Jan Zaveck

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Jan Zaveck
2011 boxing event in Stožice Arena-Dejan zavec X.jpg
Zaveck (middle) in 2011
Statistics
Real nameDejan Zavec
Nickname(s)Mr. Sympathicus
Weight(s)
Height1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
NationalitySlovenian
Born (1976-03-13) 13 March 1976 (age 45)
Trdobojci, SFR Yugoslavia
(now Slovenia)
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights40
Wins35
Wins by KO19
Losses4
No contests1

Dejan Zavec (born 13 March 1976), best known as Jan Zaveck, is a Slovenian former professional boxer who competed from 2003 to 2015.[1] He held the IBF welterweight title from 2009 to 2011, and challenged once for the WBA super-welterweight title in 2015. Zaveck is the only Slovenian boxer to have held a world title, and was named Slovenian Sportsperson of the Year in 2010.

Early life[]

Dejan Zavec was born in Trdobojci,[2] Slovenia, then part of Yugoslavia. He spent his youth in Gabrnik in the Slovene Hills (Slovene: Slovenske gorice) and in Ptuj. He developed an interest in boxing at an early age. As a teenager, he joined the boxing club in Maribor. Later he resided in Gabrnik and in the city of Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.

In 2006, he graduated from the Faculty for Physical Education in Novi Sad, Serbia.[3]

Boxing[]

Early career[]

Zavec started boxing at the age of 16. As an amateur, he fought in the 1995, 1997 and 1999 World championships.

Zavec turned professional in 2003, winning his first 26 fights. Early in his career, Zavec was briefly signed with Don King, but returned to Europe after the legendary promoter was unable to secure him bouts. Resuming his career in Germany with SES Boxing, Zavec earned a number of regional titles, including the WBO and IBF Inter-Continental and German (BDB) Welterweight Titles.

In 2008, Zavec traveled to Poland to meet Rafal Jackiewicz for the EBU European Welterweight Title. After twelve rounds, a controversial [4] split decision was announced in the Polish fighter's favor. The bout was Zavec's first professional loss.

IBF welterweight champion[]

On December 11, 2009 Zavec won the IBF welterweight title against South African Isaac Hlatshwayo in a stunning upset via knockout. With this victory, Zavec became Slovenia's first-ever boxing world champion.[5][6]

Zavec defended the IBF welterweight title for the first time against Rodolfo Martínez in Ljubljana, performing at the Tivoli Hall. He won by technical knockout in the twelfth round when the referee stopped the fight.[7]

On September 4, 2010, Zavec defended the IBF welterweight title the second time against mandatory challenger Rafał Jackiewicz at the Stožice Arena in Ljubljana. In defeating Jackiewicz, Zavec avenged what was his sole career loss at the time.[8][9]

Zavec was expected to face the winner of Randall Bailey-Said Ouali IBF title-eliminator that took place December 10, 2010, but the bout was ruled a no-contest. With no mandatory challenger established, Zavec opted for an optional defense in Ljubljana. On February 18, 2011, Zavec defended the IBF welterweight title for the third time against #15-ranked Paul Delgado, performing again at the Stožice Arena, in front of 12,000 spectators. He won with a technical knockout in the fifth round, when the referee stopped the fight.

After discussions to fight Paulie Malignaggi on the Saul Alvarez-Ryan Rhodes undercard fell through,[10] Zavec traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi to face former WBC light-welterweight champion Andre Berto on HBO on September 3, 2011. Despite being a 4-to-1 underdog coming into the fight, Zavec proved competitive; trading clean punches with Berto and earning praise from HBO's Roy Jones Jr. In the fifth round, a number of cuts opened on Zavec's face, which resulted in Zavec's corner waiving the fight off before the sixth round. The loss ended Zavec's reign as IBF welterweight champion.

Later career[]

After losing the IBF title, Zavec fought on for three more years; going the distance with future unified welterweight world champion Keith Thurman and challenging Erislandy Lara for the WBA and IBO Super Welterweight Titles in a TKO loss.

Zavec announced his retirement from boxing on March 13, 2016 at a press conference attended by Slovene President Borut Pahor.

Professional boxing record[]

