Željko Mavrovic
Encyclopedia
Željko Mavrović is a retired male boxer
from Croatia
turned enterpreneur.
, in the neighbourhood Srednjaci (which is the source of his nickname Šaka sa Srednjaka or "Fist from Srednjaci").
Other Amateur accomplishments were:
) in 1995 and kept his title in 1996 and 1997 against seven opponents.
In 1998, he went up against Lennox Lewis
for the world heavyweight champion title, but lost after twelve rounds on points. Although he was outclassed by Lewis in the fight, his daring performance pulled appreciative comments from boxing insiders. Lewis' manager Frank Maloney
said that "Mavrovic must have 240lb of steel in his chin" after the fight. Lewis described the fight as the most awkward win of his career, citing sauna-like conditions in the ring, as well as Mavrović's agility, motivation and preparedness.
Mavrovic never fought again after this bout. In the next years he was a few times scheduled against quality opposition (like for example against Hasim Rahman
in 1999 where his late replacement Oleg Maskaev
then knocked Rahman out of the ring in a well remembered fight), but he always had to pull out due to injuries and he ultimately had to finish his career due to an undisclosed illness.
remains the biggest trophy in the history of Croatian heavyweight boxing, and he was named the Croatian sportsperson of the year twice. He was also distinctive for his Mohawk hairstyle
, which led to a later nickname Irokez (Croatian for Iroquois
).
where he produces his own line of eco-friendly food.
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...
from Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
turned enterpreneur.
Background
Mavrović was born in ZagrebZagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, in the neighbourhood Srednjaci (which is the source of his nickname Šaka sa Srednjaka or "Fist from Srednjaci").
Amateur career
As an amateur boxer, Mavrović was the Mediterranean champion in 1991 and Croatian champion in 1991 and 1992.Other Amateur accomplishments were:
- 1988 Olympic Games, Seoul, South Korea (Heavyweight)
- Lost to Baik Hyun-ManBaik Hyun-ManBaik Hyun-Man is a former heavyweight amateur boxer from South Korea, who won the silver medal in his weight division at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. In the final he was knocked out in the first round by Ray Mercer of the United States.- Results :-External links:*...
(South Korea) 0-5
- Lost to Baik Hyun-Man
- 1989 European Championships, Athens, Greece (Heavyweight)
- Lost-SD Axel SchulzAxel SchulzAxel Schulz is a retired German heavyweight boxer.-Amateur career:From 1982 Schulz boxed for the army sports club Vorwärts in Frankfurt , later becoming the East German youth champion...
(Germany)
- Lost-SD Axel Schulz
- 1991 European Championships, Stockholm, Sweden (Heavyweight)
- Lost-PTS Arnold Vanderlijde (Netherlands)
- 1991 Mediterranean Games, Athens, Greece (Heavyweight): Gold Medal
- Final Match: Defeated Georgios StefanopoulosGeorgios StefanopoulosGeorgios Stefanopoulos is a former boxer from Greece, who participated in two Summer Olympics for his native country in the men's heavyweight division , starting in 1984 in Los Angeles, California. He twice won a medal at the European Championships in the early 1990s...
points (Greece)
- Final Match: Defeated Georgios Stefanopoulos
- 1992 Olympic Games, Barcelona, Spain (Heavyweight)
- Defeated Mark Hulstrom (Denmark) 8-2
- Lost to Danell NicholsonDanell NicholsonDanell Nicholson was an American Olympian and a boxer in the heavyweight division.-Amateur career:Nicholson was a member of the 1992 United States Olympic Team as a Heavyweight...
(USA) 6-9
Professional career
When he turned professional, he became the boxing champion of Europe (EBUEuropean Boxing Union
The European Boxing Union is an organization that oversees competition in that sport over the continent of Europe.-History:The EBU started life as the International Boxing Union in Paris in 1910...
) in 1995 and kept his title in 1996 and 1997 against seven opponents.
In 1998, he went up against Lennox Lewis
Lennox Lewis
Lennox Claudius Lewis, CM, CBE is a retired boxer and the most recent British undisputed world heavyweight champion. He holds dual British and Canadian citizenship...
for the world heavyweight champion title, but lost after twelve rounds on points. Although he was outclassed by Lewis in the fight, his daring performance pulled appreciative comments from boxing insiders. Lewis' manager Frank Maloney
Frank Maloney
Frank Maloney is a boxing manager and promoter and United Kingdom Independence Party politician. He is most famous for managing Lennox Lewis to the Undisputed Heavyweight Championship of the World.-Early life:...
said that "Mavrovic must have 240lb of steel in his chin" after the fight. Lewis described the fight as the most awkward win of his career, citing sauna-like conditions in the ring, as well as Mavrović's agility, motivation and preparedness.
Mavrovic never fought again after this bout. In the next years he was a few times scheduled against quality opposition (like for example against Hasim Rahman
Hasim Rahman
Hasim Sharif Rahman is an American professional boxer. Rahman is the former Lineal, WBC, IBO, & IBF heavyweight champion...
in 1999 where his late replacement Oleg Maskaev
Oleg Maskaev
Oleg Alexandrovich Maskaev is a Russian professional boxer and a former WBC heavyweight champion. He is an ethnic Mordvin.-Boxing career:Maskaev, a former mine worker, began his career in the 1980s as an amateur boxer in the Soviet Union, where he held a victory over world champion Vitali...
then knocked Rahman out of the ring in a well remembered fight), but he always had to pull out due to injuries and he ultimately had to finish his career due to an undisclosed illness.
Honors
His Golden GloveGolden Glove
Golden Glove may refer to:*Golden Gloves, an amateur boxing competition*Rawlings Gold Glove Award, given to Major League Baseball players for outstanding defensive performance*Barclays Golden Glove, an award for goalkeepers in the Premier League...
remains the biggest trophy in the history of Croatian heavyweight boxing, and he was named the Croatian sportsperson of the year twice. He was also distinctive for his Mohawk hairstyle
Mohawk hairstyle
The mohawk is a hairstyle in which, in the most common variety, both sides of the head are shaven, leaving a strip of noticeably longer hair...
, which led to a later nickname Irokez (Croatian for Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
).
Outside the Ring
After retirement he went into agricultural business. He opened "Eko-centar Mavrović" in Sloboština near PožegaPožega, Croatia
Požega is a city in western Slavonia, eastern Croatia, with a total population of 26,403 . It is the administrative center of the Požega-Slavonia County.-Geography:...
where he produces his own line of eco-friendly food.