Alexey Papin: A Cold War Wind Blows From Mashinostroyeniya-The Cruiserweight Cruise Missile.

As you know, I like Papin and I think he's one of the most promising prospects at CW. And yes I see the resemblance to Mauricio Herrera as well, albeit a hulked up one. I've always though Herrera looks like a cross between Lionel Messi and Roman Polanski lol

ALEKSEI PAPIN
Age: 30
Hometown: Reutov, Russia
Weight class: Cruiserweight
Height: 6-foot-1 (185 cm)
Amateur record: 40-3
Turned pro: 2015
Pro record: 9-0 (8 knockouts)
Trainer: Andrey Ivichuk
Manager: Dmitry Ivanov
Promoter: Andrey Ryabinsky (World of Boxing)
Instagram: @alekseipapin

Best night of pro career and why: Papin is most pleased with his most recent performance, a first-round KO over onetime contender Ismayl Sillah.

“He is the most well-regarded fighter I’ve ever fought,” Papin told RingTV through a translator from Russia-based promotional outfit World of Boxing. “I wanted to win (against) Ismayl Sillah, but I was not sure it would be a knockout. And when it became possible to knock out Sillah, I took the chance.”

Worst night of pro career and why: Papin comes from a kickboxing background. In his debut, he struggled to adapt to the professional ranks against Sergey Beloshapkin before stopping him midway through the fourth and final round.

“The first fight, because I didn’t switch from kickboxing till the end and could not show my best in boxing,” he said.

Next fight: The heavy-handed Russian will face Vladimir Kelesh (4-0, 2 KOs) on March 17 in Moscow.

Kelesh, 29, didn’t fight in 2017 and this fight is a clear step up for the Russia-based Kazahkstani. His southpaw stance will give Papin a different look ahead of a big fight in May against another left-hander.

Why he’s a prospect: Although Papin doesn’t have the boxing background others have, he seems to have made the transition well at this point.

Papin began kickboxing when he was just 7 years old and was very successful; he was a six-time WAKO amateur champion of Russia, three-time European champion and two-time World Cup winner as well as kickboxing world champion. His record was 276-4.

Aleksei Papin (right) in camp with Oleksandr Usyk (Instagram)

As a boxer, he has gained valuable experience sparring and training with the likes of former heavyweight titlist Alexander Povetkin, former cruiserweight beltholder Grigory Drozd and perennial contender Dmitry Kudryashov.

In late December, Papin joined WBO cruiserweight titlist Oleksandr Usyk to help the Ukrainian prepare for his January unification against WBC beltholder Mairis Briedis.

Papin’s trainer, Andrey Ivichuk, is pleased with how his charge has adapted to the rigors and nuances of the pro game.

“I can’t say there’s been any serious problems in transition,” said the coach. “There’s been some technical mistakes, which we fixed. In two years, Aleksei has gone a long way as a boxer. Right now he is a real threat in his division.

“The biggest strength is his punch. Besides that, he feels when and where to put it.”

Currently, Papin is not ranked in the top 15 by any of the sanctioning bodies, but that figures to change in the coming months as he now appears ready to continue his development in the exciting cruiserweight division.

Why he’s a suspect: Although his team is happy with the way everything is going, Papin made the leap to professional boxing at 28 years old.

The really big difference from kickboxing is in the footwork — as well as obviously not kicking his opponents. Sparring with someone like Usyk, who is spry on his feet, will have been of great benefit.


Ivichuk wasn’t giving much away in his analysis.

“He is going the right way,” he said simply. “If he keeps on working hard, he’ll reach the top soon.”

Storylines: Papin grew up in Reutov, in the east of the Russian capital, Moscow. Like many children, he liked to be outside and play sports.

He became interested in boxing around the same time as kickboxing, though he chose the latter as his early path.

“My father took me to boxing so that I could stand up for myself in the future,” he explained. “And I’ve boxing since then.”

The religious Russian doesn’t have a particular boxing hero, preferring to look at things a little differently.

“I liked some boxers, but I did not have an idol,” he explained. “I am a believer, and the second commandment is, ‘You shall not make for yourself an idol.’

“Like all other kids, I watched a lot of movies about martial arts and had different heroes.”

His goal in boxing is simple: “I want to become world champion.”

Papin is not married but has a daughter. He has his own gym that he trains children in. Away from boxing, he enjoys traveling.

 

He'd probably spark Polanski out cold if Polanksi invited him round for tea, whereas you and I would probably be more inclined to stealing his DVD film collection first lol

I used to have a great memory for little things that have been said or said in conversation, whether they came out of my mouth or someone else's. My memory is definitely no longer in its prime anymore though.

Yeah it would've nice if they'd probed him a little more although I'm sure we'll get to find out more about him in the future if he manages to win a world title at CW. I'll see if I can find anymore of his interviews.

 

Maybe

 

Alexey Papin - one of the most titled Russian kickboxers, who decided to try himself in professional boxing. After a successful debut in November last year, Papin is preparing to fight with Ilya Rolgeiser . The match will be held on February 13 in Academy of Boxing in the Luzhniki Stadium.

- Tell us about your major achievements in kickboxing.

- The most important achievement is that I am a well-deserved master of sports in kickboxing and an absolute world champion among professionals in weight up to 91 kg.

- How did you come into combat?

