Jan Zaveck


Dejan Zavec, 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 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 his 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 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 for 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

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
40LossErislandy LaraTKO3, 0:4125 Nov 2015Park Race Track, Hialeah, Florida, USFor WBA and IBO light-middleweight titles
39Win35–3 Sasha YengoyanUD1211 Apr 2015Tabor Hall, Maribor, SloveniaWon WBF light-middleweight title
38Win34–3 Ferenc HafnerTKO7 14 Oct 2014Tabor Hall, Maribor, SloveniaWon vacant WBO European light-middleweight title
37Win33–3 Sebastien AllaisUD819 Nov 2013Trade Fair, Leipzig, Germany
36Loss32–3 Keith ThurmanUD129 Mar 2013Barclays Center, New York City, New York, USLost WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title
35Win32–2 Bethuel UshonaUD1224 Mar 2012Tabor Hall, Maribor, SloveniaWon vacant WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title
34Loss31–2 Andre Berto5, 3:003 Sep 2011Beau Rivage, Biloxi, Mississippi, USLost IBF welterweight title
33Win31–1 Paul DelgadoKO5 18 Feb 2011Arena Stožice, Ljubljana, SloveniaRetained IBF welterweight title
32Win30–1 Rafał JackiewiczMD124 Sep 2010Arena Stožice, Ljubljana, SloveniaRetained IBF welterweight title
31Win29–1 Rodolfo Ezequiel MartinezTKO12, 2:209 Apr 2010Tivoli Hall, Ljubljana, SloveniaRetained IBF welterweight title
30Win28–1 Isaac HlatshwayoTKO3, 2:5511 Dec 2009Wembley Indoor Stadium, Johannesburg, South AfricaWon IBF welterweight title
29Win27–1 Jorge Daniel MirandaKO12 19 Jun 2009Tabor Hall, Maribor, Slovenia
28Win26–1 Arek MalekUD615 May 2009Bördelandhalle, Magdeburg, Germany
27Loss25–1 Rafał JackiewiczSD1229 Nov 2008Spodek, Katowice, PolandFor European welterweight title
26Win25–0 Marco CattikasUD1215 Jun 2008Tabor Hall, Maribor, SloveniaWon vacant IBF Inter-Continental welterweight title
25Win24–0 Pietro d'AlessioTKO4, 2:3319 Jan 2008Burg-Wächter Castello, Düsseldorf, Germany
24Win23–0 Albert StarikovUD1013 Oct 2007Hermann-Gieseler-Halle, Magdeburg, GermanyRetained German International welterweight title
2322–0 Jorge Daniel MirandaNC3, 1:4812 Jun 2007Tabor Hall, Maribor, SloveniaVacant WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title at stake;
NC after Zaveck was cut
22Win22–0Nicolas GuissetUD1217 Feb 2007Maritim Hotel, Magdeburg, GermanyWon vacant European Union welterweight title
21Win21–0Andrey YeskinTKO10, 2:3023 May 2006Športna dvorana Center, Ptuj, SloveniaRetained WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title
20Win20–0Joel Mayo6, 1:5025 Mar 2006TURM ErlebnisCity, Brandenburg, GermanyRetained WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title;
Won vacant IBF Inter-Continental welterweight title;
Unanimous TD after Mayo was cut from an accidental head clash
19Win19–0Serge VigneTKO5, 2:3529 Oct 2005TURM ErlebnisCity, Brandenburg, Germany
18Win18–0Mikhail BoyarskikhTKO8, 2:0720 Sep 2005T-Mobile Arena, Prague, Czech RepublicWon vacant WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title
17Win17–0Joseph SovijusKO3 18 Jun 2005Pula Arena, Pula, Croatia
16Win16–0Danilo AlcantaraTKO2, 2:042 Feb 2005Ofen-Stadthalle, Brandenburg, Germany
15Win15–0Martins Kukulis4, 1:5615 Jan 2005Bördelandhalle, Magdeburg, Germany
14Win14–0Jurijs Boreiko618 Sep 2004Hermann-Gieseler-Halle, Magdeburg, Germany
13Win13–0Arthur NowakTKO8 17 Jul 2004Anhalt Arena, Dessau, GermanyWon vacant German International welterweight title
12Win12–0Boubacar SidibeUD85 Jun 2004Maritim Hotel, Magdeburg, Germany
11Win11–0Viktor BaranovUD1217 Apr 2004Maribor, SloveniaWon vacant NBA Inter-Continental welterweight title
10Win10–0Nikita Zaytsev821 Feb 2004Ballhaus-Arena, Aschersleben, Germany
9Win9–0Rozalin NasibulinTKO5 29 Nov 2003Lausitz Arena, Cottbus, Germany
8Win8–0Andrzej ButowiczUD617 Nov 2003Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic
7Win7–0Leonti VorontsukTKO2, 2:4420 Sep 2003Maritim Hotel, Magdeburg, Germany
6Win6–0Kamel IkeneTKO2, 2:145 Jul 2003Anhalt Arena, Dessau, Germany
5Win5–0Artur DrinajTKO214 Jun 2003Bördelandhalle, Magdeburg, Germany
4Win4–0Nikita ZaitsevTKO221 May 2003Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
3Win3–0Patrik Hruska625 Apr 2003Maritim Hotel, Magdeburg, Germany
2Win2–0Nico Salzmann621 Mar 2003Jump Trampolinpark, Berlin, Germany
1Win1–0Zsolt Toth1, 1:001 Mar 2003Ballhaus-Arena, Aschersleben, Germany