"Red Cyberpop" was banned from ministry for three months. “Red Cyberpop” is banned from ministry for three months Priest Andrey Fedosov
An exclusive interview with the promising Russian heavyweight knockout artist, 24-year-old Andrei Fedosov (22(18)-2(0)-0), which he gave to the boxing portal Akboxing.ru.
Andrey, let's start from the very beginning. Tell about yourself. I was born in the city of Shuya, Ivanovo region. I have a brother and a half-sister. I just ended up in boxing. My father took me to the section because I often fought at school.
Why did you fight so much? I don’t know, I was kind of restless before. I couldn’t share one thing or the other with my peers.
Is Shuya a small town? Yes, this is a small town, 300 km from Moscow. Shuya was founded as a fortress by the Mongol-Tatars. They burned it several times. It seems to be translated as “capital” or “white capital” from Finno-Ugric.
Who was your first coach? Do you remember? Of course I remember! Veselov Viktor Mikhailovich. This has already happened in Ivanovo. Unfortunately, he died 5 years ago.
Where did you train? It was a basement, not far from the local Energy University. The coach was very good, he gave me a lot, laid the foundation. I studied with him for 6 years, until I moved to St. Petersburg in 2003. I even quit boxing, played football for a year, and got tired of something...
When you started boxing, did you immediately like this sport or not? I really liked it, but at first, I liked football even more. My father brought me to training, as soon as he left, I ran away. I was only 10 years old at the time; boxing didn’t particularly appeal to me. And then I somehow got involved and liked it.
Roman Karmazin and Andrey Fedosov
How did you perform in the amateurs? Not bad. He fought fifty battles. Won Russia in juniors.
Then you moved to St. Petersburg. In connection with what? One day we went to a competition in Kostroma. There I was seen by the coach who is now training me, Oleg Vasilievich Kostromin, he is from Kostroma himself, and worked in St. Petersburg. Well, he called me over and said: “Come to me. I train at the Mining Institute, you will study there.”
He noticed you, you started training, but how did you end up in the pros? This coach then coached Alexander Zaitsev, who won Europe and the World at that time. He also trained Dmitry Kirilov. He tells me, let's try it. And so do I - let's try. Why not try it if they also pay money for it! And so it happened.
You had your first fight in Estonia on October 26, 2003. Yes, it happened in Estonia. I remember him vaguely. I arrived on September 1st and two months later I had my first fight.
You fought your first fight. Did you feel the difference between amateur and professional boxing? When the first four-round fights took place, there was not much difference. At the same time, amateurs also boxed for 4 rounds of 2 minutes each. But when there are more rounds, the preparation itself is different. Everything is different.
You won the title of Russian champion in a fight with Suren Kalachan. How did the fight go? Yes, that's how it went. I overestimated him and did not act too actively.
He's a healthy, strong guy. Yes, but there were more.
You beat him by knockout. How it was? We boxed for nine rounds. He beat and beat, and then he hopped and lay down. Like Klitschko and Solis, “oh my knee hurts,” but what hurt him, his leg or something else, is unclear. I didn’t see the video footage, so I can’t say what happened there.
Promoter Stephen Bash and Andrey Fedosov
How did you smoothly move to Germany, and then to the States? There were no fights here, nothing was offered, but then one fight appeared in Germany. Then one manager took me in and I started fighting in America. Together with Stephen Basch (promoter of Roman Karmazin). He became my promoter.
What kind of person is he? Yes, a normal guy.
What is the most difficult fight out of the twenty-four you fought? With Lionel Butler (34(25)-17(8)-1), nicknamed “Train”, with whom I had a fight in America. A very inconvenient opponent. He hits quite hard, although all heavyweights hit decently, the main thing here is to hit. Butler is a seasoned and experienced boxer. (Approx. Akboxing.ru - Lennox Lewis knocked out Butler in the fifth round. Fedosov in the second.)
