By Elliot Worsell
WHEN heavyweight Vladimir Virchis turned up in Northern Cyprus in the middle of the afternoon, he was drawn to the azure blue pool, glistening and inviting. The punishing mid-thirties heat led him to discover sun loungers surrounding the pool, seemingly anticipating his arrival. Without anyone to answer to, the Ukrainian did what most would do in that moment. He dropped off his stuff, stripped down to his shorts, and spent the rest of the afternoon lounging by the pool. To alleviate the guilt and justify his inactivity, he reminded himself that he had just arrived from Germany and needed to relax and rejuvenate his weary limbs. He understood the importance of being fresh for the next day when his sparring duties would begin- the reason for his arrival.
He got horizontal, closed his eyes, and relaxed. Before long, he was asleep, outlasting all the others around the pool who had similar ideas, but unlike Virchis, had obligations elsewhere.
When he woke up from his nap, he felt anything but refreshed. His body was sunburnt and he would soon have to endure the added embarrassment of explaining himself to his employers. Mere hours after landing, he found himself standing before them, admitting he had fallen asleep by the pool and suffered severe sunburn. The prospect of being punched the following day by a heavyweight was now analogous to torture.
Virchis attempted to go through with his sparring duties, but the immense pain made it impossible. He left less than 24 hours after arriving, taking with him the items he could no longer use and the rounds he was supposed to spar. The thousand euros he was supposed to be paid were also gone.
Of all the training camp and sparring stories witnessed firsthand, the one about Vladimir Virchis and his severe sunburn was the most incomprehensible. He failed at his job simply because he saw his sparring duties as a vacation- a chance to enjoy the sun that was scarce in Germany.
Wladimir Klitschko during a sparring session (Alex Menendez/Getty Images)
Most reasons boxers are sent home from sparring are conventional, predictable, and easily understood. But the situation with Vladimir Virchis was unique. His failure led to a lost opportunity, lost pay, and an embarrassing exit.
Booking sparring partners involves considering a boxer’s recent form, inactivity, and even their motivations for accepting the role. Ultimately, the people booking the sparring partners have the final say on the kind of sparring they want, and the effectiveness of the sparring partner in fulfilling that role. The good ones understand this and are repeatedly brought back, while the bad ones struggle to comprehend and may not make ideal sparring partners.
Jai Opetaia (Getty Images)
This morning, news broke that Jai Opetaia, the cruiserweight champion from Australia, had been “sent home” after sparring just five rounds with Tyson Fury, the heavyweight champion, in Saudi Arabia. Most likely, with his own fight approximately four weeks away, the IBF cruiserweight champion chose to focus on his own preparations to defend his world title in Saudi Arabia.
“Jai Opetaia has recently returned from Saudi Arabia where he sparred and trained with Tyson Fury,” confirmed his co-promoters Tasman Fighters. “They were fantastic, competitive rounds and an incredible experience for Jai. However, any talk of an elite boxer being dropped is not true. Jai is now back in Australia finalising his preparation to defend his world title and cannot wait to do so in Saudi Arabia.”