Ramazan Paliani

During his boxing career, Ramaz Paliani represented four countries – or five if one considers the Unified Team as separate from the Soviet Union. Until 1992, Paliani represented the Soviet Union, or the Unified Team; while in 1993, for only one year, Paliani represented his birth country of Georgia. From 1993-96 Paliani represented Russia and from 1997 until the end of his boxing career, Paliani represented Turkey. Paliani rose to prominence at the 1990 European Junior Championships, where he won the gold medal as a light-flyweight. In 1992, Paliani was selected to the Unified Team Olympic boxing team and at the Olympics, Paliani won a bronze medal in featherweight. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Paliani represented his birth country Georgia at the 1993 World and European Championships, winning silver at the Europeans and bronze at the Worlds, but then decided to apply for Russian citizenship, because his coach moved to Russia to coach the Russian national junior team. Paliani represented Russia at the 1994 Goodwill Games, 1995 World, 1996 European Championships and 1996 Olympics, winning the European title in 1996 and gold at the 1994 Goodwill Games.

After the 1996 Olympics, Paliani moved to Turkey and, after gaining Turkish nationality, represented Turkey at the 1999 and 2001 World Championships, 1998 and 2000 European Championships and 2001 Mediterranean Games, winning gold in each of those events, except at the 1999 Worlds, where he settled for a bronze medal. In 2002 Paliani turned professional and moved to the United States. In 2004, Paliani won the IBA Americas lightweight title. In 2005, Paliani fought for the IBA World lightweight title, but the bout ended in a draw. In 2006, he won the Pennsylvania lightweight title. Paliani retired from pro boxing in 2007 with a record of 14 (8 KO) wins, 1 (by KO) loss and 1 draw. After his retirement, he worked as a boxing coach in Philadelphia and in 2009 became head coach of the Georgian national boxing team.