Azerbaijan banned former boxer and Russian State Duma lawmaker Nikolai Valuev from entering the country after he suggested the South Caucasian country uses diaspora groups to engage in criminal activities.
“The offensive statements against Azerbaijan and our people made by Nikolai Valuev… and his threatening remarks against our country are absolutely unacceptable,” the ministry said. “Due to the statements made by this deputy against Azerbaijan, his name has been added to the list of individuals banned from entering the Republic of Azerbaijan.”
According to a report from The Moscow Times, Valuev, a former world heavyweight boxing champion, is at least the third Russian lawmaker to be declared persona non grata by Azerbaijan.
Last week, Baku, the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, ordered the closure of the local branch of Rossotrudnichestvo, a Russian state-funded cultural diplomacy agency, citing its “lack of legal registration.” In response, Valuev suggested that Moscow could target ethnic Azeris in Russia and their financial transactions.
“Their main tools of influence in Russia are diasporas,” Valuev wrote on Telegram. “This entire crowd should be put through the legal filter. Illegal migration, tax evasion, corporate raids and other ‘interesting’ activities will come to light soon enough.”
Before pissing off Azerbaijan, Nikolai Valuev earned a controversial decision over former heavyweight king Evander Holyfield
Before making the move to politics, Valuev competed as a professional boxer from 1993 to 2009. He went 50-2 during his career with 35 of his wins coming by way of knockout. Valuev held the WBA heavyweight title on two separate occasions and is best known for being the tallest and heaviest world champion in boxing history.
The first defense of Valuev’s second title run saw him defend his gold against former four-time heavyweight king Evander Holyfield in Zurich, Switzerland. Valuev weighed in at a whopping 310.8 pounds, nearly 100 pounds more than Holyfield who weighed in at 214.3.
Valuev won the fight via a highly controversial majority decision. He only competed once more after the Holyfield fight, surrendering his WBA title to David Haye in Nuremberg, Germany.