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Jan Zaveck
Zaveck (middle) in 2011
Born	Dejan Zavec (1976-03-13) 13 March 1976 (age 48) Trdobojci, SFR Yugoslavia (now Slovenia)
Nationality	Slovenian
Other names	Mr. Sympathicus
Statistics
Weight(s)	Welterweight Light-middleweight
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	40
Wins	35
Wins by KO	19
Losses	4
No contests	1

Dejan Zavec (born 13 March 1976), best known as Jan Zaveck, is a Slovenian former professional boxer who competed from 2003 to 2015. He held the IBF welterweight title from 2009 to 2011, and challenged once for the WBA super-welterweight title in 2015. Zaveck is the only Slovenian boxer to have held a world title, and was named Slovenian Sportsperson of the Year in 2010.

Early life

Dejan Zavec was born in Trdobojci, Slovenia, then part of Yugoslavia. He spent his youth in Gabrnik in the Slovene Hills (Slovene: Slovenske gorice) and in Ptuj. He developed an interest in boxing at an early age. As a teenager, he joined the boxing club in Maribor. Later he resided in Gabrnik and in the city of Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.

In 2006, he graduated from the Faculty for Physical Education in Novi Sad, Serbia.

Professional career

Early career

Zavec started boxing at the age of 16. As an amateur, he fought in the 1995, 1997 and 1999 World championships.

Zavec turned professional in 2003, winning his first 26 fights. Early in his career, Zavec was briefly signed with Don King, but returned to Europe after the legendary promoter was unable to secure him bouts. Resuming his career in Germany with SES Boxing, Zavec earned a number of regional titles, including the WBO and IBF Inter-Continental and German (BDB) Welterweight Titles.

In 2008, Zavec traveled to Poland to meet Rafal Jackiewicz for the EBU European Welterweight Title. After twelve rounds, a controversial split decision was announced in the Polish fighter's favor. The bout was Zavec's first professional loss.

IBF welterweight champion

On December 11, 2009, Zavec won the IBF welterweight title against South African Isaac Hlatshwayo in a stunning upset via knockout. With this victory, Zavec became Slovenia's first-ever boxing world champion.

Zavec defended the IBF welterweight title for the first time against Rodolfo Martínez in Ljubljana, performing at the Tivoli Hall. He won by technical knockout in the twelfth round when the referee stopped the fight.

On September 4, 2010, Zavec defended the IBF welterweight title the second time against mandatory challenger Rafał Jackiewicz at the Stožice Arena in Ljubljana. In defeating Jackiewicz, Zavec avenged what was his sole career loss at the time.

Zavec was expected to face the winner of Randall Bailey-Said Ouali IBF title-eliminator that took place December 10, 2010, but the bout was ruled a no-contest. With no mandatory challenger established, Zavec opted for an optional defense in Ljubljana. On February 18, 2011, Zavec defended the IBF welterweight title for the third time against #15-ranked Paul Delgado, performing again at the Stožice Arena, in front of 12,000 spectators. He won with a technical knockout in the fifth round, when the referee stopped the fight.

After discussions to fight Paulie Malignaggi on the Saul Alvarez-Ryan Rhodes undercard fell through, Zavec traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi to face former WBC light-welterweight champion Andre Berto on HBO on September 3, 2011. Despite being a 4-to-1 underdog coming into the fight, Zavec proved competitive; trading clean punches with Berto and earning praise from HBO's Roy Jones Jr. In the fifth round, a number of cuts opened on Zavec's face, which resulted in Zavec's corner waiving the fight off before the sixth round. The loss ended Zavec's reign as IBF welterweight champion.

Later career

After losing the IBF title, Zavec fought on for three more years; going the distance with future unified welterweight world champion Keith Thurman and challenging Erislandy Lara for the WBA and IBO Super Welterweight Titles in a TKO loss.

Zavec announced his retirement from boxing on March 13, 2016, at a press conference attended by Slovene President Borut Pahor.

Professional boxing record

References

1. To. G., K. J. (27 November 2015). "Zavec to retire: "23 years has been enough. It's time for new victories"". RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
2. "Častni občani Občine Videm" [Honourable members of Videm municipality] (in Slovenian). 11 June 2011. Archived from the original on 29 December 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
3. "Dejan Zavec - Od sirote do svetovnega prvaka" [Dejan Zavec - From an orphan boy to world champion] (in Slovenian). 11 June 2011. Archived from the original on November 7, 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
4. "Jan Zaveck, The One and Only, At Least From Slovenia". BoxingScene. 10 October 2009. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
5. "Jan Zaveck Shocks Isaac Hlatshwayo By Knockout". Boxing Scene. 11 December 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
6. "Zavec svetovni prvak v boksu!" [Zavec is the world champion!] (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. 11 December 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
7. "Zaveck retains IBF welter belt". Fightnews. 9 April 2010. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
8. "Zavec ubranil naslov svetovnega prvaka" [Zavec defended the title of the world champion] (in Slovenian). Retrieved 4 September 2010.
9. "Zavec v Stožicah ubranil naslov svetovnega prvaka!" [Zavec in Stožice defended the title of the world champion!] (in Slovenian). Retrieved 4 September 2010.
10. "Dejan Zavec - Paul Malignaggi 18 czerwca?" [Dejan Zavec - Paul Malignaggi June 18?] (in Slovenian). Retrieved 4 September 2019.

External links

• Official website
• Boxing record for Jan Zaveck from BoxRec (registration required)

• 1976 births
• Living people
• Slovenian male boxers
• International Boxing Federation champions
• Sportspeople from Ptuj
• Sportspeople from Magdeburg
• World welterweight boxing champions
• Light-middleweight boxers