Vanes Martirosyan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vanes MartirosyanՎանես Մարտիրոսյան |
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Martirosyan celebrating his victory against Joe Greene, 2010
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| Statistics | |
| Nickname(s) | The Nightmare |
| Rated at |
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| Height | 6 ft 0 in |
| Reach | 70 in |
| Nationality |
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| Born | 1 May 1986 Abovyan, Armenian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Died | 23 November 2025 (aged 39) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 41 |
| Wins | 36 |
| Wins by KO | 21 |
| Losses | 4 |
| Draws | 1 |
Vanes Norikovich Martirosyan (Armenian: Վանես Մարտիրոսյան) was an American professional boxer. He was born in Armenia on May 1, 1986. Vanes competed in boxing from 2005 to 2018. He challenged for world titles in the light middleweight and middleweight divisions. Martirosyan passed away on November 23, 2025, at the age of 39.
Contents
Who Was Vanes Martirosyan?
Early Life and Family
Vanes Martirosyan was born in Abovyan, Armenia, on May 1, 1986. His father, Norik Martirosyan, was an amateur boxer. Norik also worked for an industrial company and served in the army. Vanes grew up with two brothers and one sister.
When Vanes was four years old, his family moved to Glendale, California. He started boxing at age seven. His father found a boxing gym in Glendale, which sparked Vanes's interest.
Starting His Boxing Journey
Vanes's father decided to homeschool him during junior high. This allowed Vanes to focus his energy on boxing. It helped him keep his fighting skills inside the ring.
Amateur Boxing Achievements
Vanes Martirosyan had a very successful amateur career. He won eight National Championships. He also became a Golden Gloves Champion.
Representing the USA in the Olympics
In 2004, Vanes earned a spot on the US Olympic Team. He won a match against Andre Berto in Mexico. At just 18 years old, he represented the United States at the 2004 Olympics. He competed as a Welterweight boxer. He was part of the same Olympic team as famous boxers Andre Ward and Andre Dirrell.
His Olympic results included:
- Defeating Benamar Meskine (Algeria)
- Losing to Lorenzo Aragón Armenteros (Cuba)
Vanes lost in the second round to Aragon Armenteros. Aragon was 12 years older and more experienced.
During his amateur career, Vanes defeated several notable boxers. These included Austin Trout (three times), Andre Berto, and Timothy Bradley. He finished his amateur career with an impressive record of 120 wins and only 10 losses.
Professional Boxing Career Highlights
Becoming a Pro Boxer
Vanes Martirosyan turned professional at age 20. He weighed 154 pounds at the time. He joined Top Rank, a promotional company led by Bob Arum. His uncle, Serge Martirosyan, managed him. He was also co-managed by Shelly Finkel. Finkel worked with many world champions like Manny Pacquiao.
Vanes trained with Freddie Roach. Roach was named Trainer of the Year in 2003 and 2006. Vanes trained alongside other top boxers like Manny Pacquiao and Julio César Chávez, Jr.. He also worked with Ronnie Shields. Under Shields, Vanes won his first fight by knocking out Dan Wallace.
Vanes continued to win many fights. He beat Clarence Taylor, Billy Lyell, Harrison Cuello, Andrey Tsurkan, and Willie Lee. On June 5, 2010, Vanes made his HBO debut. He fought Joe Greene, who was also undefeated. Vanes won by unanimous decision, giving Greene his first loss. This victory brought Vanes's record to 28 wins and no losses.
In 2011, Vanes continued his winning streak. He knocked out Bladimir Hernandez in the second round. He then faced Saúl Román for a WBC Silver Light Middleweight Championship eliminator. Román knocked Vanes down early in the fight. But Vanes fought back strongly. He eventually knocked Román down and won the fight. This turned a tough situation into a big victory.
Vanes dominated Richard Gutierrez in October 2011. He won a unanimous decision after ten rounds. He also retained his WBC Silver title by stopping Troy Lowry in the third round in February 2012.
Key Fights and Challenges
On November 9, 2013, Vanes faced Demetrius Andrade. He lost this fight by a split decision. Andrade became the World Boxing Organization champion that day. In March 2014, Vanes won the vacant WBO Inter-Continental light middleweight title. He defeated Mario Antonio Lozano by unanimous decision.
Facing Top Opponents
In March 2015, Vanes fought Jermell Charlo. Charlo was undefeated at the time. Vanes lost a close unanimous decision. Many thought Vanes was the more aggressive fighter.
In September 2015, Vanes fought Ishe Smith. Vanes won this fight by a majority decision. Two judges scored it for Vanes, and one judge called it a draw.
His next big fight was against Erislandy Lara in May 2016. This was for the WBA world super welterweight championship. Lara outboxed Vanes, and Vanes lost by unanimous decision.
Martirosyan vs. Golovkin
On May 5, 2018, Vanes Martirosyan had a major fight. He stepped in on short notice to face unified Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin. Vanes had only three weeks to prepare. He also had not fought professionally for almost two years. Despite the challenge, Vanes performed well in the first round. However, Golovkin's power was too much. Vanes lost by knockout in the second round. After the fight, Vanes described Golovkin's punches as feeling like "being hit by a train."
Remembering Vanes Martirosyan
Vanes Martirosyan passed away on November 23, 2025. He was 39 years old. He had been battling skin cancer for two years. His friend, Roma Kalantaryan, shared that Vanes tried many treatments. He even sought treatment in Mexico. Roma said Vanes knew his time was limited. Vanes is remembered by his wife, Gaby Tsao, and their two children, Andrew and Arianna.
See also
- List of Armenian Americans