What about Lance Whitaker? Not that complicated. Even more came to me during training. I don’t know why they gave him the victory, for that shadow boxing thing he did? I have no idea. Maybe I lost this fight, but I don’t think so, I didn’t miss a single strong blow. For a fight with a shadow in front of your nose - give up the victory? Strange.
Was it convenient for you or not? Rival as rival. Nothing special. He avoided open combat. He is tall, of course, why does he need this? He acted according to his plan to win, I followed mine.
Did you have any problems approaching him? Not really. But something didn’t work out, it happens - it doesn’t work out and that’s it, sometimes.
By the way, about the long arm. He's long-armed... I wouldn't say he has long arms, although he is 2 meters tall. The difference with me is 10 centimeters, what is 10 centimeters? I stepped and they were gone.
Look, now everyone has a problem with Klitschko. No one can approach them, either Vitaly or Vladimir.
Yes, they do this well. They're great. Whitaker is not of the same class as Klitschko. Everyone operates according to their own plan. If the arm is long, this does not mean that you cannot approach him.
Did you watch the fight between Vitaly and Solis? What do you say? Yes. This is the same thing that happened with Kalachan. I hit, and he hit, this one fell and grabbed his leg, and this one. It's not clear what happened there.
Lionel Butler - Andrey Fedosov
Andrey, tell me, what prospects do you see for yourself? I take it you are aiming to become world champion? Well, who doesn’t strive to become one? I recently had a hand injury, I just recovered. Now I’ll have one fight. Well, then, whatever Stephen Bash thinks. He organizes everything. I’m in favor with both hands, as long as they pay the money. Wherever they say, we’ll go there.
So you completely trust your promoter? Yes, I completely trust you. He minds his own business, I do mine.
What do you do in your free time? Since I train all day long, in my free time I try to occupy myself with things not related to boxing. I can watch football, about transmission machines.
Are you married? No, I'm still holding on. Although, there is a girl, we have been dating for five years.
Do you know anything about future fights? Maybe it will be by summer. In June, in July. Don't know. My last fight was also supposed to be in December. Then they postponed it to January. Then February. As a result, they only got into a fight in March.
I really liked your fight with Butler. Many people called me and asked who this guy was. We hope you will continue to delight us with your fights. I hope so too! (laughs)
The priest was persecuted for his positive assessment of Lenin August 3rd, 2018
The newly-minted “Orthodox” strive, as in Ukraine, to transform the Orthodox Church from a living organism, united by mutual love, constituting an absolute unity in Christ of the living and the dead, into a political organization of the dead.
“I won’t tell you for the entire Russian Orthodox Church,” but, nevertheless, Archpriest Andrey Fedosov for his complimentary attitude towards Lenin he was persecuted by his earthly superiors. And now more details.
...Father Andrey serves in the church in the village of Krasnoarmeyskoye, Samara region, online he positioned himself as a modern priest, ready to speak on any topic about Orthodoxy. In five years, his channel has gained great popularity, and now the audience of the video blog numbers 40 thousand people. The main “minus” for the church was precisely that “Cyberpop” taught “to have your own point of view.” And the reason for the persecution was that in the year of the 100th anniversary of the execution of the former Tsar Nicholas Romanov, Father Andrei went to the Mausoleum, which he literally wrote about in his blog:
“I respect Vladimir Ilyich Lenin very much as a political figure, and in general you just need to respect him as a person, as a person. Why? He was an ideological man, and he devoted his entire life to his idea. And faithfully, he served this idea... He believed He sincerely believed that he was doing good. In addition, he was an extremely smart and talented person,” the priest said.
"United Russia" reacted to this vividly Dmitry Sivirkin, known for being a Cossack, grandson of an Orthodox saint, ex-MP and poet. He issued an open letter in which he said that his family suffered from the Red Army, that he knows history and is extremely outraged by the statements of “Cyberpop” on the Internet. Andrey Fedosov made his last video message, where he notified his opponent that he was giving critics of the church the opportunity to accuse the clergy of political bias.
