Rufat Risqiyev - the unforgettable Uzbek champion

**Rufat Risqiyev – Unforgettable Champion of Uzbekistan**

Today, Uzbek boxing is among the strongest in the world. Uzbekistan is one of the main favorites at the World Championships and the Olympic Games. Especially in the last decade, Uzbek boxing has reached a new level, with many athletes winning multiple world championships and Olympic gold medals.

During the former Soviet Union, for many Uzbek athletes, going to the World Championships or the Olympics was a dream, because the Soviets were not very inclined to take Uzbeks to such competitions. This was especially evident in the single-handedly events, when several contenders fought for one place. The legendary Rufat Risqiyev, with his talent and perseverance, destroyed this stereotype from the USSR era and became the first Uzbek to win the world championship.

**"Tashkent Tiger"**

Rufat Riskiev was born in 1949 in the Okkurgan district of the Tashkent region. As a child, he first went to an acrobatics club with his friends, and soon switched to a boxing club.

"We lived on Navoi Street in Tashkent. I joined my friends and attended acrobatics classes after school. Although I didn't like it at all, I practiced this sport for a while. Then my friends started boxing, and I joined them. Soon my friends stopped attending classes for some reason. And my life became connected with boxing," the legendary athlete recalls those days.

Rufat was also one of the students of American trainer Sidney Jackson, who made a great contribution to the popularization of boxing in Uzbekistan. Coaches such as Boris Granatkin and Alexei Baranov also played a great role in the future world champion's development as a great boxer.

After Rufat Riskiev won several international competitions, in 1968 he was accepted into the USSR national team. In 1972, the athlete defeated all his rivals at the Union Championship and became the champion. When no one equaled him was found at the 1974 USSR Championship, the people of Moscow showed confidence in the Uzbek young man and took him to the World Championship.

At the competition held in Cuba, Rufat Riskiev defeated his rivals one after another and won the gold medal. In the final, he fought with Romanian Alec Nestac with a broken arm and showed perseverance and won. He also won the USSR Championships held in 1975 and 1976. This was a truly sensational event for Soviet boxing.

After the victory at the World Championship, Rufat Riskiev began to be called the "Tashkent Tiger". However, two years later, at the peak of his powers, he was forced to end his boxing career...

**Defeat in Montreal and the Forgotten Athlete**

The next major competition for Rufat Riskiev was the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Of the Soviet boxers, only Rufat reached the final. In the championship fight, the Uzbek young man was opposed by American Michael Spinks. The fact that athletes from the USSR and the USA reached the finals sharply increased the intrigue. Rufat was demanded to defeat the American boxer at all costs. However, the American boxer won the final.

After the defeat in Montreal, the boxer was excluded from the USSR national team. He was not even allowed to participate in the USSR championships held in subsequent years. As a result, at the age of 27, still at the peak of his powers, he was forced to say goodbye to big sports.

**Historical meeting with Muhammad Ali**

In June 1978, the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali arrived in the USSR. As part of his ten-day visit, Ali also visited Tashkent and Samarkand. Among those who welcomed the boxing legend in Tashkent was Rufat Risqiyev. The famous boxer did not know amateur boxers, so he did not pay attention to the Uzbek boxer.

That day, Muhammad Ali was invited to a boxing sports club in Tashkent. Rufat Risqiyev was introduced to him and introduced as the first Uzbek world champion and Olympic silver medalist. Then Muhammad Ali jokingly invited Rufat Risqiyev to a boxing match and began to throw punches. The Uzbek boxer also responded to him. At that time, this match was captured on camera and watched by the whole world.

However, other sources state that upon Muhammad Ali's arrival in Tashkent, he sought out Rufat Riskiev among the crowd of people who greeted him, that the Uzbek boxer accompanied him for three days, and that they finally parted amicably.

**Another Boxer Who Earned Honor**

When Uzbekistan became independent in 1991, Rufat Riskiev again came into the spotlight and began refereeing competitions. In 1997, he was accepted into the WBA referees' section and became the first international-class referee in professional boxing in Central Asia.

During the years of independence, Rufat Riskiev was awarded the "Hurmat Belgisi", "Buyuk Khizmatları Uchun", and "El-yurt Hurmati" orders. In 2020, he was awarded the "Dostlik" order.

Rufat Riskiev taught many young boxers in his time and did not spare them his advice. In particular, Ruslan Chagayev, who first achieved success in amateur boxing and later became the world champion in professional boxing, also learned from him for a while.

In 2016, Rufat Riskiev experienced a serious test. Doctors amputated his right leg, and the former boxer was confined to a wheelchair. In recent years, the International Boxing Association has provided some support to Rufat Riskiev. Its head donated a car to the former boxer. The organization also decided to pay Rufat Riskiev a monthly financial assistance of $ 1,000 for life.

**In place of the last word**

Although today among Uzbek boxers there are boxers who have become world champions and Olympic champions several times, the name of Rufat Riskiev is rightfully mentioned above all. Because he was the first. He was a true Uzbek tiger, who was able to force Moscow to recognize him in a very difficult political period. It would be unfair to accept his championship as just a simple result achieved in sports. This was a victory won by a brave son of a brave nation during colonial times, a victory for the entire nation. The world championship won by Rufat Riskiev in 1974 is priceless. This legend has made a great contribution to the fact that Uzbek boxing is unparalleled in the world today. You are always in our hearts, "Tiger of Tashkent."