadzhyan finished his amateur career with 89 wins and 21 losses in his record.

Here is how he recalls his amateur win over future Olympic champion and undisputed heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis:

"As for Lewis, I've simply outsmarted him. Back then, in 1986 on the TSC Tournament his win over me would be considered an upset, because he was only 21 y.o., while I was 28. I wasn't prepared well for that fight, so I had to outsmart him (to win). He was winning the fight, but eventually I knocked him out".

(Source - http://bloknot-voronezh.ru/news/lennoks ... ler-798447)

Here is a footage of Abadzhyan's fight against Teofilo Stevenson. Abadzhyan looked so small comparing to 6'3'' Stevenson, but was pretty competetive against Cuban great:

[Boxing Writer]

Abadzyan's quotes from another interview:

On his KO of Lennox Lewis: "Lewis was in his best shape, but I outsmarted him making him come forward. I knocked him down with a punch to the chin and then knocked him out with a punch to the liver"

On Mike Tyson: "In my opinion, Lennox was better fighter than Mike Tyson. Tyson was very explosive, hard puncher, but his skills was far from perfect. He was just a successful business project. But that's just my personal opinion"

On the best heavyweights of all time: "Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali. Louis was a pure spostman, Ali was a boxer, a poser and a businessman. Both have reached greatness".

http://sport.business-gazeta.ru/article/120459/

[Sidney Carton]

A name ending in IAN or YAN is Armenian.

Great gymnast Albert Azarian.

Writer William Saroyan.

Weightlifter Yuri Vardanyan

[Boxing Writer]

A name ending in IAN or YAN is Armenian.

Great gymnast Albert Azarian.

Writer William Saroyan.

Weightlifter Yuri Vardanyan

He was born in Tajikistan, but he has Armenian roots.