"The Church is outside of politics and loyal to any government, the priest-blogger reminded the ex-deputy. - The political views of any Christian are exclusively in the sphere of his conscience. In your letter, you, Dmitry Vadimovich, evaluate me as a priest only on the basis of my statements regarding Lenin’s political activities. That is, you mix religion and politics. Why did you write this letter? What is its purpose? What result do you want to achieve by publishing it? Do you want me to stop my activities on the Internet? Maybe you are fighting for purity of morals in the clergy? Or for the cleanliness of the ranks?", says Fr. Andrey
This peculiar denunciation of dissent Sivirkina provoked a big scandal - and the Russian Orthodox Church really does not like scandals involving its clergy, so it was forced to react, as they say, to conduct an “internal investigation.” While the church trial is going on, the repressed father Andrei cannot work, blog and is “blessed” not to give comments in the media, his fate and the fate of his three children remains unresolved, and for now he is not working.
...
Orthodox blogger "Cyberpop" recalled in his response Sivirkin how he treated Lenin, for example, Patriarch Tikhon, who allowed a memorial service to be served for him and called him a man “with a truly Christian soul.” The response video received more than 250 comments, most of them positive. Konstantin Semin expressed doubt that Lenin would have taken the words about the “Christian soul” as a compliment - after all, he was a materialist. In any case, if even a respectful review of the Soviet era causes such a reaction, then we can talk about totalitarian censorship in the Russian Orthodox Church:
“Even the fact that, in principle, a respectful attitude towards the Soviet era and towards the creators of the Soviet state among believers is declared something unacceptable when totalitarian church censorship is introduced, this, of course, is extremely indicative. This has nothing to do with faith, with Orthodoxy, this has to do with the attempts of the ruling class of the bourgeoisie to defend what was stolen from the people in the early 1990s. The people have not forgotten this. The rallies against the pension reform showed that the memory of the people is still alive, it is, of course, not in the same state as the bourgeoisie. one should be wary, but, by God, one day the cat will shed the mouse’s tears.”
Statistics also speak in favor of the native of Shuya: having made his debut in the professional ring at the age of seventeen, Fedosov held the Russian champion belt in the mid-2000s, and in total won 22 victories in 24 fights.
- In March, you knocked out Byron Polley in the first round, and after that it seemed like you fell out of orbit. What happened?
I had to part with the promoter. I was preparing to enter the ring in June, September, October, December - but every option fell through. I don’t even know the essence of the problems: I was preparing, and two or three weeks before the scheduled fight I found out that it would not take place.
- What should I do?
We are looking for a new promoter in both the USA and Europe. Alas, nothing is certain yet. I think some clarity will come no earlier than mid-January. A series of holidays is coming, and everyone has no time for it right now.
- Who do you train with in St. Petersburg?
I rarely go out for sparring, I just keep in shape. I do general physical training in the morning and evening. There will be fights - then I will start working to the fullest.
- Are you very worried about the prolonged pause?
Well, of course. I really want to come back soon.
- But you don’t give up?
What remains? I console myself with the fact that this situation cannot continue forever. Someday the streak of bad luck will definitely end.
- You made your debut in the professional ring at the age of 18. Why didn't you stay in amateur boxing?
Then I just arrived in St. Petersburg and ended up with a coach who, among others, worked with Dmitry Kirillov (former IBF world champion in the up to 52.2 kg category - Note D.O.). This specialist immediately suggested trying it. And I thought: why not? Besides, they paid the money.
- Are you satisfied with how your career is shaping up?
I guess, yes. But, again, I don’t have enough fights. If there were more of them, everything would be completely fine.
- Your height is 185 centimeters. Is it too little for a heavyweight?
It’s hard to say, but I don’t experience any particular problems in the ring due to my height. In addition, history knows examples when relatively short boxers achieved great heights in the heavyweight division.
- What is your fighting weight?
102 kilograms.
- 18 of your 22 victories came by knockout. Is a powerful blow your main trump card?
