Orzubek Nazarov’s Championship Journey
Orzubek Nazarov’s professional career began far from the place that first shaped him. A standout in the Soviet amateur system, the southpaw from Kant turned pro in Japan in 1990, as Kyrgyzstan’s future world champion began a new chapter across the Sea of Japan.
From amateur standout to WBA champion
Nazarov arrived in the professional ranks with a deep amateur résumé: bronze at the 1986 World Championships and gold at the 1987 European Championships. In Japan he moved quickly, building a perfect record and winning regional titles before earning a shot at Dingaan Thobela’s WBA lightweight crown.
On October 30, 1993, Nazarov outpointed Thobela over twelve rounds in Johannesburg to become world champion. The two met again in March 1994, and Nazarov won another unanimous decision. He went on to make six successful defenses, including a second-round knockout of Joey Gamache in Portland and a seventh-round stoppage of Leavander Johnson in Miami. The travel was part of the story: his title reign took him from Japan to the United States, South Africa, and France.
The end of an unbeaten reign
Nazarov arrived in Paris in May 1998 with a 26–0 record and his WBA title. Jean-Baptiste Mendy, fighting before a home crowd at Bercy, took the belt by unanimous decision on May 16, 1998, as the WBA’s official bout record confirms. It was the first defeat of Nazarov’s professional career and his last bout. His final record stood at 26 wins and one loss, with 19 knockouts.
His reign did more than add a championship to a record. Nazarov carried a Soviet amateur education into Japan’s pro scene, then became a world champion whose defenses played out across several continents. For Kyrgyzstan, that journey gave a homegrown fighter a lasting place in international boxing.
Sources: WBA fighter record; Le Parisien’s report on Mendy’s win in Paris; 24.kg interview with Nazarov; BoxRec career history.
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Article Tags
Orzubek Nazarov, Boxing, Boxing History, Championship Boxing