Professional record summary hide
40 fights 35 wins 4 losses
By knockout 19 2
By decision 16 2
No contests 1
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
40 Loss 35–4
(1) 		United States Erislandy Lara TKO 3 (12), 0:41 25 Nov 2015 United States Park Race Track, Hialeah, Florida, US For WBA (Regular) and IBO light-middleweight titles
39 Win 35–3
(1) 		Armenia Sasha Yengoyan UD 12 11 Apr 2015 Slovenia Tabor Hall, Maribor, Slovenia Won WBF (Federation) light-middleweight title
38 Win 34–3
(1) 		Hungary Ferenc Hafner TKO 7 (12) 14 Oct 2014 Slovenia Tabor Hall, Maribor, Slovenia Won vacant WBO European light-middleweight title
37 Win 33–3
(1) 		France Sebastien Allais UD 8 19 Nov 2013 Germany Trade Fair, Leipzig, Germany
36 Loss 32–3
(1) 		United States Keith Thurman UD 12 9 Mar 2013 United States Barclays Center, New York City, New York, US Lost WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title
35 Win 32–2
(1) 		Namibia Bethuel Ushona UD 12 24 Mar 2012 Slovenia Tabor Hall, Maribor, Slovenia Won vacant WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title
34 Loss 31–2
(1) 		United States Andre Berto RTD 5 (12), 3:00 3 Sep 2011 United States Beau Rivage, Biloxi, Mississippi, US Lost IBF welterweight title
33 Win 31–1
(1) 		Cape Verde Paul Delgado KO 5 (12) 18 Feb 2011 Slovenia Arena Stožice, Ljubljana, Slovenia Retained IBF welterweight title
32 Win 30–1
(1) 		Poland Rafał Jackiewicz MD 12 4 Sep 2010 Slovenia Arena Stožice, Ljubljana, Slovenia Retained IBF welterweight title
31 Win 29–1
(1) 		Argentina Rodolfo Ezequiel Martinez TKO 12 (12), 2:20 9 Apr 2010 Slovenia Tivoli Hall, Ljubljana, Slovenia Retained IBF welterweight title
30 Win 28–1
(1) 		South Africa Isaac Hlatshwayo TKO 3 (12), 2:55 11 Dec 2009 South Africa Wembley Indoor Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa Won IBF welterweight title
29 Win 27–1
(1) 		Argentina Jorge Daniel Miranda KO 12 (12) 19 Jun 2009 Slovenia Tabor Hall, Maribor, Slovenia
28 Win 26–1
(1) 		Poland Arek Malek UD 6 15 May 2009 Germany Bördelandhalle, Magdeburg, Germany
27 Loss 25–1
(1) 		Poland Rafał Jackiewicz SD 12 29 Nov 2008 Poland Spodek, Katowice, Poland For European welterweight title
26 Win 25–0
(1) 		Germany Marco Cattikas UD 12 15 Jun 2008 Slovenia Tabor Hall, Maribor, Slovenia Won vacant IBF Inter-Continental welterweight title
25 Win 24–0
(1) 		Germany Pietro d'Alessio TKO 4 (8), 2:33 19 Jan 2008 Germany Burg-Wächter Castello, Düsseldorf, Germany
24 Win 23–0
(1) 		Estonia Albert Starikov UD 10 13 Oct 2007 Germany Hermann-Gieseler-Halle, Magdeburg, Germany Retained German International welterweight title
23 NC 22–0
(1) 		Argentina Jorge Daniel Miranda NC 3 (12), 1:48 12 Jun 2007 Slovenia Tabor Hall, Maribor, Slovenia Vacant WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title at stake;
NC after Zaveck was cut
22 Win 22–0 France Nicolas Guisset UD 12 17 Feb 2007 Germany Maritim Hotel, Magdeburg, Germany Won vacant European Union welterweight title
21 Win 21–0 Kazakhstan Andrey Yeskin TKO 10 (12), 2:30 23 May 2006 Slovenia Športna dvorana Center, Ptuj, Slovenia Retained WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title
20 Win 20–0 Chile Joel Mayo TD 6 (12), 1:50 25 Mar 2006 Germany TURM ErlebnisCity, Brandenburg, Germany Retained WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title;
Won vacant IBF Inter-Continental welterweight title;
Unanimous TD after Mayo was cut from an accidental head clash
19 Win 19–0 France Serge Vigne TKO 5 (8), 2:35 29 Oct 2005 Germany TURM ErlebnisCity, Brandenburg, Germany
18 Win 18–0 Russia Mikhail Boyarskikh TKO 8 (12), 2:07 20 Sep 2005 Czech Republic T-Mobile Arena, Prague, Czech Republic Won vacant WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title
17 Win 17–0 Slovakia Joseph Sovijus KO 3 (6) 18 Jun 2005 Croatia Pula Arena, Pula, Croatia
16 Win 16–0 Dominican Republic Danilo Alcantara TKO 2 (6), 2:04 2 Feb 2005 Germany Ofen-Stadthalle, Brandenburg, Germany
15 Win 15–0 Latvia Martins Kukulis KO 4 (6), 1:56 15 Jan 2005 Germany Bördelandhalle, Magdeburg, Germany
14 Win 14–0 Latvia Jurijs Boreiko MD 6 18 Sep 2004 Germany Hermann-Gieseler-Halle, Magdeburg, Germany
13 Win 13–0 Germany Arthur Nowak TKO 8 (10) 17 Jul 2004 Germany Anhalt Arena, Dessau, Germany Won vacant German International welterweight title
12 Win 12–0 France Boubacar Sidibe UD 8 5 Jun 2004 Germany Maritim Hotel, Magdeburg, Germany
11 Win 11–0 Russia Viktor Baranov UD 12 17 Apr 2004 Slovenia Maribor, Slovenia Won vacant NBA Inter-Continental welterweight title
10 Win 10–0 Russia Nikita Zaytsev SD 8 21 Feb 2004 Germany Ballhaus-Arena, Aschersleben, Germany
9 Win 9–0 Russia Rozalin Nasibulin TKO 5 (8) 29 Nov 2003 Germany Lausitz Arena, Cottbus, Germany
8 Win 8–0 Poland Andrzej Butowicz UD 6 17 Nov 2003 Czech Republic Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic
7 Win 7–0 Estonia Leonti Vorontsuk TKO 2, 2:44 20 Sep 2003 Germany Maritim Hotel, Magdeburg, Germany
6 Win 6–0 Luxembourg Kamel Ikene TKO 2 (6), 2:14 5 Jul 2003 Germany Anhalt Arena, Dessau, Germany
5 Win 5–0 Albania Artur Drinaj TKO 2 14 Jun 2003 Germany Bördelandhalle, Magdeburg, Germany
4 Win 4–0 Russia Nikita Zaitsev TKO 2 21 May 2003 Czech Republic Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
3 Win 3–0 Czech Republic Patrik Hruska UD 6 25 Apr 2003 Germany Maritim Hotel, Magdeburg, Germany
2 Win 2–0 Bosnia and Herzegovina Nico Salzmann PTS 6 21 Mar 2003 Germany Jump Trampolinpark, Berlin, Germany
1 Win 1–0 Hungary Zsolt Toth TKO 1 (4), 1:00 1 Mar 2003 Germany Ballhaus-Arena, Aschersleben, Germany

