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The Most Famous

BOXERS from Russia

This page contains a list of the greatest Russian Boxers. The pantheon dataset contains 326 Boxers, 21 of which were born in Russia. This makes Russia the birth place of the 4th most number of Boxers behind United Kingdom and Cuba.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Russian Boxers of all time. This list of famous Russian Boxers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Russian Boxers.

1. Sten Suvio (1911 - 1988)

With an HPI of 43.76, Sten Suvio is the most famous Russian Boxer. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages on wikipedia.

Sten "Stepa" Suvio (born Schuschin, 25 November 1911 – 19 October 1988) was a Finnish boxer who won the welterweight contest at the 1936 Summer Olympics. He then turned professional and by 1949 accumulated a record of 34 wins (15 knockouts), 9 losses and 3 draws. Suvio started as a football player, wrestler and speed skater before changing to boxing in 1927. He placed second at the national championships in 1929 and 1930, and then won four consecutive amateur titles in 1933–36. Suvio fought in the Continuation War and was wounded in a hand in 1941. After recovering he captured the Finnish professional welterweight title in 1946. He retired in 1949 and then coached the Swedish (1949–57) and Turkish (1957–60) national boxing teams. He was inducted into the Finnish Boxing Hall of Fame in 2005.

2. Kostya Tszyu (1969 - )

With an HPI of 43.42, Kostya Tszyu is the 2nd most famous Russian Boxer. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Konstantin Borisovich "Kostya" Tszyu (; Russian: Константин Борисович «Костя» Цзю, IPA: [kənstɐnʲˈtʲin bɐˈrisəvʲɪtɕ ˈkosʲtʲə ˈdzːʲu]; born 19 September 1969) is a Russian-Australian former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2005. He held multiple world championships in the light-welterweight division, including the undisputed and lineal titles between 2001 and 2005. Tszyu was an exceptional all-around boxer-puncher who relied heavily on accuracy, timing, and carried formidable punching power; he is often regarded as one of the hardest-punching light-welterweights in the division's history. As an amateur, Tszyu represented the Soviet Union, winning a bronze medal in the lightweight division at the 1989 World Championships, and gold in the light-welterweight division at the 1991 World Championships. He also won consecutive gold medals at the 1989 and 1991 European Championships. In 1995, Tszyu won his first of many professional world championships at light-welterweight—the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title—by defeating Jake Rodríguez. Five successful defences were made until an upset loss to Vince Phillips in 1997, which was Tszyu's first professional defeat. He would spend the next eight years undefeated, winning the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) title in 1999 and the World Boxing Association (WBA) (Super version) title in 2001. Tszyu scored arguably his most famous win that year, when he knocked out Zab Judah to reclaim the IBF title, as well as the vacant Ring magazine and lineal titles, thus becoming the first undisputed light-welterweight champion in over 30 years. In 2005, in what would be his final fight, Tszyu was stopped by Ricky Hatton. Tszyu is considered by many in Australia to be a national sports hero. In The Ring's March 2010 issue, Tszyu was ranked as the number one light-welterweight of the 2000s decade. In December 2010, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame for the Class of 2011. From 2012 to 2013 he coached professional boxers Alexander Povetkin, Denis Lebedev and Khabib Allakhverdiev. In 2023, his son Tim Tszyu won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior-middleweight title.

3. Alexander Povetkin (1979 - )

With an HPI of 43.21, Alexander Povetkin is the 3rd most famous Russian Boxer. His biography has been translated into 30 different languages.

Alexander Vladimirovich "Sasha" Povetkin (Russian: Алекса́ндр Влади́мирович Пове́ткин; born 2 September 1979) is a Russian former professional boxer who competed from 2005 to 2021. He held the World Boxing Association (WBA) (Regular version) heavyweight title from 2011 to 2013; the World Boxing Council (WBC) (Interim version) heavyweight title from 2020 to 2021; and challenged twice for the unified heavyweight championship in 2013 and 2018. As an amateur, Povetkin won gold medals in the super-heavyweight division at the 2002 and 2004 European Championships, 2003 World Championships, and 2004 Olympics. After turning professional in 2005, he defeated Ruslan Chagaev to claim the inaugural WBA (Regular) title in 2011. After performing five consecutive defenses, he challenged Klitschko for the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring titles in 2013, suffering his first professional career loss by unanimous decision. In 2018, Povetkin would challenge again for the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO titles, this time against Joshua, and suffered a seventh-round technical knockout loss. He was rated in the top ten annual heavyweights by BoxRec from 2006 to 2020, and rated in the top five annual heavyweights from 2007 to 2020, except for 2019. He is a one-time winner of the WBC KO of the Year (2020) and Premier Boxing Champions Knockout of the Year (2020).

4. Boris Lagutin (1938 - 2022)

With an HPI of 42.25, Boris Lagutin is the 4th most famous Russian Boxer. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Boris Nikolayevich Lagutin (Russian: Борис Николаевич Лагутин; 24 June 1938 – 4 September 2022) was a Soviet light middleweight boxer. During his career as a boxer, he won 241 fights and lost only 11. He won medals in three Olympic Games, including two golds, in 1964 and 1968. Lagutin also won at European championships in 1961 and 1963 and at USSR championships in 1959, 1961–64 and 1968. Lagutin was born in Moscow. Until 1967 he trained at VSS Trud, then - at VSS Spartak. During the period of failures, that followed the 1964 Olympics, Lagutin was removed from the USSR team roster. Along with his trainer Vladimir Trenin Lagutin managed to find causes of his losses and earned USSR and Olympic Champion titles again in 1968.

