Reports: Dead Boston bombing suspect hoped to box for U.S. Olympic team

Tamerlan Tsarnaev, "Suspect No. 1" in the Boston Marathon bombing who was killed following a shootout with Boston-area police Thursday night had hopes of boxing for the U.S. Olympic team according to a mixed martial arts center photo gallery via reports including TheBigLead and The Boston Globe.

Tsarnaev's younger brother and "Suspect No. 2", Dzhokar Tsarnaev, was the target of a Boston-area manhunt and lockdown Friday morning. The Tsarnaev brothers have been identifield as Chechen nationals born in Russia. Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, wanted to become a naturalized U.S. citizen.

The gallery, labelled “Will Box For Passport,” contains 15 images with captions desribing Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s interest in mixed martial arts and boxing.

One photo caption credits Tsarnaev as saying “I don’t have a single American friend, I don’t understand them.”

According to the National Golden Gloves official web site, Tamerlan competed in the 2009 National Tournament of Champions in the 201-pound division.

Here are details about Tamerlan Tsarnaev found on the website of Wai Kru Mixed Martial Arts center via Johannes Hirn:

“I don’t have a single American friend, I don’t understand them.” If he wins enough fights there, Tamerlan says he could be selected for the US Olympic team and be naturalized American. Unless his native Chechnya becomes independent, Tamerlan says he would rather compete for the United States than for Russia.

Tamerlan says he doesn’t drink or smoke anymore: “God said no alcohol.” A muslim, he says: “There are no values anymore,” and worries that “people can’t control themselves.”

Tamerlan says he doesn’t usually take his shirt off so girls don’t get bad ideas: “I’m very religious.”