Russian boxers Vadim Tukov (14-0, 6 KO) and Magomed Madiev (16-1-3, 5 KO) will fight at the RCC Boxing Promotions title fight night. The international tournament will be held on September 6 at the Traktor ice rink in Chelyabinsk. Tukov and Madiev will fight in a 10-round bout for the WBA international middleweight belt. We talked to Vadim and discussed with him the main issues of world boxing. Tukov also assessed interesting events and gave forecasts for the expected fights.
– How did you prepare for the upcoming fight? How did you spend it?– There are no special secrets. I went through the first stage in Rostov and got into top shape. We did volumes, intensive work. And now I have come to train in Moscow. I walk around the halls, studying. I have a strong opponent, in Russia, the most serious in my weight category. Dangerous. He has a low knockout percentage, but he hits well. And even in the fight in which he lost, he knocked down his opponent several times. You can’t yawn with him. He is technical, with a lot of experience as an amateur. For me, this is the strongest opponent in Russia.
–For two years in a row you had four fights per year. How exhausting is this intensity?– When everything goes without injuries, I will be ready to box. I did not have any super battles. I would like to box more, but for higher fees. I would not like to have much downtime. This year I am unlikely to have time to fight four times. But by the end of the year I would have had one more fight.
Fight against Vadim Tukov
Photo by: RCC
– You fight in RCC. What do you think about the promotion and the conditions?– I have four fights a year, few people can boast of that. I regularly hold big events. Therefore, this is the number one company in Russia. I don’t see anyone who can compete with them at all. I am very happy to be part of their team.
– Are you already looking forward to trying your luck abroad?– Yes, I’m looking forward to it. I like to challenge myself. I’d love to box in the enemy camp as a guest. I really want to gain my audience elsewhere. I think the horizons will open up now. Especially if I win and get into the top 15. I’ve been ready for new challenges for a long time.
– I don’t want to look behind my opponent’s back. But are there any irritants in your division, guys you want to fight?– I don’t have such people. I am a calm person. But I love sports competitions. I prefer to be in the role of someone who doesn’t like someone. In such battles I would like to test my strength, I would accept any challenge. And then, there are no guys whom I would like to beat because I don’t like them.
Vadim Tukov
Photo by: RCC
– How do you feel in general about talking trash without dirt?– Positive. It’s part of the game. Everyone plays the best they can. So overall it’s positive. I’m just a different person. I’m all for making it look natural. When people try to portray themselves as something they’re not, it’s funny and ridiculous. Overall, I’m all for it. If this happens in my direction, it’s normal. I don’t see anything wrong with it. As soon as I learn how to do it, I’ll do it too. But just hurting someone… This is not about me.
– Did you watch the Olympics? How did they react to Russia’s final elimination?– It’s a bit of a shame. The Olympics turned out to be not so interesting. Everyone understands that Russia has a very strong boxing school. The fights would be much more interesting and competitive. But overall I watched the tournament itself. Some of the characters were interesting to watch. I followed the results.
– With the withdrawal of the IBA, the level of the Olympic Games has fallen, as many experts say. Do you agree with this statement?– It was noticeable. There was more competition before. Everyone was waiting for the Olympics. And now there are one or two favorites in each weight class. Everything is predictable. It was not as interesting.
Vadim Tukov
Photo by: RCC
– Have you seen the song with Iman Khelif? What do you think about her participation in the Olympic Games?– I don’t know exactly what is there and how. I don’t want to go into this filth specifically. I just saw what I found. I didn’t like it all. This politics, all this obscurity… The IOC is trying to draw attention to the Olympic Games in this way. But all this is simply disgusting. Previously, the Olympic Games were considered an exemplary competition. And now it is turning into a big stand.
– Now the world’s leading organisations are returning Russians to the rankings. How should this be assessed?– At first there were some political issues. And now they have begun to seriously evaluate the situation. The whole world sees that our boxers are at a high level. Without our participation, they lose interest and entertainment. We began to understand that we would not be able to get away without the Russians.
– Saudi Arabia is taking the lead in American boxing. Where would you like to fight first?– I am from the old school. And I consider the United States a priority. There is a different audience there that has a good eye for fights. And I would have fought several fights there. At least to tick the box yourself. And if Russia suddenly becomes the world capital of boxing, everyone will benefit. But if the Saudis call me, I will take this opportunity. This is our job and money.
Vadim Tukov
Photo by: RCC
– Tell us, how did you fall in love with boxing? Who inspired you?– By character and appearance, I was not made for boxing. But it chose me. I started training when I was a child. And there were not many options. Over time, everything started to work out. Before, I had no intention of connecting my life with boxing. After several defeats as an amateur, I even thought of quitting. But then an offer came to try myself as a professional. I tried it and it worked out. In general, I really like training. I loved watching the fights of Roy Jones, Diego Corrales, Evander Holyfield.
– Are you trying to identify the top three Russian and foreign boxers?– In Russia, it’s Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. They stand out clearly. And the third one… I don’t even know. They are the first ones that come to mind. The third one is difficult to decide. They did a lot to popularize boxing in Russia. In the world for me, Canelo is one of the tops, Gervonta Davis, Alexander Usyk. These are the three that I will highlight for now.
– The fight between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev is coming up soon. How do you think it will go?– I’ll give 60/40 in favor of Bivol. Arthur was injured. And it seems to me that Beterbiev has already peaked. And Bivol will continue to progress. With a slight advantage, I see Dmitry as the favorite in this fight. But the puncher always has a chance – this makes them equal. I don’t even take age into account here. Arthur is always in good condition. There should be no discount for age.
The next fight will be a true clash of philosophies:
Beterbiev destroys, Bivol exhausts. How Russia’s super champions win
– What do you think of the first fight between Usik and Fury? How do you think the rematch will turn out?“Fury won the rounds with a lot of confidence in the middle of the fight. I was very surprised. He feels that he can win. He has a lot of advantages. Therefore, he demanded immediate revenge. Usik had a legendary fight and went all the way. Nobody expected this. I was very surprised. It seems to me that in the second fight Fury will be more cunning and more serious. But it is unknown what trump card Usik can get in this fight. And yet, it seems that Fury is the slight favorite. I think they want to force him to fight Joshua.
– What about the Fury-Ngannou fight? What was that about?“It was obvious that Fury underestimated Ngannou. Tyson is a very unstable boxer. He can fight with the “bag” and declassify the top. I don’t think Fury even had a proper camp. But the public benefited from it. And Joshua came out and showed everything. Ngannou is a tough fighter. But boxing and MMA are different disciplines. And Joshua showed all the designs.
– What do you think about the prospect of a fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul?“I’m definitely scared for Mike. I don’t fully believe in the seriousness of this fight. I’ll definitely watch the result, but I’m not interested. I don’t think this is a real fight. I just like competitive fights.
