Rouen
Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...
) is a retired French boxer who represented France in the
heavyweight
Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling.
Boxing Professional
Male boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation an ...
Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, where he was defeated in the semifinals by
Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
Vejle
Vejle () is a city in Denmark, in the southeast of the Jutland Peninsula at the head of Vejle Fjord, where the Vejle River and Grejs River and their valleys converge. It is the site of the councils of Vejle Municipality (''Municipalities of De ...
,
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
. A couple of months later Mendy represented France at the
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...
in
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
.
Early life
Mendy was born in
Rouen
Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...
,
Normandy
Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy.
Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
, a region of Western France. He began boxing at the age of 10 and soon came to be noticed by the local trainers, becoming an amateur boxer in the cruiser-weight division at the age of 17. He won various local championships and became vice-champion of France. He then came to be noticed by scouts for the French national team.
Amateur career
In 1990, his first international tournament in Medan, Indonesia, he was the gold medallist. When he returned home, he joined the Battalion of Joinville, E.I.S. (National Army School for Sports) reserved for the French sports elite. This year he also became the Heavyweight Champion of France.
In 1991 he joined the National Institute for the Study of Sports and Physical Fitness (INSEP). There he studied for 5 years while representing France at various international meetings and tournaments collecting various medals and awards. At Almeria, Spain, he beat German Kraulenko and loses a decision to
Željko Mavrović
Željko Mavrović (; born 17 February 1969) is a Croatian former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 1998. In 1998, as an undefeated challenger, he faced Lennox Lewis for the World Boxing Council, WBC heavyweight title, but lost in what ...
(Croatia).
The following month, a tournament takes place at Boulogne sur Mer. Christophe beats Raymond Meygerse (Germany) and
Igor Andreev
Igor Valeryevich Andreev (, BGN/PCGN: ''Andreyev'', ISO 9: ''Andreev'', ; born 14 July 1983) is a Russian coach and a former professional tennis player. He won three ATP Tour singles titles, reached the quarterfinals of the 2007 French Open a ...
(Russia) to gain the silver medal. He loses a decision in the final bout to Arnold Vanderlijde (Holland).
In Athens, Greece, at the Mediterranean Games of 1991, Christophe again faces Željko Mavrović and loses in a decision. In Ankara, Turkey, he boxes Rebua and Georgi Kandelaki (Geo.) and wins Gold. The day after the final of the 1992 championship, he leaves for Halle, Germany, to take part in the qualifying tournament for the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. This time, he will finish fourth and will not go to Barcelona. Disappointed, he leaves the French team and returns Home to Normandy. After a few months of reflection and soul searching, he joins the ranks of the Semi-professionals and wins two contests.
In 1993, the French national team asked Christophe to rejoin to take part in several important competitions. In the Super Heavyweight division, he wins a bout against American, Allan Cromp, in Marseilles. In the Mediterranean Games of 1993 in Béziers, France Christophe won the Gold Medal in the Super Heavyweight category by beating Egyptian, Ahmed El Sayed and the Italian,
Paolo Vidoz
Paolo Vidoz (born 21 August 1970) is an Italian former professional boxer who competed from 2001 to 2011 and held the European heavyweight title from 2005 to 2006. As an amateur Vidoz won a bronze medal at the 2000 Olympics in the super-heavyw ...
.
In February 1994 Djakarta, Indonesia was the location of a qualifying bout for the 1996 Olympic Games. Christophe meets an Australian fighter, the famous Ukrainian Champ
Vitali Klitschko
Vitalii Volodymyrovych Klychko (; ; born 19 July 1971), known as Vitali Klitschko, is a Ukrainian politician and former professional boxer. He serves as mayor of Kyiv,Safarash Khan. Christophe won Gold. The following month, a tournament takes place in Venice, Italy. He is, again, the gold medallist of the super heavyweight class.
Then, at the 1994 World Cup of Boxing, in Bangkok, Thailand, he fights the Cuban, Roberto Balado, the number One Super Heavyweight. In spite of a beautiful and dominating effort by Christophe, the Cuban wins on points.
Subsequently, Christophe requested the national team return him to the Heavyweight class. He then meets the 1993 French title holder and finally wins the Heavyweight title.
France was invited to take part in the 1994 Goodwill Games in St Petersburg, Russia. The first bout pitted Christophe against Cuban, Félix Savón. After a beautiful and well executed fight, the Cuban is declared victorious by a slim two point advantage. Félix Savón, during a TV interview (TV5), would go on to say that Christophe is the only boxer able to beat him. In 1995, Christophe Mendy is elected third best heavyweight boxer in the world by the A.I.B.A (International Association of Amateur Boxing).
Highlights
French National Championships (Heavyweight),
Berck-sur-Mer
Berck (), sometimes referred to as Berck-sur-Mer in French or Berck-su-Mér in Picard ( ''Berck on Sea''), is a commune in the northern French department of Pas-de-Calais.
Situated on the English Channel immediately north the mouth of the ri ...
