Sergey Kobozev (

Kostroma Kostroma (, ) is a historic city and the administrative center of Kostroma Oblast, Russia. A part of the Golden Ring of Russian cities, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Volga and Kostroma. In the 2021 census, the population is 267, ...

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; 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. Kobozev was the Cruiserweight Champion of the

. After moving to the United States, he continued his undefeated career and became the

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Cruiserweight Champion in July 1994. He was scheduled to fight Orlin Norris on March 12, 1995, for the WBA World Cruiserweight title, but the fight didn't happen. In a bout for the WBC Cruiserweight title on October 24, 1995, he lost his title shot via a split decision. Shortly thereafter he was given another title shot opportunity at a rematch scheduled for December 13 for which he was training, he also had three big matches coming up, but on November 8, 1995, Kobozev was reported missing by his girlfriend Lina Cherskikh.Immigrant boxer's tale rewritten as a mystery
by Ira Berkow, Detroit Free Press, November 27, 1995, Page 7D. Later surfaced that Kobozev was murdered by

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after a bar scuffle at Brooklyn's Paradise Club the weekend of November 3, 1995.No trace of boxer. But cops eye link to scuffle
by Molly Cordy, Daily News from New York, November 26, 1995, p. 26.

Early life

Kobozev had been a captain in the

Soviet Army The Soviet Ground Forces () was the land warfare service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1946 to 1992. It was preceded by the Red Army. After the Soviet Union ceased to exist in December 1991, the Ground Forces remained under th ...

and held a degree in chemistry from the Institute of Moscow, before he made his name as a cruiserweight on the

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national boxing team.

Amateur career

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

Highlights

Army Championships of the Friendly Armies of the Socialist Countries (heavyweight),

Yaroslavl Yaroslavl (; , ) is a city and the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located northeast of Moscow. The historic part of the city is a World Heritage Site, and is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl rivers. ...

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, June 1984: * (no data available) Tammer Tournament (light heavyweight),

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, October 1984: *Finals: Defeated Milan Picka (Czechoslovakia) by decision President's Cup (heavyweight),

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, February 1985: *Finals: Defeated Ali Al-Baluchi (Kuwait) RSC 2 Summer Spartakiad of Peoples of the USSR, boxing (light heavyweight),

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, September 1986: *1/2: Defeated Petro Mischenko (Ukrainian SSR) *Finals: Lost to Yuriy Vaulin (Latvian SSR) Tammer Tournament (light heavyweight),

, October 1986: *1/2: Lost to Wolf Preiss (East Germany) Army Championships of the Friendly Armies of the Socialist Countries (light heavyweight),

Rostov Rostov-on-Don is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East European Plain on the Don River, from the Sea of Azov, directly north of t ...

, June 1987: *Finals: Lost to Khakim Matchanov (Uzbek SSR) by split decision, 2–3 Giraldo Córdova Cardín Tournament (light heavyweight), Las Tunas, Cuba, June–July 1988: *1/8: Defeated Benjamin Luperon (Cuba) by unanimous decision, 5–0 *1/4: Defeated Julio Quintana (Cuba) by majority decision, 4–1 *1/2: Lost to Pablo Romero (Cuba) by majority decision, 1–4 Strandzha Memorial (light heavyweight),

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, February 1988: *1/4: Lost to Henryk Petrich (Poland) by split decision, 2–3 USA–Soviet Union Middle & Heavy Duals (light heavyweight),

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, May 1988: *Defeated Joseph Pemberton (United States) RET 2 Ústí Grand Prix (light heavyweight),

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, March 1989: *1/4: Defeated Yaha Kosar (Syria) by decision *1/2: Lost to ? European Championships (light heavyweight),

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, May–June 1989: *1/4: Defeated Alen Kozhukharov (Bulgaria) by unanimous decision, 5–0 *1/2: Lost to Sven Lange (East Germany) by unanimous decision, 0–5 Army Championships of the Friendly Armies of the Socialist Countries (light heavyweight), Sliven, Bulgaria, June 1989: *1/2: Defeated Henryk Petrich (Poland) by walkover *Finals: Lost to Pablo Romero (Cuba) by split decision, 2–3 Tammer Tournament (light heavyweight),

, October 1989: *Finals: Defeated Garry Delaney (England) by decision USA–Soviet Middle & Heavy Duals (light heavyweight),

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, November 1989: *Defeated Eugene Gill (United States) RSC

Professional career

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.Boxer's car is found
by Alice McQuillan, Daily News from New York, November 14, 1995. Kobozev's ring record was 22 wins and 1 loss in 23 professional outings.

Disappearance

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

Murder

The mystery surrounding his death was solved when his bones were found by the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

in March 1999 in the backyard of the Russian Mafia's #2: Alexander Spitchenko in Livingston,

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, United States. Kobozev's body had been buried in a shallow grav

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 Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

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

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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.

Professional boxing record

, - , align="center" colspan=8, 21 Wins (17 knockouts, 4 decisions), 1 Loss (1 decision), 1 Draw''

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References

External links

Village Voice article about Sergei Kobozev
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kobozev, Sergei 1964 births 1995 deaths People murdered by Russian-speaking organized crime Russian people murdered abroad People murdered in New Jersey People from Brighton Beach Russian male boxers Light-heavyweight boxers Sportspeople from Kostroma 20th-century Russian sportsmen 1995 murders in the United States