Aziz Salihu
Encyclopedia
Aziz Salihu (born May 1, 1954 in Pristina
, Yugoslavia, now Kosovo
) is a retired heavyweight
boxer
of Albania
n descent. He represented Yugoslavia at the 1984 Summer Olympics
in Los Angeles, California
, and won the bronze medal in the super heavyweight division (> 91kg), after a loss in the semifinals at the hands of Tyrell Biggs
of the United States
. Salihu also competed at the 1980
(Moscow
) and 1988 Summer Olympics
in Seoul, South Korea, where he was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
in the tournament final in Belgrade (1980). Back to the tournament final in Belgrade (1984) he won the former world champion from Russia, Valery Abadzhyan. He won the world champion Francesco Damiani
in the international tournament in Benghazi in Libya (1984). He won by Craig Payne
, Ferenc Somodi, Håkan Brock, Marvis Frazier
, Peter Hussing
, Biaggio Chianese
etc..
Aziz Salihu was a boxer who applied all his skills and talents in each and every match of his. With complete dedication and hard work in his job as a boxer, Aziz has achieved many goals in overall boxing career.
Pristina
Pristina, also spelled Prishtina and Priština is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous municipality and district....
, Yugoslavia, now Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
) is a retired heavyweight
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
of Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
n descent. He represented Yugoslavia at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Yugoslavia at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Athletes from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States.- Medalists :Yugoslavia finished in ninth position in the final medal rankings, with seven gold medals and 18 medals overall...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, and won the bronze medal in the super heavyweight division (> 91kg), after a loss in the semifinals at the hands of Tyrell Biggs
Tyrell Biggs
Tyrell Biggs , is an American heavyweight boxer. He won the gold medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, CA in boxing at the Superheavyweight division, after gaining bronze the previous year at the 1983 Pan American Games....
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Salihu also competed at the 1980
Boxing at the 1980 Summer Olympics
Boxing at the 1980 Summer Olympics took place in the Indoor Stadium of the Olympiski Sports Complex in Moscow. The boxing schedule began on 20 July and ended on 2 August...
(Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
) and 1988 Summer Olympics
Boxing at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Boxing at the 1988 Summer Olympics took place in the Chamshil Students' Gymnasium in Seoul. The boxing schedule began on September 17 and ended on October 2. Twelve boxing events were contested, with the participation of 441 athletes and 159 officials from 106 countries...
in Seoul, South Korea, where he was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Career
Salihu is known and celebrated in his own country and in all amateur boxing circles for having more than five hundred official matches and suffering only 26 losses. On club level Aziz had his best years while boxing for Prishtina. He was part of so called golden generation and has achieved eight Yugoslav championship titles (including five in a row). He has also won international medals in many other championships, including first places in Mediterranean games and the World Cup in the year 1987. In Kosovo, he has received the Sportsman of the Century Award and now works as the coach and manager of Boxing Club Prishtina.Opponents
He won the world renowned boxer Alexander YagubkinAlexander Yagubkin
Alexander G. Yagubkin is a former amateur boxer, who won a gold medal at the 1982 World Amateur Boxing Championships and was honoured as a Master of Sports of the USSR.-1982 World champsionship:...
in the tournament final in Belgrade (1980). Back to the tournament final in Belgrade (1984) he won the former world champion from Russia, Valery Abadzhyan. He won the world champion Francesco Damiani
Francesco Damiani
Francesco Damiani is an Italian former boxer who won the silver medal at the 1982 World Championships and at the 1984 Summer Olympics. As a professional, he was the first WBO heavyweight champion.-Amateur:...
in the international tournament in Benghazi in Libya (1984). He won by Craig Payne
Craig Payne
Craig Payne is a former US-American boxer best known for winning the National Golden Gloves in 1983.-Amateur:Payne won the National Golden Gloves in 1983 beating a young Mike Tyson ....
, Ferenc Somodi, Håkan Brock, Marvis Frazier
Marvis Frazier
Marvis Frazier is a former professional boxer of the heavyweight division.-Personal:Marvis is the son of former heavyweight champion and Hall of Famer, Joe Frazier. His sister Jackie Frazier-Lyde was also a professional boxer, as was his brother Joe Frazier, Jr...
, Peter Hussing
Peter Hussing
Peter Hussing was a West German heavyweight boxing champion. Although one of the favorites in European Championship in Katowice in 1975, he was heavily KO-ed by Andrzej Biegalski from Poland, who later became the champion. Four years later, Hussing became the European Champion in Cologne 1979...
, Biaggio Chianese
Biaggio Chianese
Biaggio Chianese is a retired boxer from Italy, who won the bronze medal at both the 1986 World Amateur Boxing Championships and the 1987 European Amateur Boxing Championships in the men's heavyweight division.-References:...
etc..
Aziz Salihu was a boxer who applied all his skills and talents in each and every match of his. With complete dedication and hard work in his job as a boxer, Aziz has achieved many goals in overall boxing career.