It's important to hit it accurately. I remember the fight with Belarusian Vitaly Shkraba at the very beginning of his career. It seemed like he was hitting it right - but he didn’t fall and didn’t fall (that four-round fight ended with Fedosov winning on points. - Note D.O.). On the other hand, it happens that the fight doesn’t go well at all, you are “burning” on points, when suddenly you get hit and your opponent falls.
- Which of the fights do you remember more than others?
Exactly the one with Shkraba. Maybe because it was a little hard.
- Would you like to continue performing in America?
It doesn't really matter where you fight. Both local and European boxers have two arms and two legs. It is only important that the opponents are worthy.
“However, many people want to go overseas.
You know, when I first went to fight in the USA - it was in Beverly Hills - they didn’t even provide us with a toilet. And the role of changing rooms was performed by ordinary canvas tents, although it was quite cold. I was supposed to fight in the third pair, they had already wrapped my gloves - I was sitting and waiting. Suddenly they say: you will not be in the third, but in the ninth. But you can’t take off your gloves. As a result, I spent an hour and a half in them! So in America, the organization sometimes suffers (Fedosov ended the fight against Francisco Mireles with a knockout in the first round. - Note by D.O.).
- In general, everything is not as cloudless there as is commonly believed?
Certainly.
- What is your main professional goal?
Like everyone else, I want to become a world champion.
- You are 25 years old. Forced downtime can't do a disservice now?
Simple downtime, but sometimes it’s good to rest. Although you are right, I'm tired of sitting around doing nothing. It also depends on the person: some are already broken by the age of 25, others struggle until they are forty.
- Did you have serious injuries or was God merciful?
In a fight with Lance Whitaker, he tore ligaments in his arm, then had surgery and a long recovery.
- You lost to Whitaker by split decision, and many questioned this outcome.
Maybe the judges from the outside know better, but my coach Oleg Vasilyevich (Kostromitin - D.O.’s note) said after that fight: I don’t know why the American was given the victory. During all 12 rounds, Whitaker landed two right hands, but otherwise only worked with a straight left. Sometimes I get more in training! I think I did more to win then than he did.
- Who do you consider the strongest of Russian heavyweights?
Naturally, Povetkina.
- Who do you communicate with most from the boxing world?
With Kirillov and Roman Karmazin, with whom we had a common promoter (Stephen Bash. - Note D.O.).
26 (140 points)
19 (256 points)
June 2015
Amateur career
Fedosov began boxing in 1995, in his hometown of Shuya. In his amateur career, Andrei had about 50 fights and won the Russian Junior Championship. He became an amateur thanks to coach Alexey Gennadievich Gogin, after which he was noticed by Oleg Vasilievich Kostromin at a competition in the city of Kostroma. Kostromin invited Andrey to train in St. Petersburg, where he worked (trained within the walls of the Mining Institute). And he subsequently invited Fedosov to try himself at a professional level.
Professional career
Andrey made his debut in the professional ring in October 2003 in Estonia. The first years of his performances he fought mainly in Russia, Belarus and Germany. In 2004, he suffered his first defeat, losing in Ukraine on points in a 6-round fight to local boxer Alexander Mileiko.
In 2006, he won the title of Russian heavyweight champion, defeating compatriot Suren Kalachan.
In 2009 he moved to the USA.
On June 12, 2009, he won the WBC youth intercontinental champion title, knocking out American Galen Brown in the 2nd round.
In January 2010, Fedosov knocked out older American boxer Lionel Butler in the second round.
In June 2010, he lost by close decision to the famous American boxer, Lance Whitaker.
In the next fight, Andrei Fedosov was chosen as the opponent for rising American prospect, Bryant Jennings. Jennings was more active and landed more punches. Fedosov withstood the pressure of the American, but due to a hematoma above Fedosov’s eye, the fight had to be stopped. Fedosov lost early for the first time, although he finished the fight on his feet and was never shocked during the fight.
