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Fans greet Valuev win with chorus of jeers

Russian boxer Nikolai Valuev stares during his fight on Saturday against Canadian fighter Jean-Francois Bergeron in Oldenburg, Germany. PHOTO: AFP

Nikolai Valuev won an unanimous decision on Saturday against Canada's Jean-Francois Bergeron in his first fight since losing the WBA heavyweight title.

But the crowd of 4,000 made it clear it didn't like the decision and cheered the Canadian, a full-time firefighter, who lost his minor NABA title to the 2.13m Russian.

They jeered when the judges ruled a one-sided 118-11 twice and 117-111 for the one-time biggest heavyweight champion of all time.

"That's always the problem when you don't have a knockout and have a decision," Valuev said. "Maybe some of it had to do with him being the smaller guy."

Bergeron took some shots, but consistently landed his left to the head of the Russian giant and buckled his knees with a second-round hook. Many saw him closer to a draw or win than the loss.

"I'm not in agreement with the decision," said Bergeron, who dropped to 27-1 with 19 knockouts. "But it's hard to beat Valuev here in Germany. He caught me a few times but I think I was good too."

Valuev raised his record to 47-1 with 34 knockouts, his only loss coming in April to Ruslan Chagaev, who took his WBA title.

The Russian, ranked fifth by the IBO, changed his trainer and his training regime, but didn't appear improved.

He plodded after Bergeron, who had never fought a top fighter before, and occasionally hurt him with a right.

Both took some good shots, but weren't in danger. Neither is a big puncher and neither has ever hit the canvas in a fight.

"I would call it a draw, but if I had to fine-tune my call I might give Bergeron the win," said Henry Maske, the German former light heavyweight champion.

The Russian probably didn't help his reputation against a man he outweighed by 44kg and who is ranked 49th by the IBO.
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