Željko Mavrović (pronounced [ˈʒěːʎko ˈmɑːvroʋitɕ]; born 17 February 1969) is a Croatian former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 1998. In 1998, as an undefeated challenger, he faced Lennox Lewis for the WBC heavyweight title, but lost in what would be his final fight. After retiring from boxing, Mavrović became an entrepreneur. Željko Mavrović was the first vegetarian in the history of world boxing who fought for the title of world champion.

Željko Mavrović
Mavrović in 2008
Born
Željko Mavrović

(1969-02-17) 17 February 1969 (age 55)
NationalityCroatian
Other namesZed
Šaka sa Srednjaka (Fist from Srednjaci)
Irokez (Iroquois)
Statistics
Weight(s)Heavyweight
Height1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Reach77 in (196 cm)
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights28
Wins27
Wins by KO22
Losses1
Medal record
Men's amateur boxing
Representing  Yugoslavia
Mediterranean Games
Gold medal – first place 1991 Athens Heavyweight

Early years

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Mavrović was born in Zagreb. He was raised in the neighborhood Srednjaci (which is the source of his nickname Šaka sa Srednjaka or Fist from Srednjaci).[1]

Amateur career

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As an amateur boxer, Mavrović was the Mediterranean champion in 1991 and Croatian champion in 1991 and 1992. He quickly progressed from the 75 to the 91 kg weight class.

Highlights

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Mavrović had 140 fights as an amateur, compiling an amateur record of 124 wins, 16 losses.[2]

Professional career

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Upon turning professional, he won the EBU Champion of Europe title in 1995 and kept his title in 1996 and 1997 defending it seven times.

In 1998, he went up against Lennox Lewis for the world heavyweight champion title, but lost after twelve rounds via unanimous decision 119–109, 117–112, and 117–111. Although he was outclassed by Lewis in the fight, his daring performance pulled appreciative comments from boxing insiders. Lewis' manager Frank Maloney said that "Mavrović must have 240lb of steel in his chin" after the fight.[3] 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.[4]

Mavrović 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.

In December 2012 Mavrović announced his return to professional boxing. A match with Serbian Cruiserweight boxer Enad Ličina was scheduled for April 2013, but after breaking a rib during training just a few weeks before the scheduled match his return was first delayed[5] and then canceled.[6]

Mavrović served as a boxing director for the Croatian Boxing Federation during the 2014 European Youth Boxing Championships in Zagreb. He was quoted after the incident where Croatian boxer Vido Loncar assaulted and seriously injured a referee after a loss, excusing Loncar with the argument "I believe that he is not a butcher or as bad as this act makes him look. This was part of his excessive ambition in that moment".[7] Loncar was subsequently banned from boxing for life.

Honors

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His Golden Glove 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).

Professional boxing record

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27 Wins (22 knockouts, 5 decisions), 1 Loss (0 knockouts, 1 decision)[1]
Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
Loss 27–1   Lennox Lewis UD 12 26 Sep 1998   Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S. For WBC heavyweight title
Win 27–0   Vincenzo Cantatore TKO 4 (12) 18 Oct 1997   Vienna, Austria Defended European heavyweight title
Win 26–0   Lajos Eros TKO 5 (12), 2:42 12 Jul 1997   Olympia, London, England Defended European heavyweight title
Win 25–0   Julius Francis TKO 8 (12) 15 Feb 1997   Kurhalle Oberlaa, Vienna, Austria Defended European heavyweight title
Win 24–0   Clifton Mitchell TKO 2 2 Nov 1996   Olympia Eisstadion, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany Defended European heavyweight title
Win 23–0   Mark Anthony Wills RTD 8 (10) 22 Jun 1996   Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany
Win 22–0   Christophe Bizot UD 12 20 Apr 1996   Düsseldorf, Germany Defended European heavyweight title
Win 21–0   Przemyslaw Saleta KO 1 (12), 2:58 9 Dec 1995   Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, Stuttgart, Germany Defended European heavyweight title.
Win 20–0   Michael Murray KO 4 (8) 14 Oct 1995   Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany
Win 19–0   Ken Smith KO 2 (10), 2:55 17 Jun 1995   Aladdin Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Win 18–0   Christophe Bizot TKO 11 11 Apr 1995   Palais des sports Marcel-Cerdan, Levallois-Perret, France Won vacant European heavyweight title
Win 17–0   Mark Young RTD 5 (8), 3:00 25 Mar 1995   Düsseldorf, Germany
Win 16–0   Nathaniel Fitch KO 1 11 Feb 1995   Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany
Win 15–0   Oleg Savenko KO 3 26 Nov 1994   Wuppertal, Germany Won vacant German International (BDB) heavyweight title
Win 14–0   Marion Wilson PTS 8 8 Oct 1994   Gerry Weber Stadium, Halle, Germany
Win 13–0   Jerry Jones PTS 10 17 Sep 1994   Wilhelm-Dopatka-Halle, Leverkusen, Germany
Win 12–0   James Pritchard UD 10 18 Jun 1994   Bismark Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Win 11–0   Marshall Tillman TKO 1 4 Jun 1994   Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, Germany
Win 10–0   Jimmy Bills KO 1 7 May 1994   Oberwerth Halle, Koblenz, Germany
Win 9–0   Mike Dixon TKO 4 (?), 1:25 26 Mar 1994   Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, Germany
Win 8–0   Will Hinton TKO 4 (6), 1:37 5 Feb 1994   Aladdin Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 7–0   Kimmuel Odum PTS 8 11 Dec 1993   Philips Halle, Düsseldorf, Germany
Win 6–0   David Bey TKO 4 16 Oct 1993   Koblenz, Germany
Win 5–0   Marco van Spaendonck TKO 1 (?), 1:37 18 Sep 1993   Philips Halle, Düsseldorf, Germany
Win 4–0   Webster Vinson KO 2 7 Aug 1993   Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
Win 3–0   John Morton KO 3 26 Jun 1993   Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany
Win 2–0   Chris Harbourne TKO 1 1 May 1993   Sporthalle Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany
Win 1–0   Bruno Podgorny TKO 3 20 Mar 1993   Philips Halle, Düsseldorf, Germany

Retirement and later years

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After retirement, he went into agricultural business. He opened "Eko-centar Mavrović" in Sloboština near Požega where he produces his line of eco-friendly food.[8] After initial success his business fell into financial problems in the early 2010s.

References

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  1. ^ "Željko Mavrović progovoriti o obitelji, boksu i nadimku" [Željko Mavrović spekas about family, boxing and his nickname] (in Croatian). tportal.hr. 9 February 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  2. ^ Željko Mavrović Amateur Record at the BoxingRecords. Last updated : 12 April 2006.
  3. ^ Boxing: Lewis less than a knockout in the US
  4. ^ "Lennox Lewis: Consummate Cool". Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2009.
  5. ^ "Mavrović u Nu2: Puklo mi je rebro, odgađam povratak!" (in Croatian). tportal. 7 April 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  6. ^ "ISPOVIJEST ŽELJKA MAVROVIĆA 'Nisam samoubojica! Odustajem. Imam ženu i djecu!'" (in Croatian). Jutarnji list. 6 October 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  7. ^ "Boxer banned after brutal attack on referee". Sky Sports. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  8. ^ Eko-Mavrović homepage
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