5. Stanislav Stepashkin (1940 - 2013)

With an HPI of 41.80, Stanislav Stepashkin is the 5th most famous Russian Boxer. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Stanislav Ivanovich Stepashkin (Russian: Станислав Иванович Степашкин; 1 September 1940 – 4 September 2013) was an Olympic boxer from the Soviet Union. Born in Moscow, Stepashkin trained at Trudovye Rezervy until 1963 and then at the Armed Forces sports society. He became the Honoured Master of Sports of the USSR in 1964 and was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor in the following year. He competed at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics in the Featherweight (-57 kg) division winning the gold medal. During his career Stepashkin won 193 fights out of 204. He graduated from the State Order of Lenin Central Institute of Physical Education.

6. Gennadiy Shatkov (1932 - 2009)

With an HPI of 41.33, Gennadiy Shatkov is the 6th most famous Russian Boxer. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Gennadi Ivanovich Shatkov (Russian: Геннадий Иванович Шатков, May 27, 1932 – January 14, 2009) was a boxer from the USSR, who competed in the Middleweight division (– 75 kg) during the major part of his career.

7. Artur Beterbiev (1985 - )

With an HPI of 38.77, Artur Beterbiev is the 7th most famous Russian Boxer. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Artur Asilbekovich Beterbiev (Chechen: Бетербиев Асильбекан Артур; Russian: Артур Асильбекович Бетербиев; born 21 January 1985) is a Russian and Canadian professional boxer. He is a unified champion in the light-heavyweight division, having held the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title since 2017, the World Boxing Council (WBC) title since 2019, and the World Boxing Organization (WBO) title since 2022. As an amateur, Beterbiev won a silver medal at the 2007 World Championships, gold at the 2008 World Cup and 2009 World Championships, as well as gold at the 2006 and 2010 European Championships, all in the light-heavyweight division. He also reached the quarter-finals of the heavyweight bracket at the 2012 Olympics. Currently, Beterbiev is ranked as the world best light heavyweight by The Ring, ESPN, Transnational Boxing Rankings Board (TBRB) and BoxRec. He is also ranked as the world's eight best active boxer, pound for pound, by BoxRec, seventh by the TBRB, fifth by The Ring, eight by the Boxing Writers Association of America and seventh by ESPN. He is particularly known for his exceptional punching power, having won all of his professional fights by knockout or stoppage since debuting in 2013. Currently, he is the only world champion in boxing with a 100% knockout ratio.

8. Sultan Ibragimov (1975 - )

With an HPI of 37.18, Sultan Ibragimov is the 8th most famous Russian Boxer. His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Sultan-Ahmed Magomedsalihovich Ibragimov (Russian: Султан-Ахмед Магомедсалихович Ибрагимов, Avar: Султан-АхӀмад МухӀаммадсалихӀазул вас Ибрагьимов; born 8 March 1975) is a Russian former professional boxer. He competed from 2002 to 2008, and held the WBO world heavyweight title from 2007 to 2008. He was ranked by The Ring as the world's sixth best active heavyweight at the conclusion of 2007 and 2008. As an amateur he won silver medals at the 2000 Olympics and 2000 European Championships, and bronze at the 2001 World Championships, all in the heavyweight division. Ibragimov is one of seven southpaws to become world heavyweight champion: the others being Michael Moorer, Corrie Sanders, Chris Byrd, Ruslan Chagaev, Charles Martin (boxer) and Oleksandr Usyk. He remains one of only five former world heavyweight champions, alongside Gene Tunney, Rocky Marciano, Riddick Bowe and Nikolai Valuev to have never suffered a stoppage defeat. He also holds the second least career losses among former world heavyweight champions, having only lost to Wladimir Klitschko in his final fight. As of November 2020, BoxRec ranks Ibragimov as the 12th greatest Russian fighter of all time, pound-for-pound.

9. Sergey Kovalev (1983 - )

With an HPI of 36.08, Sergey Kovalev is the 9th most famous Russian Boxer. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kovalev (Russian: Сергей Александрович Ковалёв; born 2 April 1983) is a Russian professional boxer. He has held multiple light-heavyweight world championships, including the WBA (Undisputed) and IBF titles from 2014 to 2016, and the WBO title three times between 2013 and 2019. Nicknamed the "Krusher", Kovalev is particularly known for his exceptional punching power, although he describes himself as "just a regular boxer". In November 2019, Kovalev was ranked as the world's second-best light-heavyweight by The Ring magazine, third by BoxRec, and fourth by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. In 2014, The Ring named him its Fighter of the Year.

10. Rakhim Chakhkiev (1983 - )

With an HPI of 32.16, Rakhim Chakhkiev is the 10th most famous Russian Boxer. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Rakhim Ruslanovich Chakhkiev (Russian: Рахим Русланович Чахкиев; born 11 January 1983) is a Russian former professional boxer who competed from 2009 to 2016. He held the IBO cruiserweight title in 2015, the European cruiserweight title in 2014, and challenged once for the WBC cruiserweight title in 2013. As an amateur he won a silver medal at the 2007 World Championships and gold at the 2008 Olympics, both in the heavyweight division.

People

Pantheon has 21 people classified as boxers born between 1911 and 1991. Of these 21, 17 (80.95%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living boxers include Kostya Tszyu, Alexander Povetkin, and Artur Beterbiev. The most famous deceased boxers include Sten Suvio, Boris Lagutin, and Stanislav Stepashkin. As of April 2022, 5 new boxers have been added to Pantheon including Gennadiy Shatkov, Albert Selimov, and Andrey Zamkovoy.