Battle statistics
The table lists the results of all boxing matches. Each line indicates the result of the match. Additionally, the match number is indicated by a color that indicates the result of the fight. Explanation of symbols and colors is presented in the table below.
| The battle | date | Rival | Location | Rounds | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | June 11 | (English)Russian (13-1-0) | Verona, New York, USA | TKO 6 (10), 1:33 | WBA Fedelatin. |
| 31 | 22nd of May | Donovan Dennis (12-1) | Corona, California, USA | TKO 8 (10), 0:54 | Won the WBO Inter-Continental title by winning ESPN's Boxcino 2015 tournament. |
| 30 | April 10th | Lenroy Thomas (19-3) | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA | KO 3 (8), 1:01 | Semifinal of ESPN's Boxcino 2015 tournament. |
| 29 | February 20th | Nat Haven (9-1) | Verona, New York, USA | TKO 1 (6), 2:53 | Quarterfinals of ESPN's Boxcino 2015 tournament. |
| 28 | April 18th | Maurice Harris (26-18-2) | Hammond, Indiana, USA | KO 2 (8), 2:24 | |
| 27 | June 14 | Bryant Jennings (16-0) | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA | RTD 6 (10), 3:00 | The fight was stopped due to Fedosov's cut and he lost the fight according to the judges' notes. |
| 26 | 20 April | Darnell Wilson (24-16-3) | Hammond, Indiana, USA | KO 5 (8), 0:53 | |
| 25 | November 21 | Rodney Glen Moore (17-6-2) | Hammond, Indiana, USA | UD (8) | Score: 80-71, 79-72, 80-71. |
| 24 | March 4 | Byron Polley (24-10-1) | Woodland Hills, California, USA | KO 1 (6), 2:02 | |
| 23 | 12 June | Lance Whitaker (34-6-1) | Hollywood, California, USA | SD (12) | Score: 115-112, 112-115, 113-114. |
| 22 | January 8 | Lionel Butler (32-15-1) | Glendale, California, USA | KO 2 (8), 2:37 | |
| 21 | 12 June | Galen Brown (32-11-1) | Glendale, California, USA | TKO 2 (10), 1:36 | Won the vacant WBC Youth Intercontinental heavyweight title. |
| The battle | date | Rival | Location | Rounds | Note |
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Links
- (English) - statistics of professional fights on the site BoxRec
Notes
Excerpt characterizing Fedosov, Andrey Sergeevich
“Due to your painful seizures, please, Your Excellency, upon receipt of this, go to Kaluga, where you await further orders and assignments from His Imperial Majesty.”But after Bennigsen was sent away, Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich came to the army, making the beginning of the campaign and being removed from the army by Kutuzov. Now the Grand Duke, having arrived at the army, informed Kutuzov about the displeasure of the sovereign emperor for the weak successes of our troops and for the slowness of movement. The Emperor himself intended to arrive at the army the other day.
An old man, as experienced in court affairs as in military affairs, that Kutuzov, who in August of the same year was chosen as commander-in-chief against the will of the sovereign, the one who removed the heir and the Grand Duke from the army, the one who, with his power, contrary the will of the sovereign, ordered the abandonment of Moscow, this Kutuzov now immediately realized that his time was over, that his role had been played and that he no longer had this imaginary power. And he understood this not just from court relationships. On the one hand, he saw that military affairs, the one in which he played his role, was over, and he felt that his calling had been fulfilled. On the other hand, at the same time he began to feel physical fatigue in his old body and the need for physical rest.
On November 29, Kutuzov entered Vilna - his good Vilna, as he said. Kutuzov was governor of Vilna twice during his service. In the rich, surviving Vilna, in addition to the comforts of life that he had been deprived of for so long, Kutuzov found old friends and memories. And he, suddenly turning away from all military and state concerns, plunged into a smooth, familiar life as much as he was given peace by the passions seething around him, as if everything that was happening now and was about to happen in the historical world did not concern him at all.
