His father used to beat him with a curtain pole. This might have contibuted to the mental illness that finaly overwhelmed him.
To me it's still Liston...a good day for him back as a kid was having his dad beat him with his belt, and not a board with a rusty nail in it.
As a kid, Jirov's trainer would unleash German Shepherds on him.... Ah, here's the article: [url]http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-22667161.html[/url] Vassiliy Jirov can't remember his name, but he will never forget that dog. The sickening memories are as permanently etched on Jirov's brain as the bite marks on his flesh. But Jirov can't blame the German shepherd. The occasional mauling was inevitable after Jirov's amateur boxing coach forced his young pupil to beat the dog on a daily basis. Once the dog got big and nasty enough, it was turned on Jirov for training purposes. "I was scared," Jirov said. "It was painful for me."
I guess its a culture thing... We just burn our children with cigerates to keep them in line, abusing dogs like that is out of the question here in the States.
****ing brutal. I'm surprised more people aren't talking about this...He rode a motorcycle while still in his teens, you know...You want to know what gives him the kind of mettle he has in the ring...just look at the childhood. He can withstand anything coming from an upbringing that harsh. :-(