Sultan Ibragimov: "Gee, He Looks Like Such a Regular Guy"

31.05.07 - Interview by Wray Edwards: HOLEY COW!!! BRIGGS WEIGHS IN AT 273…WITH SULTAN AT A MERE 221. Almost every time I show a picture of Sultan to someone who has not seen him before, they almost always say something like, "He doesn't look like a boxer." All that proves is that many people have a preconception of how a boxer should look. Most would point to Ken Norton or some other v-shaped six-packer and say, "Now that's what a boxer should look like." We've all seen really ripped-looking hunks get stretched by skill rather classic musculature. Ibragimov is a very unusual person as boxers go.

Recently, Sultan and his team generously agreed to travel to the Seminole Hard Rock in Miami to give East Side Boxing an exclusive interview. Naturally, the main reason for this meeting was to discuss his championship fight with Shannon Briggs on June 2nd in Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall. For me, however, the interview presented an opportunity to speak with him in a more relaxed setting than our previous chance encounters allowed, because they were at weigh-ins or ringside. Even at those times, I got the impression that here was a very interesting person, aside from his Boxing activities. It was a great opportunity to try to connect the man with his sport, and here is what he had to say continue