Chichagov, one of the most passionate cutters and overturners, Chichagov, who first wanted to make a diversion to Greece, and then to Warsaw, but did not want to go where he was ordered, Chichagov, known for his bold speech with the sovereign, Chichagov, who considered Kutuzov benefited himself, because when he was sent in the 11th year to conclude peace with Turkey in addition to Kutuzov, he, making sure that peace had already been concluded, admitted to the sovereign that the merit of concluding peace belonged to Kutuzov; This Chichagov was the first to meet Kutuzov in Vilna at the castle where Kutuzov was supposed to stay. Chichagov in a naval uniform, with a dirk, holding his cap under his arm, gave Kutuzov his drill report and the keys to the city. That contemptuously respectful attitude of the youth towards the old man who had lost his mind was expressed to the highest degree in the entire address of Chichagov, who already knew the charges leveled against Kutuzov.
While talking with Chichagov, Kutuzov, among other things, told him that the carriages with dishes captured from him in Borisov were intact and would be returned to him.
- C"est pour me dire que je n"ai pas sur quoi manger... Je puis au contraire vous fournir de tout dans le cas meme ou vous voudriez donner des diners, [You want to tell me that I have nothing to eat. On the contrary, I can serve you all, even if you wanted to give dinners.] - Chichagov said, flushing, with every word he wanted to prove that he was right and therefore assumed that Kutuzov was preoccupied with this very thing. Kutuzov smiled his thin, penetrating smile and, shrugging his shoulders, answered: “Ce n"est que pour vous dire ce que je vous dis. [I want to say only what I say.]
In Vilna, Kutuzov, contrary to the will of the sovereign, stopped most of the troops. Kutuzov, as his close associates said, had become unusually depressed and physically weakened during his stay in Vilna. He was reluctant to deal with the affairs of the army, leaving everything to his generals and, while waiting for the sovereign, indulged in an absent-minded life.
Having left St. Petersburg with his retinue - Count Tolstoy, Prince Volkonsky, Arakcheev and others, on December 7, the sovereign arrived in Vilna on December 11 and drove straight up to the castle in a road sleigh. At the castle, despite the severe frost, stood about a hundred generals and staff officers in full dress uniform and an honor guard from the Semenovsky regiment.
The courier, who galloped up to the castle in a sweaty troika, ahead of the sovereign, shouted: “He’s coming!” Konovnitsyn rushed into the hallway to report to Kutuzov, who was waiting in a small Swiss room.
A minute later, the thick, large figure of an old man, in full dress uniform, with all the regalia covering his chest, and his belly pulled up by a scarf, pumping, came out onto the porch. Kutuzov put his hat on the front, picked up his gloves and sideways, stepping with difficulty down the steps, stepped down and took in his hand the report prepared for submission to the sovereign.
Running, whispering, the troika still desperately flying by, and all eyes turned to the jumping sleigh, in which the figures of the sovereign and Volkonsky were already visible.
All this, out of a fifty-year habit, had a physically disturbing effect on the old general; He hurriedly felt himself with concern, straightened his hat, and at that moment the sovereign, emerging from the sleigh, raised his eyes to him, cheered up and stretched out, submitted a report and began to speak in his measured, ingratiating voice.
The Emperor glanced quickly at Kutuzov from head to toe, frowned for a moment, but immediately, overcoming himself, walked up and, spreading his arms, hugged the old general. Again, according to the old, familiar impression and in relation to his sincere thoughts, this hug, as usual, had an effect on Kutuzov: he sobbed.
The Emperor greeted the officers and the Semenovsky guard and, shaking the old man’s hand again, went with him to the castle.
Left alone with the field marshal, the sovereign expressed his displeasure to him for the slowness of the pursuit, for the mistakes in Krasnoye and on the Berezina, and conveyed his thoughts about the future campaign abroad. Kutuzov made no objections or comments. The same submissive and meaningless expression with which, seven years ago, he listened to the orders of the sovereign on the Field of Austerlitz, was now established on his face.
When Kutuzov left the office and walked down the hall with his heavy, diving gait, head down, someone’s voice stopped him.
“Your Grace,” someone said.
