All professional fighters will tell you that boxing is a very tough business. From the politics of the sport to the struggle to make a good living, the physical toll to inevitable disappointments, it’s all most fighters can do to survive.

Roman Karmazin has been through it all. And, at 37 and 13-plus years into his career, he’s still coming back for more.

The tough, well-schooled Russian middleweight has had his highs, most notably a major junior middleweight title he won by outpointing Kassim Ouma in 2005 and lost by decision to Cory Spinks in his first defense the following year.

And he certainly has had his lows.

His biggest disappointment in the ring, he’ll tell you, was a 10th-round TKO to Alex Bunema on the Roy Jones-Felix Trinidad undercard in 2008 that might’ve led to a title shot. Karmazin said he was ill that night but couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

Another setback was a lucrative fight against Oscar De La Hoya scheduled for 2002 that fell apart after De La Hoya was injured.

That’s not the worst of it, though. Karmazin has lost two trainers to death, first Igor Lebedev about six years ago and then Boris Zykanov 2½ years ago. He has dedicated to Zykanov his pursuit of a second title, which continues in an eliminator against Dionisio Miranda on Friday in Glendale, Calif., on ESPN.

And he spends extended periods away from his wife and three children in St. Petersburg because of his career choice. He first came to the U.S. about a decade ago because he believed it would provide his best chance to win a world title and now lives part-time in Los Angeles, training at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Boxing Club.

So it would seem that Karmazin has a lot to lament … but he doesn’t. He acknowledges his challenges but won’t dwell on them.

“I became a world champion,” Karmzain said through translator Steve Bash, his longtime advisor. “That was always my dream; I fulfilled it. I can’t say I haven’t been satisfied with my career. I’ve had some highs and lows but I’ve achieved something hundreds of fighters try to achieve but can’t.

“Right now, ideally, I’d like to make some money. And I’d like to win another championship. I’m happy with my career, though.”

The loss of his trainers hit Karmazin hard. He learned the ropes under Lebedev after moving from his home in Kazakhstan to St. Petersburg as a young man. And he won his title with Zykanov, a Wild Card-based father figure who opened his home to the fighter.

Today, he sometimes trains with Roach –- every moment of which he said he appreciates -- but the world’s top trainer can’t devote himself full-time to Karmazin because of myriad other responsibilities. He more or less trains himself when Roach is unavailable.

Karmazin wasn’t even certain on Tuesday whether Roach, who has been away for a few days, will be available to work his corner on Friday.

“It affected me a great deal,” said Karmazin, referring to Lebedev's death. “It still affects me to this day. It’s really hard to find a trainer who understands you even without words sometimes. I still use his methods, his philosophy, his teachings. And then I had another trainer pass away two years ago, also a Russian trainer. We understood each other. We talked about the old school in Russia and the new school I’ve picked up here.

“It’s definitely tough. I do sometimes think, ‘Why me? Why did this have to happen?’ Trainers are so important to a boxer, how they prepare both physically and mentally for a fight. And I haven’t found a trainer I’m on the same page with since.”

Karmazin is used to spending a lot of time away from home, so much so that his friends in L.A. are among his closest.

Still, working a world away from your loved ones is a challenge. He tries to limit the separation by doing the dirty work –- the running, the weight lifting, preparing his body –- in Russia before flying to L.A. for the final month to get proper sparring and plan strategy.

He never enjoys getting on the plane in Russia.

“It never gets easier,” he said. “It seems like it only gets harder.”

However, he feels he has no choice right now. At his age, he knows he won’t get many more opportunities to make good money in meaningful fights. He wants to do as much as he can to provide for his family while his body cooperates. Bash called him “an old-school guy who doesn’t live beyond his means and just wants to make a living.”

And his pursuit of a second belt has particular significance to him: He would become the first Russian boxer to win major titles in two weight classes if he can take care of Miranda and then beat titleholder Sebastian Sylvester, which would ensure that he isn't forgotten by his people and boxing fans.

He wants to make history no matter the sacrifice.

“The easiest thing to do would be to let my hands down and give up,” he said. “I believe, as man, I have to keep fighting and going forward. I have kids to support. I want to continue to do my best. It’s just the way I am.

“I could call it a day. I just don’t choose to live my life that way.”


Michael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com