When the word amateur comes up, most people think of inexperience, fear, and disbelief. Boxers have to go through a whole spectrum of tests to have a shot at fame. The hardest part of all of the challenges in my opinion is the amateur period. This is the time that a fighter needs to prove that he is ready to take off that headgear, and step inside the ring as a professional. Not only that, but most of the time the amateur period provides no financial help to the fighter. But what happens after? The next dozen or so fights places the boxer in a certain category. Those fights are the ones that can potentially attract a promoter, or turn them the other way. So, to conclude my introduction: While the amateur record give you the go ahead for a professional career, the first couple of years in the pros defines just how fast you can get to the top, and how well your name gets marketed.
Matt Korobov decided to test himself at the sport of boxing at the age of 8. Orotukan, Russia was where Matt was born, and where he made a choice that defined who he is now. Before turning pro, Matt fought a very remarkable number of fights. His amateur record before going professional in 2008 was a striking 300-12. In 2008, Korobov went to the 2008 Beijing Games, but lost a disputed 10-7 points loss in the second round to Bakhtiyar Artayev of Kazakhstan. This was the first destructive loss that Matt had suffered. As far as my research goes, many viewers thought that Matt won the fight and was clearly robbed of his victory. While most young fighters would be very aggressive in a conversation on this sensitive topic, Matt was very mature and rational, saying:
“I don’t think I lost, and many people I spoke with shared my opinion. Nevertheless, you don’t swing your fists after the fight is over. Sure there were some mistakes, and at the end my opponent’s arm was raised and not mine. But Olympics are mostly politics. Not only in boxing, but in any Olympic sport, political agenda prevails. I decided not to come back to that moment in life.”
About 1.5 years ago, Matt moved to the state of Florida, where his brother and parents have been living for over 11 years. Bob Arum of Top Rank was his first and present promotional team. There was a period of time, when Matt was unable to see his family, and that was a very rough part of his life. “There was a period of time when I did not see my parents for a long time. It was very hard. A few months ago my wife came over here, so now we are all together. We live not too far from West Palm Beach. It’s a sin to complain about my relocation and my family. Everyone in my family supports my choice in boxing.”
Korobov’s first victories were during his work with Dan Birmingham, and now Matt is continuing his dominance with an experienced trainer who we have all hard of: Kenny Adams. When asked about the difference between the Russian and the American boxing school, Matt had the following to say: “There are some differences, but they are not huge. Here it’s professional boxing, there its club/prizefighter boxing. Here in the states the training is different as well: the round length and the physical requirements are much more demanding. In America it’s been perfected for many decades.” To me, it seems as though Matt adapted beautifully, proving it with his spotless record of 10 wins (8KO) and no losses. Recently, Matt faced Lamar Harris on the undercard of Nonito Donaire’s Pinoy Power 3 in Las Vegas, NV. Once again, Matt demonstrated authority in the ring, stopping Lamar at 1:05 of the first round. Middleweight is a very challenging weight category, with a lot of good fighters lining up to climb the ladder. While Matt has a superb start, many challenges still lay ahead.
I always ask fighters about their favorite aspect of boxing, and Matt seemed lost for words, and full of positive emotions when he attempted to lump the “everything” into a sentence I could use: “It’s one of the hardest sports out there. I like everything about it. The training, the feeling before the fight, entering the ring, and facing your opponent. I haven’t grown tired of any aspect of boxing after all these years.” I then proceeded to tell Matt that I think he is not as technically sound as I would like to see him, looking more like a brawler sometimes, than a boxer. I just couldn’t resist and asked him, a young fighter, if he is ready to face the top middleweights out there. I expected an average cocky, overconfident, arrogant, and self righteous answer of “yes.” Instead what I got was a humble response, making Matt seem like a respectable, smart fighter with a heap load of common sense and respect: “I try to win in a spectacular fashion to please the public. I want to show what I learned in preparation, and try to showcase it for the people. A knockout possibility does not motivate me. I am still working on myself and my skill, and I try not to hurry. To go against those guys, you need to be ready. I want to be like that, but I am not there yet. I try real hard to insure I keep moving forward towards that goal.”
Matt trains hard, eats well, doesn’t skip practice, listens to his team, and respects everyone. He is young, patient, skilled and determined. He understands the concept of taking his time, and is prepared to do things in the right optimal order.
People, dear readers, fans and enthusiasts, I strongly urge you to pay attention to this young fighter. I cannot predict his future, but based on his past and present, his conversation with me, and his work ethics, I see a future champion within a few years.
Matt, who is or was your favorite boxer? “Most of my favorite boxers are from my childhood memories. Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Sugar Ray Robinson and Sugar Ray Leonard. Right now I like Manny Pacquiao, Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr.
What do you think about the Jones Jr. vs. Hopkins fight? “I don’t know. I think it will be an interesting fight. It will have some special rematch emotions involved. I don’t really like to predict winners and losers. This should be a good fight.”
Matt’s word to you: “I want to wish the boxers good and safe fights in the future. Everyone who likes boxing and myself, enjoy! Watch me, cheer for me, and know that I really appreciate every single fan I earn.”
