Gazi Khalidov: “Boxing is everything, it’s my life, my salvation in this cruel world”

The member of the Spanish Boxing TeamOlympic diploma, and ranked in the world top 20 in his category within amateur boxing according to the Boxrec international database, Riojan Gazi Khalidov make the move to paid boxing. It will be done next October 8 at Rioja town of Villamediana de Iregua in an event with more professional boxing and a great amateur program.

It is very clear to him that boxing has been his salvation. Despite being young, 27 years old, circumstances forced him to go through the events that forced his family to leave his home country, Dagestan, and find a new land, another culture, another language, another way of life. Shortly after turning 20, when he was already good at amateur boxing, an injury to his right hand, the recovery of which was complicated, kept him in dry dock for a long time. The support of his family, his teammates and his coaches and mentors, Jose Ignacio Barruetabena They are important to get ahead.

With the help of ‘Barru’, talent, ability and ability to sacrifice led him to participate in Liga4Boxing within the group Euskobox-Green arguing in battles of the highest level. In a short time, the reward for so much effort came with the conquest of the national title, the call of the national team, the concentrations in the high performance centers, the display of his talent in international tournaments at the highest level , the acquisition of the Olympic diploma in Tokyo and its settlement among the world elite.

“Now I’m at a big step in my career to get to where I want to be, at the beginning of something big,” he said. gazi in reference to his paid boxing debut. “I want to compete in a European championship and, why not, a world championship”, he added, although, in the medium term, “I am more focused on Paris 2024, with the Olympics as my first goal”. Ambitious, he does not set a preference for titles: “Olympic and world champion, that’s the best”.

Alternating between Olympic-type competition and the professional doesn’t worry him “Ultimately it means adapting a bit; and I believe that my boxing will fit well with the characteristics of professional combat”, he affirms. “I want to try it, I’m sure I’ll feel great; the main difference is that more rounds are played and mistakes cannot be made”.

His family supports him “to the fullest” in this new challenge where he will try to emulate his two role models in boxing, both amateur and professional stars: “I like Mike Tyson Muhammad Ali, and great boxing in general .”

Finally, he explains the explosion of boxing The Rioja as “something great” as a result of “teamwork”. It is a fashionable sport in the Community, coming from the ostracism it has been under for decades and described by Khalidov as “everything in my life, my salvation in this cruel world”.

On October 8 in the Rioja town of Villamediana de Iregua will begin his professional career in a tough 6-round light heavyweight clash headlining an event with more professional and amateur boxing organized by Inigo Marin.

“Let’s go for it all as always, this is just the beginning”, he announced Gazi Khalidov, the boxer from Rioja who was born in Khasavyurt.