TIMUR IBRAGIMOV HEADLINES AUG. 24TH RISE OF THE HEAVYWEIGHTS SHOW AT HARD ROCK LIVE

By Sharon Robb

Timur Ibragimov is breathing new life into his pro boxing career.After ten years of climbing his way up the heavyweight ladder, the 1996 Uzbekistan Olympian scored the biggest victory of his career on June 15th.   He won a unanimous 12-round decision over veteran Oliver McCall in the Rise of the Heavyweights main event at Hard Rock Live for the North American Boxing Association (NABA) title.

With great foot speed, long range combination punches and technical skills, Ibragimov proved what his trainer Luis Lagerman and strength and conditioning coach Jeremy Fedoruk have known all along—Ibragimov is worthy of top billing.

The judges had Ibragimov winning decisively with scores of 119-109, 117-111 and 117-111.

For Ibragimov, the victory was a huge step toward his eventual goal of becoming the world heavyweight champion. Since the NABA is affiliated with the World Boxing Association and Ibragimov is now an NABA champion he will be ranked among the WBA’s Top 15 heavyweight contenders.

Now at age 35, the Hallandale Beach boxer has signed a promotional contract with the Heavyweight Factory and is ready to take on the world. He will headline the main event fight in the Aug. 24 main event.

It didn’t hurt that his latest victory was a convincing one against a “name” opponent.

“This put me on the map because he is one of the great champions,” Ibragimov said.

Ibragimov’s supporting cast has helped take Ibragimov to the next level.

“He never really had someone tell him what to do,” said Lagerman, a veteran trainer mentored by Hall of Famer Angelo Dundee. “We taught him things that he should have been doing. He had a very raw amateur style in the beginning. After 200 fights as an amateur he had that Russian style. He never had to do anything like we did in the states.”

Lagerman said “it takes time to create a boxer from an amateur.

“Now, he understands the American style of boxing and he started getting better,” Lagerman said. “He is moving his head and his feet. He is doing more than he ever did before. He always had the power and strength, that comes natural to him. It was the technique that was missing.”

Ibragimov has finally earned his sudden celebrity, Lagerman said.

“He hasn’t deserved the attention before,” Lagerman said. “To beat a guy like Oliver McCall, he did a beautiful job. He has grown out of that early clumsiness, and now what he is doing is shining through. He is putting his trust in the right people.”

By winning his last seven fights, Ibragimov is gaining more and more confidence with every victory.

“The reason I am happy right now is because I am training with the Heavyweight Factory,” Ibragimov said before leaving for a month-long training camp in his hometown of Urgench, Uzbekistan where his mother and four sisters still live.

“Now I finally have got a promoter who trusts me,” Ibragimov said. “I am with the Heavyweight Factory guys all the time like Oliver McCall. For me it is one of the greatest experiences. People pay money to find this type of experience but I have this for free. That is why I am really, really excited.”

Ever since he made his pro debut in 2000 in Russia, Ibragimov has been excited. He was a light heavyweight during his amateur career with more than 200 fights. During the 1990s he was one of the world’s leading boxers. He won the Soviet Union Junior National Championships for his age category (16-18 years old).

After the break-up of the USSR, Ibragimov won the Uzbekistan National Championships five times. Ibragimov competed several times in the Asian Amateur Boxing Championships and Asian Games and in 1995 was a quarterfinalist in the World Championships in Berlin. Ibragimov won a gold medal in the 1997 Central Asian Games.

He competed in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics where he lost a controversial decision to Stipe Drews of Croatia.

Ibragimov turned pro in 2000 as a light heavyweight in Russia, but moved up to heavyweight for his second pro fight in West Palm Beach.

After 10 years, Ibragimov is 28-2-1 (15 KOs). His lone draw was against Kevin Johnson. He has won his last seven fights.

Ibragimov has also overcome a few setbacks.

In 2006, Ibragimov was outpointed by then-undefeated Calvin Brock in a high-profile fight televised by HBO. Although he rocked Brock early with a solid right cross, Ibragimov fought defensively for most of the bout against his more experienced opponent. The scores were 119-109, 117-111, and 115-113.

On February 16, 2007 Ibragimov lost a unanimous decision to top contender Tony Thompson. Ibragimov rallied in the last two rounds, but was not able to overcome the points advantage accumulated by Thompson in early rounds. The scores were 99-91, 97-93, and 97-93.

Later in 2007, he started turning things around. Ibragimov won a unanimous decision over former European champion Timo Hoffman in Germany. The scores were 99-94, 98-92, and 97-93. The victory was regarded as an upset, and it positioned Ibragimov on the edge of the world ratings.

After beating Hoffman, Ibragimov fought irregularly due to promotional and managerial problems. He had only two fights in 2008, winning both times.

Since the summer of 2009, Ibragimov has increased his ring activity and stepped up his game. In September he won a unanimous decision over Al Cole in Sweden. In February 2010, Ibragimov won the International Boxing Association Intercontinental title by knocking out Awadh Tamim in three rounds. Ibragimov’s NABA title over McCall was another confidence booster.

“Now I am North American champion and I hope one day world champion,” Ibragimov said. “I think I just understand more and how to be more aggressive. I think I am happy with who I am now.

“At 35, I think when the older boxers respect themselves they want to be world champion and work for it. Of course, I wanted to be the world champion the whole time since I started but now I have the opportunity. I have to use that opportunity.”

Ibragimov moved to Hallandale Beach seven years ago and considers South Florida his home.

“After the Olympics and when I was an amateur I was already thinking about professional boxing,” Ibragimov said. “Pretty much everything has come true for me except the world belt. If I train hard, I know I can do it.”

Sharon Robb can be reached at sha11cats@aol.com