FIGHTING

Tamerlan Was Denied Boxing Title

Since he wasn't a U.S. citizen.

For Tamerland Tsarnaev—the Boston Marathon suspect killed by police during a shootout—the American dream was impossible. After the award-winning, heavy-weight boxer captured the Golden Gloves championship in New England two years in a row, his status as a legal resident (rather than U.S. citizen) caused authorities to barr him from participating in the national tournament. In the aftermath of the bombing in Boston, many close to Tamerlan now point to this—the frustration he felt with being disqualified because of his origin—as the root of his anger. It wasn't until he quit boxing, friends say, that Tamerlan began meeting with the radical Islamist mentor now known as "Misha."