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Željko Mavrović (pronounced [ˈʒěːʎko ˈmɑːvroʋitɕ]; born 17 February 1969) is a Croatian former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 1998. In 1998, as an undefeated challenger, he faced Lennox Lewis for the WBC heavyweight title, but lost in what would be his final fight. After retiring from boxing, Mavrović became an entrepreneur. Željko Mavrović was the first vegetarian in the history of world boxing who fought for the title of world champion.
Željko Mavrović | |||||||||||||||
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 Mavrović in 2008 | |||||||||||||||
| Born | Željko Mavrović 17 February 1969 | ||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Croatian | ||||||||||||||
| Other names | Zed Šaka sa Srednjaka (Fist from Srednjaci) Irokez (Iroquois) | ||||||||||||||
| Statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Weight(s) | Heavyweight | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||
| Reach | 77 in (196 cm) | ||||||||||||||
| Stance | Orthodox | ||||||||||||||
| Boxing record | |||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 28 | ||||||||||||||
| Wins | 27 | ||||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 22 | ||||||||||||||
| Losses | 1 | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Mavrović was born in Zagreb. He was raised in the neighborhood Srednjaci (which is the source of his nickname Šaka sa Srednjaka or Fist from Srednjaci).[1]
As an amateur boxer, Mavrović was the Mediterranean champion in 1991 and Croatian champion in 1991 and 1992. He quickly progressed from the 75 to the 91 kg weight class.
Highlights
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European Junior Championships (Middleweight), Copenhagen, Denmark, September 1986:
Usti Grand Prix (Light heavyweight), Ústí nad Labem, Czechoslovakia, March 1988:
USA–Europe Duals (Heavyweight), Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, June 1988:
XXIV Summer Olympics (Heavyweight), Seoul, South Korea, September 1988:
European Championships (Heavyweight), Athens, Greece, May 1989:
World Championships (Heavyweight), Moscow, Soviet Union, September 1989:
Goodwill Games (Heavyweight), Seattle, Washington, July 1990:
USA–Yugoslavia Duals (Heavyweight), Rapid City, South Dakota, January 1990:
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Yugoslavia–USA Duals (Heavyweight), Umag, Yugoslavia, July 1990:
European Championships (Heavyweight), Stockholm, Sweden, May 1991:
XXV Summer Olympics (Heavyweight), Barcelona, Spain, July 1992:
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Mavrović had 140 fights as an amateur, compiling an amateur record of 124 wins, 16 losses.[2]
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Upon turning professional, he won the EBU Champion of Europe title in 1995 and kept his title in 1996 and 1997 defending it seven times.
In 1998, he went up against Lennox Lewis for the world heavyweight champion title, but lost after twelve rounds via unanimous decision 119–109, 117–112, and 117–111. Although he was outclassed by Lewis in the fight, his daring performance pulled appreciative comments from boxing insiders. Lewis' manager Frank Maloney said that "Mavrović must have 240lb of steel in his chin" after the fight.[3] Lewis described the fight as the most awkward win of his career, citing sauna-like conditions in the ring, as well as Mavrović's agility, motivation and preparedness.[4]
Mavrović never fought again after this bout. In the next years, he was a few times scheduled against quality opposition (like for example against Hasim Rahman in 1999 where his late replacement Oleg Maskaev then knocked Rahman out of the ring in a well-remembered fight), but he always had to pull out due to injuries and he ultimately had to finish his career due to an undisclosed illness.
In December 2012 Mavrović announced his return to professional boxing. A match with Serbian Cruiserweight boxer Enad Ličina was scheduled for April 2013, but after breaking a rib during training just a few weeks before the scheduled match his return was first delayed[5] and then canceled.[6]
Mavrović served as a boxing director for the Croatian Boxing Federation during the 2014 European Youth Boxing Championships in Zagreb. He was quoted after the incident where Croatian boxer Vido Loncar assaulted and seriously injured a referee after a loss, excusing Loncar with the argument "I believe that he is not a butcher or as bad as this act makes him look. This was part of his excessive ambition in that moment".[7] Loncar was subsequently banned from boxing for life.
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His Golden Glove remains the biggest trophy in the history of Croatian heavyweight boxing, and he was named the Croatian sportsperson of the year twice. He was also distinctive for his Mohawk hairstyle, which led to a later nickname Irokez (Croatian for Iroquois).
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After retirement, he went into agricultural business. He opened "Eko-centar Mavrović" in Sloboština near Požega where he produces his line of eco-friendly food.[8] After initial success his business fell into financial problems in the early 2010s.
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