Nikolay Valuev boxer

Nikolai Sergeyevich Valuev (vah-LOO-yeff, Russian: Никола́й Серге́евич Валу́ев, IPA: vɐˈlujɪf; born 21 August 1973) is a Russian politician and former professional boxer. He competed in boxing from 1993 to 2009, and held the WBA heavyweight title twice between 2005 and 2009. Standing at a height of 2.13 metres (7.0 ft) and a peak weight of 149 kilograms (328 lb), Valuev is best known for being the tallest and heaviest world champion in boxing history.Valuev was born on 21 August 1973, in Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Saint Petersburg, Russia). He is of ethnic Russian descent, but he also had a Tatar grandfather. Although his own parents are short—both 1.67 m (5.5 ft) tall—his Tatar great-grandfather has been described as "of mountainous proportions" and "a warrior giant of Russian folklore." His own size and appearance are due to gigantism complicated by acromegaly. Valuev has three children: daughter Irina and sons Grisha (Grigoriy) and Sergei. In his professional boxing career he was defeated only twice, by Ruslan Chagaev and David Haye.Valuev is a Russian Orthodox Christian. During his youth he played water polo and basketball.Valuev has written a book in Russian called My 12 Rounds, with the help of prominent Russian sports journalist Konstantin Osipov. The book discusses his life in general and his boxing career in particular. For that book, Valuev received an award from the government of Saint Petersburg. The book was presented in Saint Petersburg on 5 February 2007.In January 2006, Valuev was accused of assaulting a security guard at the Spartak Ice Palace in Saint Petersburg. No criminal investigation was launched by local police.Russian National Championships (+91 kg), Saint Petersburg, Russia, May 1994: