Ресейлік боксшының трагедиясы: Сергей Кобозевтің өлімі

Russian boxer

Sergey Kobozev (Kostroma, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union; 20 July 1964 – 8 November 1995) was a Russian boxer, who challenged for the WBC Cruiserweight title in 1995. He is also known as a first boxer to defeat John Ruiz. He proved to be a tough slugger, but his career ended early after he was killed by the Russian mafia. he also had three big matches coming up, Later surfaced that Kobozev was murdered by Russian mafia after a bar scuffle at Brooklyn's Paradise Club the weekend of November 3, 1995.

Kobozev had been a captain in the Soviet Army and held a degree in chemistry from the Institute of Moscow, before he made his name as a cruiserweight on the Soviet national boxing team.

As an amateur, Kobozev held wins over Ali Al Baluchi and Garry Delaney.

In 1990 Kobozev went to the United States, he lived in a fourth floor apartment on 16th Street in a working class section of Sheepshead Bay with his live in companion Yelena Cherskikh, and her 7 year old son, Vitaly. He was managed by Thomas Gallagher and trained by Peter Kahn. He received a shot at the WBC title vacated by recently retired Anaclet Wamba, for which Kobozev fought Marcelo Fabian Dominguez in Paris and lost via a controversial decision. Early in November 1995 Kobozev started training for a December 13 rematch versus Marcelo Fabian Dominguez to whom he lost a split decision, but soon he disappeared. Kobozev's ring record was 22 wins and 1 loss in 23 professional outings.

Kobozev disappeared in November 1995, just 2 weeks after losing a close split decision for the WBC Cruiserweight title, his very first career loss.

The mystery surrounding his death was solved when his bones were found by the FBI in March 1999 in the backyard of the Russian Mafia's #2: Alexander Spitchenko in Livingston, New Jersey, United States. Kobozev's body had been buried in a shallow grave. Kobozev was allegedly murdered by two reputed Russian mobsters, Alexander Nosov and Vasiliy Ermichine. Natan Gozman, a third defendant charged in the murder, remained a fugitive until February 2005, when he was arrested in Poland and extradited to New York, where he awaits trial. Prosecutors said that the Russian mob allegedly turned against Kobozev because he worked as a part time security guard at a Brooklyn restaurant from which Nosov was ejected after a fight with a musician. Several days after the fight, the defendants and a third member of the gang unexpectedly encountered Kobozev at a car repair shop, where they confronted him about the fight before Nosov shot him, authorities said. Still alive, Kobozev was put in a jeep and driven to the Livingston, N. J., home of a high ranking member of the crime group, where his neck was broken by Ermichine after Kobozev asked to be taken to a hospital, prosecutors said.