"Like any kid, I watched movies with Van Damme and Chuck Noris." And he wanted to do martial arts. Later my father brought me to the kickboxing section in my city, Reutov. And he began to train. Of course, the first week or two I trained with pleasure, and then, like any teenager, I wanted to walk, drive a ball in the yard. I did not want such a tough discipline that was in the hall. If someone spoke to someone - you will be forced to stand on your fists or push up. But my father drove me from under the stick and from day to day, I walked. And somewhere at the age of 12 I was already hooked. And I began already with pleasure to go to trainings myself. If I did not succeed in school, I was punished by not being allowed to work out.

- And how did you decide to go to boxing?

- The box was always next to me, I always did it. Initially, I started training with Konstantin Novikov, this is the honored coach of Russia in kickboxing, who worked in Reutov. Then in 1999-2000 Vasiliev Sergey Nikolaevich, trainer of Gregory Drozd, came here. He trained us in Reutov for 7 years. Sergei Nikolayevich is a boxing coach, we went to competitions both in kickboxing and in boxing. They fought both there and there. Then came Grigory Drozd, he also worked with us in Reutov, we worked together side by side. Sergei Nikolayevich constantly took us to training with Grigory - in Torpedo, we went to CSKA. Therefore, the decision to go to boxing was not somehow unexpected. In kickboxing, almost everything was achieved, all possible tournaments and belts were won.

- Impressions about the debut in the professionals against Sergey Beloshapkin recently. Were there any special feelings in comparison with kickboxing?

- A bit out of place. The rival is an experienced and very non-standard left-hander. Now he has already rebuilt more under boxing: more practice, more sparring, more experience. So I think that this fight with the Rolgeiser will be different, even better.

- What do you think about your opponent?

- A good opponent, interesting. I watched his fights. Non-standard due to the fact that he performed on kickboxing, boxing, and MMA. Now he positions himself as a professional boxer. I saw his fight with Andrei Knyazev, where he fought for the belt of the champion of Russia. Well done, went all the distance, lost on points.He did not have the physical form. And so - a good fighter.

- In December, the opponent lost by knockout. Does it somehow affect your feeling, preparation?

- No, the preparation does not affect. I have prepared and I will prepare. I do not think that he is a weak opponent. Maxim Vlasov is still a very titled and strong athlete. I watched a lot of his fights.

- Tell us about your team. With whom did you train, who are the sparring partners, how do you prepare?

- I worked with coach Andrey Ivichuk. Sparring partners a large number were different. One of them is my friend and comrade Vladimir Mineev, who speaks for MMA, as well as he is a master of sports in boxing.











November 27 in Moscow in the arena of the State concert hall "Russia" will take place the evening of boxing, within the framework of which there will be a 30-year-old Russian boxer of the first heavy weight Alexey Papin(8-0, 7KO) and 32-year-old Ukrainian Ismail Sillah (25-4, 19KO).

In an interview with AllBoxing.Ru Papin told about the mood for the upcoming fight.

- Alexei, what for you is the upcoming fight against Ismail Sillah: the most important battle in your career, the usual fight, something else?

- Every fight in professional boxing is the most important battle. And as I have already said many times, you go out for every fight, tuning in, that your opponent is the most serious. In no other way, with a different attitude does not make sense to go into the ring. Concerning Ismail Sillah, this is really a serious boxer who declared himself quite positively, had decent titles, good positions, and showed himself as a talented boxer.

- Sillah rather condescendingly spoke about your boxing abilities, promising to teach a lesson in boxing. Do you think such statements make Ismail trying to drive you mad?
"With regards to Syllah's statement that he will teach me a boxing lesson ... Let's look at what he can show. And what about getting out of himself or something, well, he lives in America, they are used to "treshtokingom" to deal with. Before the battle there is some kind of insult, something else. It is very much to say just before the battle. At us other mentality, at Russian people. We are accustomed not to talk with language, but to prove everything in practice. So on the 27th we will see everything.

- In general, how do you tune in to fights? Do you like to be alone and focus, or do you prefer to communicate with the team?
- This, probably, depending on the venue of the tournament. If we go somewhere abroad, then naturally a large team goes. And here, when a lot of people, in principle, feel comfortable, but the main thing is that there is no one extra to be my team, who knows when to shut up, at what moment something to say - such a working environment, when in the locker room before the battle, everyone knows who has what to do.

- Kickboxing or boxing - what kind of sport for you is more severe and traumatic?

- I think that both kinds of sport are quite traumatic. And the statistics of injuries, including fatalities, unfortunately, leaves much to be desired, that in boxing, that in kickboxing. Therefore, it can not be divided: something is tougher, and something is not. Both are hard sports. And people who go into the ring, go into the cage or else where else - these are courageous people.

- What is your dream fight at the moment - with which boxer of your weight would you like to meet most?

- At the moment, the battle of my dreams is, of course, to be in this World Super Series. I would really like to, but, as they say, everything has its time. I hope that my time is just around the corner.

- Recently there was talk about a possible fight between Denis Lebedev and Fabio Maldonado. Would you like to try yourself in a boxing or kickboxing match against an MMA fighter?

- Somehow it does not really appeal. To tell you the truth, I'm not interested. If this is interesting to the public, if this fight is really interesting then why not. Suppose, as Floyd [Mayweather's] fight with [Conor] McGregor, he was interesting to the whole public, and everyone wanted to see him. If my fight with any athlete MMA would be just as interesting, I would gladly get out and fight.