Nikolai Valuev (1973- ), Russian heavyweight boxing champion
Moscow, 1 September 2008 (Interfax):
Heavyweight boxer Nikolai Valuev regained the WBA world championship title, and he gave thanks for his victory to Patriarch Aleksei II of Moscow and all Russia, who blessed him before the fight. “I didn’t appear to be doing 100 percent. But, I thank all my fans who came to the fight, especially those from my hometown of St Petersburg. Furthermore, I thank Patriarch Aleksei for his blessing upon me”, Valuev said, according to the Monday edition of the newspaper Novye Izvestiya (New Proceedings). At the end of the 12-round bout in Berlin, two out of the three judges scored Valuev higher than the American John Ruiz. This was Valuev’s 49th victory as a professional boxer.
Interfax-Religion
http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=26281 (in Russian)
