Vassiliy Jirov

Infobox_Boxer


name = Vassiliy Jirov
realname= Vassiliy Valeryevich Jirov
nickname = The Tiger
weight = Cruiserweight
nationality= flagicon|KAZ Kazakhstan
birth_date = Birth date and age|1974|4|4|mf=y
death_date =
birth_place = Balqash, Kazakhstan
home = Scottsdale, Arizona
style = Southpaw
total = 41
wins = 37
KO = 31
losses = 3
draws = 1
no contests = 0

Vassiliy "The Tiger" Jirov (born April 4, 1974 in Balqash, Kazakhstan) is a professional Kazakh boxer and former IBF Cruiserweight World champion, currently fighting out of Las Vegas, NV under Thell Torrence. Jirov won the Olympic gold medal at Atlanta in 1996.

Soon after, he moved to the United States, settling in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he married and began to train at the SAR Club's boxing gym.

Professional career

Jirov made his debut as a professional on January 18, 1997, with a two round knockout of Vince Brown in Las Vegas. He won eleven fights that first year, all by knockout, including wins over Exum Speight and Art Jimmerson. In 1998, he won eight fights, six before the final bell. On May 5, he won the WBC's regional Cruiserweight title with a 12 round decision over Rich La Montaigne, who became the first boxer to last the full distance against Jirov. On December 5, he once again fought in Ukrainian territory. In his first fight as a professional in Ukraine, he beat Alex Vassilev in Kiev by decision in eight.

In 1999, Jirov was given his first world title try: In front of an HBO Boxing audience, he beat IBF world Cruiserweight champion Arthur Williams by a knockout in seven rounds at Biloxi, Mississippi, to become that organization's world Cruiserweight champion.

For his first defense, he fought at the main supportive event at the Felix Trinidad-Oscar De La Hoya undercard on September 18, retaining the crown with a ten round knockout of Canadian Dale Brown.

In 2000, he beat Saul Montana by knockout in round nine to retain the world title on an Univision televised fight, and won two non-title bouts, including one over Esteban Pizarro at the Playboy mansion.

On February 6, 2001, Jirov went to Kazakhstan to defend his crown in his home-country for the first time. There, he retained the title with a first round knockout of Alex Gonzalez. He won three more fights that year, one a world title affair against Julian Letterlough (knockout win in 8).

In 2002 Jirov, by then managed by the Sugar Ray Leonard promotion company, had begun to have career problems, and he was able to defend his crown once that year, beating former world Middleweight champion Jorge Castro of Argentina by a 12 round decision on February 1 at the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix. Talks had begun about a fight of his against former multiple division world champion James Toney. However, negotiations took long and Jirov spent more than one year outside the ring, time in which the IBF threatened to take away recognition of Jirov as world champion if he did not defend his crown soon. As a result of these managerial problems, Jirov also moved from the SAR club gym, favored by his management, to Joe Diaz's Gym, near Downtown Phoenix.

Jirov and Toney finally met on April 26 of 2003, and Jirov suffered his first career defeat, when he lost the IBF's world Cruiserweight title to Toney by a 12 round unanimous decision. On August 9, Jirov came back, beating fringe contender Ernest Mateen by knockout in seven rounds.

On November 6, he won the NABO regional Cruiserweight title with a six round knockout of Joseph Kiwanuka in Phoenix, on a card where former world champion Willie Jorrin also boxed.

Despite dropping his next rival, Joe Mesi, three times in the last two rounds, Jirov lost a ten round unanimous decision to Mesi during his Heavyweight debut, on March 13, 2004, at Las Vegas.

Jirov's next fight was against ex-heavyweight champion, Michael Moorer. Jirov was upset by Moorer via TKO in the ninth round.

Over the next six months, Jirov took two "tune up" bouts in order to stay fresh. He disposed of Forrest Neal by KO in round 3 and defeated Troy Beats by unanimous decision.

Jirov's next fight was against former heavyweight and cruiserweight contender Orlin Norris. Jirov and Norris fought to a draw on a sweltering day in the Palace Indian Gaming Center outdoor stadium in Lemoore, CA.

Jirov is reported to have lost weight, and will be campaigning at cruiserweight once again. In his first return bout to the cruiserweight division (April 20, 2006) he defeated Luke Munsen in a unanimous decision. On July 14, 2007 Jirov defeated Kenny 'The Raven' Craven by TKO in second round of 10 round scheduled bout. His devastating body punches stopped Craven at 4 Bears Casino and Lodge in New Town, North Dakota.

His record stands at 37 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw with 30 wins by knockout.More information about Vassiliy Jirov could be found on his web site at http://jirov.com

Amateur career

*1992 Junior European Champion in Edinburgh, as a Middleweight.
*1993 3rd place at 1993 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Tampere, Finland, as a Middleweight.
**Defeated Francesco Passanante (Switzerland) TKO 3
**Defeated Andrei Khamula (Ukraine) points
**Lost to Akin Kuloglu (Turkey) points
*1994 3rd place at Asian Championships in Hiroshima, Japan as a Light Heavyweight.
**Defeated Asghar Ali (Pakistan) TKO
**Lost to Yong-Sam Ko (South Korea) points
*1995 3rd place at 1995 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Berlin, Germany as a Light Heavyweight.
**Defeated Ervin Helmanis (Latvia) KO 2
**Defeated Ismael Kone (Sweden) TKO 1
**Lost to Antonio Tarver (United States) points
*1996 Olympic Gold Medalist at Light Heavyweight at the Atlanta Games.
**Defeated Julio César González (Mexico) TKO 2
**Defeated Pietro Aurino (Italy) points
**Defeated Troy Ross (Canada) points
**Defeated Antonio Tarver (United States) points
**Defeated Seung-Bao Lee (South Korea) points
*Winner of the Val Barker Trophy for Outstanding Boxer at the 1996 Olympic Games

External links

* [http://www.boxrec.com/record7121.html Vassiliy Jirov - Boxing Record]
* [http://jirov.com Vassiliy Jirov's official website]