Foreign boxer Choi Shi-ro fights for shot at Korean citizenship and boxing history 작성일 05-18 62 목록 <div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2025/05/18/0000070331_001_20250518152819057.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Boxer Choi Shi-ro poses for a photo during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo in southern Seoul on April 28. [JOONGANG ILBO]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> Undefeated Uzbek boxer Choi Shi-ro came to Seoul chasing a title dream, and now he is throwing punches for a shot at Korean citizenship and boxing history. <br> <br> “I haven’t taken a day off training in the past two years. I won’t stop until I knock out every top fighter in the world,” Choi said during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo on April 28 at a boxing gym in southern Seoul. <br><br>Choi, ranked No. 11 by Fightworld One (FW1), is an undefeated boxer who has injected new life into Korea’s boxing scene. He holds a perfect 10-0 record, including seven knockouts, earned over the span of just two years. <br> <br> Choi successfully defended his World Boxing Association (WBA) Asia lightweight title by beating Shuichiro Yoshino of Japan, with an 11th-round technical knockout. <br> <br> Yoshino is a former unified WBO and Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation champion. <br> <br> The WBA is one of the four major world boxing organizations, alongside the World Boxing Council, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization. <br> <br> Choi's real name is Shirotsbek Ismailov, and he is an Uzbek national. <br> <br> Uzbekistan has emerged as a dominant force in boxing, winning five of the seven men’s gold medals awarded at the Paris Olympics last year. <br> <br> Choi began boxing at the age of six, following in the footsteps of his father, a former boxer. He showed early promise and was eventually named to Uzbekistan’s national reserve team. <br> <br> But injuries and ill-timed setbacks prevented him from making the final cut for international competitions, including the Olympics. <br> <br> Hovering just below the top ranks, Choi began to question his future — until 2023, when he met Choi Wan-il, the CEO of FW1. <br> <br> A former Korean national reserve boxer in the 1990s, Choi Wan-il had long searched for a fighter to realize the championship dream he never achieved himself. An Uzbek coach he knew introduced him to Shirotsbek. <br> <br> “I saw boxing instincts I’d never seen in any other southpaw,” Choi Wan-il said. “His punches exploded like bombs. I knew right away he had championship potential.” <br> <br> Choi Shi-ro signed with FW1 and flew to Korea in July 2023 to purse his dream. <br> <br> “I didn’t need even a day to decide,” he said. “In Uzbekistan, Korea is a place we admire. That’s partly because of the Korean Wave, but also because it’s known for its sports infrastructure and strong athletic system.” <br> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2025/05/18/0000070331_002_20250518152819131.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Boxer Choi Shi-ro poses for a photo during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo in southern Seoul on April 28. [JOONGANG ILBO]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> He also adopted a Korean name. Now living with Choi Wan-il’s family, he combined his coach’s surname with the first two syllables of his given name to become Choi Shi-ro. <br> <br> That name appears not only on official bout records but also on his foreign resident registration. <br> <br> Choi’s performance soared. <br> <br> Following a rigorous regimen developed by Choi Wan-il — a former Special Forces officer — he trained by running through mountains in the summer and snowfields in the winter. <br> <br> Previously reliant only on his talent, Choi has built strength and stamina. In just two years since his professional debut, he has assembled a dominant record. <br> <br> Just one year after arriving in Korea, Choi became the Korea Boxing Member (KBM) lightweight champion in July and went on to win the WBA Asia title in October 2023. <br> <br> Foreign fighters who are part of a Korean boxing team can be crowned national champions. <br> <br> Choi’s fight purse has increased dramatically — from 600,000 won ($430) per bout to 14 million won today. <br> <br> “Coach Choi covers my housing and over 100 million won in annual training expenses,” he said. “So, I don’t spend my fight earnings. I send everything to my parents back home.” <br> <br> Choi now has his sights set on a world title. With two or three more wins, he could qualify to challenge for it. <br> <br> Living in Korea has inspired another dream — becoming a Korean citizen. <br> <br> “This is the country that let me dream of becoming a champion,” he said. “My real Korean dream is to become a world champion as a Korean and represent Korean boxing with pride.” <br> <br> He is even willing to serve in the military like coach Choi. <br> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2025/05/18/0000070331_003_20250518152819188.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Boxer Choi Shi-ro poses for a photo with a beret during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo in southern Seoul on April 28. [JOONGANG ILBO]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> He even created his own celebration where he wears a special forces beret, shouts “<i>Dan-gyeol</i>” — meaning “unity” in Korean — and salutes in order to show his commitment. <br> <br> Choi’s military-style salute is more than a gesture. It reflects his desire to fully embrace Korean identity — not just in name or sport, but in duty as well. <br><br><i>Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.</i> 관련자료 이전 국민연금 디지털자산 투자 논란에 민병덕 "오히려 전통이론에 충실" 05-18 다음 ‘새신랑’ 박현성, 1R 서브미션승 “아내에게 바친 10연승” 05-18 댓글 0 등록된 댓글이 없습니다. 로그인한 회원만 댓글 등록이 가능합니다.
