 An ethnic Dargin hailing from Dagestan, Shanavazov won the Light Heavyweight Silver medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics for the Soviet Union.He was training at the Dynamo sports society in Makhachkala.At the Soviet-Cuban joint pre-Olympic training camp in Suhumi, Georgian SSR, set for the 1988 Olympics, he sparred with Félix Savón, constantly staggering him with devastating bodyshot flurries at close range.