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Egor Mekhontsev

 

At recent World box championship among nonprofessionals two Russian sportsmen Artur Beterbiev and Egor Mekhontsev got gold medals. While the name of Chechen sportsman is buzz word, the native of Asbest is forgotten. Coming out in national command in 2005 he disappeared from sport for 3.5 years. But suddenly in heavier category (until 91 kg) he became a winner of the Russian Championship, then of the European championship and now – of the planet. “Novye izvestiya" (“News”) warmly spoke with Mekhontsev.

 

- Egor, after the victory in Milan you were honourably met at your native site. You’ve been already met with the Minister of Sports Vitaly Mutko, and soon you’ll meet with Governor of Moscow region Boris Gromov. How do you feel in this position?

- In the first days I had got no time for rest. I felt giddy. After arriving from Italy I came very near to stray. All tonight I walked on Troparevo-Nikulino district and asked everyone how to pass to the hotel. But because of fret I forgot its address. It’s all because of strangeness. Now it is the Minister’s visit, then – photographing, than – invitation to magazine staff. Shortly, complete bustle. When finally I came back to the hotel, I thought only about one thing: to eat and to sleep.

- Were you recognized in metropolitan streets?

- Oh yeah. On sport channel billiard and poker are on the air more often then box. If I am a gambler, I will be recognized.

- By the way, during the meeting with Mutko it was named the sum of premium for the victory at the World Championship, is it secret?

- Minister said that I may get the grant as a member of national assembly and a World Champion. But candidly, because of fret. I didn’t understand when I`ll begin to get money and what sum will be. The President of the Box Federation promised to award me too.

- How much did you get last year after the victory at the European Championship?

- At that time I was a member of Ural department of the community “Dinamo”. So, I got 125 000 roubles. Then the other organization paid 50 000 roubles. But I might get the sum twice as much. But one official officer said that European Championship is not a full competition. It’s the very nonsense…

- At that time you were the member of Chelyabinsk assembly. At present you live in Moscow region. What was the cause? Money, too?

- Yes, now I represent Zvenigorod. The cause is that during the preparation to World Championship there were not any finances in Chelyabinsk, even for transport expenses to Kislovodsk where the preparative gathering for national assembly was organized. So we had to pay our own money. In Moscow region there are not such problems. It is needless to say that at previous work I didn’t get my salary regularly. So, I feel little discomfort when some sport agents from Chelyabinsk say that I am their pupil.

- How are you going to rest?

- "I and my father will go to native Asbest. My fiancée is waiting for me there. Unfortunately I have no my own residence. I live with my parents. Otherwise I would marry my girl. But soon it will be a reconstructive gathering in Sochi. It is allowed to take wives and girl-friends. I hope I will go not along.

- It is said that you begun to practice in usual basement and continued to practice in such conditions until recently. Wasn`t it?

- So? My father is trainer. He works about 30 years. But at first he trained illegally. He created a small gym in basement of common dwelling with his own hands. Can you beat it? My brother begun to practice in this basement and I attended ski section. I remember that I attended this section about year and 8 months but all this time I went to the basement to my father. But then I realized that the main thing for me is box. I can say that I didn’t like football as many other boys. I remember that it was planned to close our club. The district, where we lived, was very uneasy. But finally the box section was legalized and named “Zdorovye” (“Health”) Unfortunately, three years ago the gym was closed, otherwise I have been training there until now.

- How from the basement in Asbest you became a member of Russian assembly?

- It was the time where our club went to attention. I began to perform at the Regional Championship, then represented all Ural region and became a member of junior assembly. I don’t want to brag, but in junior category I won two Championships and two Russian cups. And after the victory at the Junior European Championship I was invited to the adult national command. But I was invited hors concours. Usually I participated only in sparring with such famous sportsmen as Eugenie Makarenko. It seems to me I put a bold face on. Elder mates made no bones with me, but didn`t whack like the devil. After the year I was the second at the Russian Championship and in 2005 I got an official invitation to the Russian assembly. But at the first Championship I was umpired wrongly in the quarter-final. Then Alexander Lebzyak became a chief of the assembly. I want to say nothing bad about him. But also I have nothing good to say about him. He didn’t notice me. And when I had lost my job in the assembly I was withdrew from all rates. Shortly, I remained without any salary and came back to my basement in Asbest... I had got different thoughts. I thought stopping my career. I couldn’t fed on my parents. And my friends and neighbours puzzled – what I built upon? But I didn’t know. I took a beetle, went to the street and beat on covers from tires. I chinned up in chinning bar, trained on parallel bars, lifted bar-bell. I tried not to think about bad. Deep in my mind I hoped against hope…

- Did you want to pass into professionals?

- Whole month I lived in American training camping. I didn’t like it. During that time I had got only one sparring—partner. And I paid myself for calling him. Then I hadn’t got sonorous titles, so I was offered only unprofitable conditions. Then I went to Germany. There I was made to train with their trainer but I wanted to work with my father. I didn’t like it. And my "campaign to professionals" was ended.

- And what was the first step to coming back to the assembly?

- Last year representative from Ural section of “Dinamo” called me and offered to perform it. But they said that in this category, before 81 kg, the command is performed by Beterbiev. And I was offered to perform the category before 91 kg. At first I thought: “It is hideously to beat in this weight". I had never got problems with excess weight. But then I bethought and decided that I had got nothing to lose. Shortly, I again took beetle, began to lift bar-bell, ran with weight… I don’t respect any body-builders. I think that it is useful only for women for keeping feet, but it is impossible to pump real muscles. At present I have got 85-86 kg and try not to lose my weight. But after training at the ring I lose two kilograms. So, I`m the smallest and lightest heavy-weight. But I haven’t any problems with it. I feel myself very strong.

- And in new weight category did you win at Russian Championship in the first attempt?

- Yes. And nobody could forbid me to go to European Championship in Liverpool. There I was the winner.

- At World Championship you were much difficult. It is enough to remember that already in quarter-final you met with World Champion, silver medallist of Olympic Games in Beijing, Italian Clemente Russo…

- In struggle with Italian I feared interested refereeing most of all but arbiters invented nothing out of the common. I had already learned Russo’s style. He was very eccentric. Very often he appeals to public. In Russia such behaviour might get the bird. But the most difficult was the semifinal with Ukrainian Usik. All was decided at the last minute when I four times hit the competitor exactly. Curious to relate, even in final with Cuban Duarte it was easier.

- Really did you take matters easy?

- It is possible to say “yes”. I had got pickaback several struggles. Also I thought: “Really would this Duarte cancel anything, what I longed all these years, for what I trained in the basement?” Finally I won without any problems.

- And what else do you remember from World Championship?

- For some reason the food wasn’t good. We, boxers, didn’t like it. So my father went to the market place and bought meat for me. Then all of us gathered in the room of one of trainers, put cooking appliance into the balcony, flew Russian flag and cooked meat bouillon. It was very tasty! Then we ate bone-in meat. Also I don’t understand why tea in Milan is warm. How it is possible to drink it? So we drank tea at the balcony too. We met at evenings and discussed results of struggles…

- Egor, and what are you going to do further? You have got tittles of European Champion and Europe Champion, you may take a crack in professional box…

- Impossible to tear around. I have got the goal - Olympic Games. Also next year it will be European Championship in Moscow. I would like to laden my near and dear ones. Moreover some of them will come to support me.

 

Newspaper “Novye izvestiya"

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