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Post: Instead of the Olympics, he put a bullet in the head: why did the mafia kill a boxer from the USSR?

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Boxer Oleg Korotaev got up from the table and approached the company, which was listening loudly nearby. The man asked the men not to make so much noise. They did not accept the polite offer of the athlete, so Korotaev knocked out one of the guys. It turned out to be the son of the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. RIA Novosti Sport talks about how the case led to the end of the career of a talented boxer and began his “ascension” in the criminal world.

Expelled from the national team before the Olympics

Korotaev had to grow up very early. The father of the future boxer drank a lot and did not show the necessary attention to the family. When Oleg was young, his father left them with his mother. The man went to school for the second shift to work in the morning.

It was possible to forget about the problems in the ring. At 17, Oleg shone at the All-Union Championship. He was noticed by the honored coach Georgy Dzheroyan and invited to Moscow.

In 1970, it was possible to declare himself at the USSR Championship. Korotaev unexpectedly won the gold medal. Oleg began to take an interest in the national team and go on trips abroad.

He won the tournament in Cuba by beating a local boxer in the final. The fight was personally watched by Fidel Castro, who was impressed by the technique of the Soviet athlete. As a sign of respect, the Cuban leader gave Korotaev a machete.

Boxer Oleg Korotaev - RIA Novosti, 1920, 11/18/2022

The real victory would be the Munich Olympics. The Russian was recognized as an unconditional contender for the medal, but the national team coach Anatoly Stepanov intervened. He did not like Korotaev, as he considered the young boxer incredibly arrogant.

Oleg, in response, accused Stepanov of being unprofessional and receiving commissions. Allegedly, the coach took money from boxers to enter the team. Before one of the international tournaments, the Ministry of Sports chose Korotaev, the first number of the team. But at the competitions, the boxer missed all the fights by the decision of his mentor.

Before the Olympics in Munich, Korotaev unexpectedly took second place in the USSR championship. The travel luck was shaken. A few days later, the national team arrived at the base half an hour later than expected. Stepanov immediately informed the leadership of the party and demanded that Oleg be suspended for life, deprivation of all ranks. The authorities sided with the teacher.

It was as if his career was ruined. The confrontation with Stepanov ended in a major defeat. Korotaev already began to think about what to do and began to look for work. However, it was possible to have the last word in boxing.

had to give up American money

Soviet boxers brought two gold medals from Germany. At that time this was considered an incredible failure, so Stepanov was dismissed from his post. Korotaev immediately asked for an “amnesty” and returned to the national team.

Over the next few years, Oleg won the silver of the World Championship and the bronze of the European Championship. He lost to Yugoslav Mate Parlov, who cut his face both times. Therefore, the fighting was stopped.

The Soviet boxer accused Parlov of making dirty plays and defiantly refused to shake hands. Despite the absence of a gold medal, Korotaev became famous outside the USSR.

Boxer Oleg Korotaev (left) during the fight - RIA Novosti, 1920, 18.11.2022

The athlete received great attention in the USA, where the national team came to the demonstration tournament. Korotaev defeated future world champion Marvin Jones and knocked out training partner Mohammed Ali. The audience was delighted, and the organizers wanted to leave Oleg in America. One of them even offered him a million dollars to move to the USA and become a professional.

If the offer came directly, the boxer could accept it. However, the organizer made a big mistake and first turned to the head of the delegation. Needless to say, could not the Soviet authorities allow such an “escape” of an athlete? The party forced Korotaev to hold a press conference where the prepared text was read.

“How can I exchange my 250 million citizens for a million dollars?” said.

After the rejection of the Americans, his career began to decline. Oleg began to skip workouts more and more often and took bar trips instead. One of these evenings he knocked out the son of the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Sport traded for OPG

The athlete was immediately sent to prison. A few days later, the coach paid the bail and took the student out. However, the criminal case has already been started. Authorities obtained a search warrant for the apartment, after which the boxer was arrested again. The machete given by Fidel Castro turned out to be a cold weapon, and drugs were found in his bedroom.

Korotaev’s acquaintances said that he never used prohibited substances. Even now, many believe that there is a conspiracy against the boxer. He was sent to jail after attacking a powerful man’s son.

Oleg immediately began to gain reputation in prison. When he was released, nothing reminded him of his sports past. Korotaev became a crime boss. The boxer did not go free for long, a year later, after a fight, he was at the dock again. He was sentenced to several years in a colonial settlement.

The ex-athlete who returned to freedom was involved in crime. According to rumors, Korotaev joined one of the organized crime groups and quickly climbed the “career ladder”. Money flowed like a river, luxury cars in the family changed every month. Oleg quickly got used to a new life and did not deny anything. He became a typical gangster from the 90s and befriended law thieves.

In those days, crime bosses divided their spheres of influence by organizing bloody massacres. One of the bandits “ordered” Korotaev, who was recognized by his acquaintance in the police. The former boxer didn’t pay much attention to gossip at first, but soon noticed the spying. It was time to go.

Oleg played a fictitious marriage with an American, got citizenship and moved to the United States. There he opened a travel company, stopped committing crimes and sent money to his family in Russia every month. But you cannot escape the past.

Korotaev’s body was found in January 1994 near the Arbat restaurant on Brighton Beach. Oleg was shot in the back of the head, the perpetrator has not yet been found.

An official statement from the New York Police Department said, “A hitman has acted. He likely knew the victim and did not arouse suspicion.”

The three-time champion of the USSR was taken to Moscow and buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery. Hundreds of people came to say goodbye to Korotaev. Half of them were from the sports world, the other half from the criminal world. Funerals have become symbols of life. He too was divided into an illustrious career and violent banditry.

Source: Ria

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