The former professional boxer Nikolai Valuev, well-known in Russia and abroad, currently acts as a politician, a deputy of the State Duma since 2011. Wife - Galina Borisovna Valueva over the years of marriage gave birth to him two sons and a daughter: Grigory in 2002, Irina in 2007 and Sergei in 2012.
Biography of Nikolai Valuev
Nikolai was born in 1973 in Leningrad. He studied at an ordinary Leningrad school, was fond of playing basketball. Thanks to his high growth, he achieved significant success: in the national team of the Frunzenskaya CYSS, he became the USSR champion in basketball.
In addition to basketball, he was engaged in discus throwing, having fulfilled the standards of a master of sports in this discipline.
Nikolay Valuev with friends in his youth
He became interested in boxing in 1993 and after six months of training Nikolay entered the professional ring. At the same time he continued to box as an amateur, participating in the Russian Boxing Championship in 1994 and in the Goodwill Games. In the last series of competitions, he was disqualified, as his fights were recognized as professional.
In 1999 he became the professional boxing champion of Russia. In 2000, he became the Pan-Asian Boxing Organization heavyweight champion. In total, during his career, Valuev became the champion of this organization five times.
In 2004 he became the WBA Intercontinental Professional Champion. In total, Nikolai got this title four times in his career.
In 2005, he became the first Russian boxer-world champion among professional super-heavyweights according to the WBA version. In 2006 and 2007 he successfully defended this title.
In 2007 he became the North American heavyweight boxing champion.
In 2009, Nikolai founded the "Nikolai Valuev Boxing School" with branches from St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, as well as the youth boxing tournament "Valuev Cup", which subsequently began to be regularly held in St. Petersburg.
He had to end his sports career in 2010 due to a benign brain tumor found in him.
After graduation, he studied at the Lesgaft State University of Physical Education, Health and Sports. He graduated from the university in 2009, having completed his thesis in the field of boxing. Among the graduates, he was among the 78 best, for which he was awarded a bronze Sphinx statuette.
He received his second higher education with a degree in Economics and National Economy Management at the Moscow State University of Technology and Management.
After finishing his career as a boxer, he joined the United Russia party in 2010, and in 2011 he was elected to the State Duma on the lists of this party.
In 2010, he founded the Nikolai Valuev Foundation, which aims to support sports activities among children and young people from different social strata.
In addition to his sports and political career, he published his own book, My 12 Rounds, in 2007. Took part in an advertisement for large sausages from a sausage manufacturer from Germany, in an advertisement for the poker portal PokerStars, in an advertisement for the Interskol power tool and the mobile operator MTS. He appeared in the music video of the singer Big Beta "Strong Girl".
From 2012 to 2016, he served as Vice President of the Bandy Federation in Russia.
Since 2012 - host of programs on Radio Sport, host of the program "Unknown Kuzbass" on Kemerovo TV. Since 2013 - the host of the game "Fort Boyard", in 2016 - the host of the program "Good night, kids". From 2001 to 2014 he starred in a number of Russian films and television series. In one of the 2013 films, he starred with his daughter Irina.
Galina Valueva
Nikolai met his wife Galina Borisovna in 1999 at the birthday of one of his friends. Compared to the 217-cm Nikolai, Galina looked like a thumbnail with her height of 163 cm. But, according to the future wife, she was always attracted by huge men. Having met, Nikolai took her phone number and promised to call back.
He called, however, with a delay, for which the girl made a scandal for him. The boxer liked Galina's openness and directness and soon they began to meet. Jealous Galina soon protected Nikolai from the obsessive attention of his fans.
Instead of a marriage proposal, Nikolai asked her future father-in-law for her, but he received full consent. The bride was then simply presented with a fact.
Nikolay and Galina Valuevs
Professional boxer Valuev did not differ in his romantic character, and he gave the first bouquet in color to his wife as an apology for an unsuccessful interview. Then, at the request of the promoter, he told reporters that he had many girls. Galina did not like it and she was about to put her husband out the door. But after apologizing and color, she softened and forgave her husband for his unfortunate statement.
Since then, every time Nikolai gives flowers to Galina, she begins to suspect him that he has done something again and is trying to ask for forgiveness.
Galina Borisovna Valueva received a higher economic education, but after the wedding she did not work, devoting herself to her husband, home and children. The first time was difficult: Nikolai earned only 2-3 thousand dollars a year and was thinking about working as a simple security guard.
But in 2004, having changed the promoter, Nikolai began to earn much more, and since 2005, having become the world champion, he became completely rich. The new German promoter often asked the boxer to change his citizenship to German, arguing that Nikolai would start earning even more, but Valuev remained a Russian.
Family life
Nikolai and Galina sincerely consider their marriage to be happy. Nikolai became an exemplary family man and was never seen in the company of other girls. Galina proved to be a strong and energetic woman who cares about her husband and his rear and knows how to provide support in time.
Gifts for each other are always chosen together, since Nikolai's sense of beauty is different from Galina's ideas, and he can easily buy something wrong.
Being at home, Nikolai loves to bake pancakes, considering this a real male occupation, on weekends he goes hunting and fishing with his son.