,
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, 1990:
*1/8: Defeated Marc Alberola RSC 1
*1/4: Defeated Lezin Houessou PTS
*1/2: Defeated Patrice Akam PTS
*Finals: Defeated Jean-Michel Vauquelin PTS
French National Championships (Heavyweight), Sedan, France, 1991:
*1/8: Defeated Bruno Choppin RSC 2
*1/4: Defeated Dominique Delord PTS
*1/2: Defeated Jean-Michel Vauquelin KO 1
*Finals: Defeated Roberto Leneuve PTS
Tournoi France (Heavyweight), Boulogne, France, 1991:
*1/4: Defeated Raymond Meygerse (Germany) PTS
*1/2: Defeated Igor Andreyev (Russia) PTS
*Finals: Lost to Arnold Vanderlijde (Netherlands) PTS
Chemistry Cup (Heavyweight), Halle, Germany, 1992:
*1/16: Lost to Kai Brannkarr (Finland) 7–21
French National Championships (Heavyweight), Liévin, France, 1992:
*1/4: Defeated Said Bechari PTS
*1/2: Defeated Stephane Allouane PTS
*Finals: Defeated Carlos Guerreiro PTS
Trofeo Italia (Heavyweight), Mestre, Italy, 1993:
*Finals: Lost to Roland Raforme (Seychelles) by walkover
European Championships
A European Championship is the top level international sports competition between European athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs.
In the plural, the European Championships also refers t ...
Mediterranean Games
The Mediterranean Games is a multi-sport event organised by the International Committee of Mediterranean Games (CIJM). It is held every four years among athletes from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea in Africa, Asia and Europe. The fi ...
Paolo Vidoz
Paolo Vidoz (born 21 August 1970) is an Italian former professional boxer who competed from 2001 to 2011 and held the European heavyweight title from 2005 to 2006. As an amateur Vidoz won a bronze medal at the 2000 Olympics in the super-heavyw ...
(Italy) KO 2
*Finals: Defeated Said Ahmed el-Sayed (Egypt) 6–0
President's Cup (Super Heavyweight)
Jakarta, Indonesia
Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
, February 1994:
*1/2: Defeated
Vitali Klitschko
Vitalii Volodymyrovych Klychko (; ; born 19 July 1971), known as Vitali Klitschko, is a Ukrainian politician and former professional boxer. He serves as mayor of Kyiv,Safarish Khan (Pakistan)
French National Championships (Super Heavyweight), Saint-Lo, France, 1994:
*1/2: Defeated Norbert Ollhoff RSC 1
*Finals: Defeated Claude Bevis RSC 3
World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...
(Super Heavyweight),
Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
, 1994:
*1/8: Lost to Roberto Balado (Cuba) 4–24
Trofeo Italia (Heavyweight), Mestre, Italy, 1994:
*1/4: Defeated Lamon Brewster (United States) PTS
*1/2: Defeated Roland Raforme (Seychelles) RSCI 3
*Finals: Defeated Erik Fuhrmann (Germany) 6–2
Goodwill Games
The Goodwill Games were an international sports competition created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s. In 1979, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan caused the United States and other ...
(Heavyweight),
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
, 1994:
*1/4: Lost to Félix Savón (Cuba) 6–8
Copenhagen Cup (Heavyweight), Copenhagen, Denmark, 1994:
*1/4: Defeated Sergey Mochalov (Russia) RSC 3
*1/2: Defeated Anders Elkjær (Denmark) 17–5
*Finals: Defeated Dmitriy Lenkov (Belarus) by walkover
Giraldo Cordova Cardin Tournament (Heavyweight),
Matanzas, Cuba
Matanzas (Cuban ; ) is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas Province, Matanzas. Known for its poets, culture, and Afro-American religions, Afro-Cuban folklore, it is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Mat ...
, 1995:
*1/4: Defeated Alexis Echevarria (Cuba) RSC 1
*1/2: Lost to Félix Savón (Cuba) by walkover
Trofeo Italia (Heavyweight), Mestre, Italy, 1995:
*Finals: Defeated Jonas Dambrauskas (Lithuania) RET 3
USA–France Duals (Heavyweight),
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
World Championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...
(Heavyweight),
Berlin, Germany
Berlin ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the highest population within its city limits of any city in the European Union. The city is also one of the states of ...
, 1995:
*1/8: Defeated Tao Jiang (China) 16–5
*1/4: Defeated Wojciech Bartnik (Poland) 7–2
*1/2: Lost to Félix Savón (Cuba) 6–9
Vaclav Prochazka Tournament (Heavyweight), Ostrava, Czech Republic, October 1995:
*Finals: Lost to Jan Bezvoda (Czech Republic) 6–8
Strandzha Cup (Heavyweight),
Sofia, Bulgaria
Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...
, 1996:
*1/4: Defeated Tamer Erolov (Bulgaria) 6–1
*1/2: Defeated Georgi Kandelaki (Georgia) RET 2
*Finals: Lost to Félix Savón (Cuba) by walkover
European Championships
A European Championship is the top level international sports competition between European athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs.
In the plural, the European Championships also refers t ...
Summer Olympics
The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, then part of the King ...
(Heavyweight),
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, 1996:
*1/8: Defeated
Ovidiu Bali
Ovidiu Bali (born 14 February 1975) is a Romanian boxer. He competed in the men's heavyweight event at the 1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly ...
(Romania) RSCH 2
*1/4: Lost to David Defiagbon (Canada) DQ 3
Mendy finished his amateur career with 88 fights under his belt, 73 wins (31 KOs), 14 losses, 1 draw. While in amateurs, he was defeated four times by Cuban boxing legend Félix Savón. Cubans happened to be the toughest opponents for Mendy (he lost 5 out of 6 match-ups against Cubans.)
Professional career
Although Mendy fought professionally once in 1993 while classified as an amateur, he officially launched his pro career in 1995. He had limited success as a pro, and retired in 2000 after having won 14 (9 KOs,) lost 4 with 2 KO-losses, and 1 draw.