The manager of Alexander Emelianenko Azamat Bostanov in an interview with Yaroslav Stepanov told how he helped the fighter to get in shape.
Bostanov previously published a video that reveals some of the details of Emelianenko's difficult return to life and sport.
- The video starts like this: you answer the phone, and in the next frame you help Alexander out of bed with words about the hearse. What preceded this - did Emelianenko ask for help himself?
- Let me tell you briefly from the beginning. At first we worked with Alexander only on publicity - no fights. It began before his fight with Maga Ismailov. And after that we all saw Sasha disappear from the public space. Periodically he would appear, but then disappear again. At one of these moments he called me because he realized that the situation was grave. The man had been on a binge for quite a long time. A decision was made to change the situation. I came to Sasha, saw what was going on and was a little horrified, but... They took him away, treated him a bit and took him to Teberda.
- When you watch the video at first, you feel as if Emelianenko was on the verge of life and death. Did it happen?
- All this was happening for a long time, almost a year. Periodically he came out of this state, but for most of his break Alexander was exactly as you saw him on the video. To put it adequately, of course, such a state for a year would have affected anyone's health, and the effects are still visible today.
- Have you often had doubts that all your efforts were in vain?
- Of course. Every day. There were fears: here we go, now... A lot of people around me said that nothing would work. Without the details, I can even admit that Alexander had a breakdown during the last couple of months. I won't say how or when exactly. But in the end we have what we have: I believed in Alexander, and more importantly, he believed in himself.
