“He is a natural talent and learns quickly,” says Nelvie Tiafack about Stefan Raab. The boxer trained the entertainer shortly before the TV fight.
Although he survived all six rounds, he had little to oppose the 46-time boxing world champion Regina Halmich (47): Stefan Raab (57) lost to the former professional boxer for the third time on Saturday (September 14). His coach Nelvie Tiafack (25) defended the entertainer’s condition and also emphasized that he could have achieved victory with a little more professional training.
There was supposedly only one real training
The German boxing star with roots in Cameroon supported Raab before his TV comeback and was also in his corner during the show fight, which was broadcast by RTL and RTL+. Commentator Frank Buschmann (59) saw Raab “pumping” in the first round during the broadcast and said in the second round: “He already looks worn out.” However, Tiafack emphasized: “He was only really tired after the fourth round. That is my perception.”
According to his own statements, Stefan Raab had initially spent months preparing for the rematch against Halmich on his own. “He only trained on the punching bag,” confirmed Tiafack. The entertainer also did a lot of strength training to be fit for his comeback after almost ten years. It was not until August 23rd – not even a month before “The Clark Final Fight” – that the first contact was made. “One of Stefan’s employees contacted me on Instagram. She told me that he wanted to talk to me. A few minutes later he called me anonymously.” On the phone, the entertainer told him that he wanted him in his corner. Tiafack won bronze at the Olympic Games, which Raab watched with interest on TV.
Three days after the phone call, the two met. “Stefan spoke with great enthusiasm about the fight against Regina. He didn’t even have to convince me. I had already agreed on the phone.” As “Bild” reports, there was only one real training session, which took place on September 3rd in an empty room at Raab Entertainment. “We did sparring for the length of the fight, six rounds of two minutes each. I defended a little, but otherwise just let him do his thing.”
“He only took one effective hit”
Tiafack has a lot of praise for his short-term protégé: “He is a natural talent, learns quickly. He implemented the things I told him in the breaks between rounds. He only took one effective hit in the entire fight. A punch to the chin in the fifth round. That was all.”
The plan was not to go too fast at the beginning. “It worked, even if many people see it differently,” says Tiafack. “In the first three rounds I didn’t get the impression that he was about to collapse.” He is also sure “that Stefan would have won the fight with a little more conditioning training and working with a boxing trainer over three or four months.”
Both want to stay in touch after the TV date. “He said he would like to come to a fight.” Nelvie Tiafack is currently working on his career from amateur to professional. Working with Stefan Raab was “a great recognition for my success at the Olympics.” After all, Raab “could have chosen any other boxer.”
He also emphasized this. “What a spectacle! Thank you, @therealstefanraabYou could have had anyone at your side, but you chose me.” He feels honored and proud. “When decades of work finally pay off.”
New Raab show starts on September 18th
The entertainer is currently getting ready for his on-screen comeback. Immediately after the boxing match, he announced his new streaming show “Du gewinnst hier nicht die Million bei Stefan Raab”, the first episode of which will be recorded on Tuesday. From September 18th, it will be broadcast every Wednesday from 8:10 p.m.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