Kutuzov raised his head and looked for a long time into the eyes of Count Tolstoy, who stood in front of him with some small thing on a silver platter. Kutuzov did not seem to understand what they wanted from him.
Suddenly he seemed to remember: a barely noticeable smile flashed on his plump face, and he, bending low, respectfully, took the object lying on the platter. This was George 1st degree.
The next day the field marshal had dinner and a ball, which the sovereign honored with his presence. Kutuzov was awarded George 1st degree; the sovereign showed him the highest honors; but the sovereign’s displeasure against the field marshal was known to everyone. Decency was observed, and the sovereign showed the first example of this; but everyone knew that the old man was guilty and no good. When, at the ball, Kutuzov, according to Catherine’s old habit, upon the Emperor’s entrance into the ballroom, ordered the taken banners to be laid down at his feet, the Emperor frowned unpleasantly and uttered words in which some heard: “old comedian.”
The sovereign's displeasure against Kutuzov intensified in Vilna, especially because Kutuzov obviously did not want or could not understand the significance of the upcoming campaign.
When the next morning the sovereign said to the officers gathered at his place: “You saved more than just Russia; you saved Europe,” everyone already understood that the war was not over.
Only Kutuzov did not want to understand this and openly expressed his opinion that a new war could not improve the situation and increase the glory of Russia, but could only worsen its position and reduce the highest degree of glory on which, in his opinion, Russia now stood. He tried to prove to the sovereign the impossibility of recruiting new troops; spoke about the difficult situation of the population, the possibility of failure, etc.
In such a mood, the field marshal, naturally, seemed to be only a hindrance and a brake on the upcoming war.
Russian heavyweight Andrey Fedosov blamed manager Vadim Kornilov for the stagnation of his career in the West:
I have good friends, such as Yegor Mekhontsev. Fate brought me and him to the USA, we still communicate today. He is on good terms with FBI Secretary Umar Kremlev. Egor lobbied for me to fight in Russia, because it was already unbearable to wait any longer. I want to say a special thank you to Kremlev that he did not remain indifferent to the boxer abandoned by everyone, and helped me move on. After all, my life depends on it. I have a family and a child to support. I didn’t live at home for years, I was in America, but I never got any fights. My manager Vadim Kornilov kept saying that we need to be patient, we need to be patient. In the end, I didn’t earn anything with him, and then he still tells me about some concepts. Look at him from the outside. Almost everyone who worked with him admits that he is a fraudster: Kopylenko, Postol, Mekhontsev, Shelestyuk, Papazov. Just ask them if you're interested. He always says very high and good words about honesty and justice, but this is a mask behind which he hides his machinations.
- Why did you have to endure it? How did he justify this?
I don't know what "tolerate" means. He didn’t call me for a long time and didn’t offer anything, and then, when I arrived in St. Petersburg on June 11, he called me and said: “Andrey, they’re offering a fight at the end of June.” I answer: “Vadik, are you crazy! It’s unrealistic in such a situation to go to America and fight in two weeks. Apparently, someone there just refused and the opponent’s fight fell apart. But he doesn’t care, he’s inviting me to act as a victim.” It will only take a week to acclimatize, and I had no training or sparring before. I’m not a coward, but I’m not suicidal and I won’t lie down under a train. .They are normal people.
- Why doesn’t Kornilov, a professional boxing manager, understand such simple truths?
He knows one simple truth: to earn money. After he refused to give me a release, we made inquiries to the athletic commission of his state where he worked. They answered that Kornilov does not have a manager’s license and does not have the right to be one. We began to find out further. As it turned out, he does not have such a license in any state, and in Russia too. He is not a manager and has no right to be one. Any boxer who worked with him can sue him and receive a penalty of up to 100 thousand dollars, according to the law of the state of California, where he operated. Every day he deceived his fighters, saying how good he is and how much he does for them, but in fact he is a simple rogue who has nothing to do with this sport, and is absolutely incompetent in matters of professional boxing and management in particular.
- Then how did you get to this manager?