References[]

  1. ^ To. G., K. J. (27 November 2015). "Zavec to retire: "23 years has been enough. It's time for new victories"". RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  2. ^ "Častni občani Občine Videm" [Honourable members of Videm municipality] (in Slovenian). 11 June 2011. Archived from the original on 29 December 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
  3. ^ "Dejan Zavec - Od sirote do svetovnega prvaka" [Dejan Zavec - From an orphan boy to world champion] (in Slovenian). 11 June 2011. Archived from the original on November 7, 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
  4. ^ "Jan Zaveck, The One and Only, At Least From Slovenia". BoxingScene. 10 October 2009. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  5. ^ "Jan Zaveck Shocks Isaac Hlatshwayo By Knockout". Boxing Scene. 11 December 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
  6. ^ "Zavec svetovni prvak v boksu!" [Zavec is the world champion!] (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. 11 December 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
  7. ^ "Zaveck retains IBF welter belt". Fightnews. 9 April 2010. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  8. ^ "Zavec ubranil naslov svetovnega prvaka" [Zavec defended the title of the world champion] (in Slovenian). Retrieved 4 September 2010.
  9. ^ "Zavec v Stožicah ubranil naslov svetovnega prvaka!" [Zavec in Stožice defended the title of the world champion!] (in Slovenian). Retrieved 4 September 2010.
  10. ^ "Dejan Zavec - Paul Malignaggi 18 czerwca?" [Dejan Zavec - Paul Malignaggi June 18?] (in Slovenian). Retrieved 4 September 2019.

External links[]

Sporting positions
Regional boxing titles
Vacant
Title last held by
Turgay Uzun 		German International
welterweight champion
17 July 2004 – 2010
Vacated 		Vacant
Title next held by
Stefan Worth
Vacant
Title last held by
Zab Judah 		WBO Inter-Continental
welterweight champion
20 September 2005 – October 2006
Vacated 		Vacant
Title next held by
Luciano Abis
Vacant
Title last held by
Cristian De Martinis 		IBF Inter-Continental
welterweight champion
25 March 2006 – July 2006
Vacated 		Vacant
Title next held by
Joshua Clottey
Vacant
Title last held by
Michel Trabant 		European Union
welterweight champion
17 February 2007 – November 2007
Vacated 		Vacant
Title next held by
Daniele Petrucci
Vacant
Title last held by
Giammario Grassellini 		IBF Inter-Continental
welterweight champion
15 June 2008 – 11 December 2009
Won world title 		Vacant
Title next held by
Daniele Petrucci
Vacant
Title last held by
Frankie Gavin 		WBO Inter-Continental
welterweight champion
24 March 2012 – 9 March 2013 		Succeeded by
Keith Thurman
Vacant
Title last held by
Attila Kovács 		WBO European
light-middleweight champion
17 October 2014 – April 2015
Vacated 		Vacant
Title next held by
Predrag Radosevic
Minor world boxing titles
Preceded by
Sasha Yengoyan 		WBF (Federation)
light-middleweight champion
11 April 2015 – November 2015
Vacated 		Vacant
Title next held by
Fariz Mammadov
Major world boxing titles
Preceded by
Isaac Hlatshwayo 		IBF welterweight champion
11 December 2009 – 3 September 2011 		Succeeded by
Andre Berto
Retrieved from ""