When Nicholai Valuev had defeated John Ruiz for the first time to become WBA champion in 2005, the man from Saint Petersburg made boxing history. Not only was he the tallest-ever heavyweight champion, but he was also the heaviest.

Someone of such size and stature was a rarity in the ring. Heavyweights were big men, of course, but not that big.

But after the initial shock value, it turned out Valuev was not that fun to watch.

Valuev was not without some skill, though. In the same article, Haye admitted that his rival had "a very good and fast jab."

The jab was his weapon of choice, understandably so considering he had a reach of 85". He could work from a distance knowing that his opponents could do little to counter, considering they couldn't get close enough to land a punch.

There was an improvement over time in his skills.

Political career

In December 2011 Russian parliamentary election, Valuev became a member of the State Duma through the United Russia Party. On 17 December 2012, Valuev supported the law in the Russian Parliament banning adoption of Russian orphans by citizens of the US.

Following the IOC's decision to suspend Russia from participating in the Olympics under its flag due to the Russian state-sponsored doping scandal, Valuev said that Russia should go to the Olympics and "tear everyone apart to spite these bastards who want to kill our sport."

Involvement in other sports

In 2011, Valuev became the general manager of the Russia national bandy team, and is tasked with developing the sport in the country. He is also the Vice-President of the Russian Bandy Federation. Bandy is considered a national sport in Russia.

Nikolai Valuev Boxing School and Youth Sports Foundation

In 2009, Valuev, together with a group of coaches, created the Nikolai Valuev Boxing School, with offices in Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad Oblast. The school is divided into three types of age groups: pupils (school terms 3-5), students (terms 6-8), and adults. School pupils participate and compete in various boxing matches, including the "Valuev Cup" youth boxing tournament, which became a regular competition in Saint Petersburg.