I was in Chicago, there was a fight coming up. The then manager Bobby Hitz offered me to sign a contract for the fight. I read it, and there is not a contract for a fight, but something unclear - an enslaving contract for five years. I say: “I won’t sign this garbage.” He replied that then I wouldn’t have a fight. I don’t know, he says how to work with me. He offered to work with his friend, manager Vadim Kornilov. That's how I ended up with him.
- Besides the fact that he didn’t call for a long time, were there other precedents for how he behaved?
He didn't show himself at all. I didn't know any plans or anything. In my opinion, the manager should at least periodically find out how his boxer is doing, maybe he crashed in the car. And here the man was lost for a long time.
- How much did he ask you for his work?
20 per cent.
- And he took it constantly and regularly?
Certainly. For the last fight he asked for more, saying he spent more money because he was with me in America longer. I answered him: “Vadik, are you kidding me or what? What the hell did you spend if in America the promoter pays for my housing, plane, cars and food.” He replies: “I didn’t know about that.” That's the kind of manager he is.
- Didn’t your colleagues warn you about his methods of work?
I didn’t know or hear anything about him at all.
- But did he do anything? Did it have any advantages?
He looked for good sparring partners when I had a tournament. After three fights, he gave me good sparring and that’s it. I have a fight in June. The physical training coach worked until April and left. I informed Kornilov about this. I reminded him a week later. Then before the weigh-in he asks me: “Have you even run?” I warned him two months in advance that the coach had left, and I studied on my own, but he didn’t care.
- Does he even understand that you can’t treat boxers like that?
I myself am wondering why he didn’t give me fights for so long. We had no contact with him all this time. I suggested that he break up and let me go on good terms. But he refused to give a release because, they say, he spent a lot of time and money on me. I answered him: “How much money did I lose with you in those two years that I didn’t box?” When I realized that it was useless to talk to him and suggested we meet in court, he replied: “That’s not according to concepts, normal boys don’t act like that.” But I just can’t understand what concepts he lives by? Egor Mekhontsev couldn’t even make it through a ten-round fight. Egor asked him: do 10 rounds, do a normal fight. He tells him: I can’t, I can’t do it. I write messages to them by e-mail, but I can’t do it. Any fool can write messages; you don’t need much intelligence to do it. And no one knows whether he wrote anything there or not. His work, as I see it, consisted only of reposting on Instagram about some events and messages by e-mail.
- What was his average pay per fight?
Differently. He has his own agreements with each boxer. The conductors gave him 30 percent. For the fight with Algieri, he received 700 thousand, just count it. At some point, my patience simply ran out and I realized that I had to continue to organize my career myself.
- After he found out that your fight was confirmed, did he call?
No, why should I call him? He knows that I can’t stand him and despise him as a person. He's nothing to me. When I was in Los Angeles, he asked some person from the MMA world to call my brother, who was in Moscow and through his brother asked me not to go after Kornilov. Vadik went to the same bathhouse with me and didn’t even say hello. These are his concepts. He cannot speak about his claims to his face, but always acts through someone. I’m used to always speaking to my face.
- Did someone else ask you not to run into Kornilov?
His dad tried to talk to me, but I don’t even know who he is or what he does.
- After you broke up, did he still have complaints against you?
For the last fight, I received 30 thousand dollars, gave him six, and he asked for more 25-30 percent due to the fact that he spent more money on me. I then lived in Los Angeles for six months, and my wife gave birth in St. Petersburg. I wasn't even present at the birth. And all because Kornilov constantly delayed the fight, and then brought charges for these delays.
- When did you start to notice that he was not honest with you?
Well, if there are no battles, then it’s clear that something is wrong. After the first fight, he asked how I wanted to get money for the fight? I replied that it didn't matter. He says: “Let me give them to you in Moscow.” I agreed. He was supposed to give 10 thousand $, but he gives 9.4. And about 600 bucks he says that he took it in cash. Moreover, he didn’t say anything about this initially. He tells everyone that he is a patriot, but in fact he is a swindler who thinks only about money and nothing else.
