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 | May 1, 1986 Abovyan, Armenian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 41 |
| Wins | 36 |
| Wins by KO | 21 |
| Losses | 4 |
| Draws | 1 |
Vanes Martirosyan (born May 1, 1986) is a former professional boxer from Armenia and America. He competed in boxing from 2005 to 2018. Vanes challenged for a world title in the light middleweight division twice, in 2013 and 2016. He also fought for unified middleweight world titles in 2018.
Contents
Vanes's Early Life
Vanes Martirosyan was born on May 1, 1986, in a city called Abovyan in Armenia. His father, Norik Martirosyan, was an amateur boxer himself. He worked for a company and was also in the army. Vanes has two brothers, one older and one younger, and a sister.
When Vanes was four years old, his family moved to Glendale, California, in the United States. He started boxing at age seven after his father found a boxing gym nearby. Vanes's father later decided to homeschool him. This helped Vanes focus on boxing and keep his fighting inside the ring.
Amateur Boxing Career
Vanes Martirosyan was a very successful amateur boxer. He won the National Champion title eight times! He also became a Golden Gloves Champion.
In 2004, Vanes earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team. He won a match against Andre Berto in Mexico to qualify. At just 18 years old, he represented the United States at the 2004 Olympics as a welterweight boxer. He was on the same Olympic team as famous boxers like Andre Ward.
At the Olympics, Vanes had two matches:
- He won against Benamar Meskine from Algeria.
- He lost to Lorenzo Aragón Armenteros from Cuba.
Vanes lost in the second round to Aragon Armenteros, who was 12 years older than him. During his amateur career, Vanes defeated other well-known 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 Journey
Starting as a Pro Boxer
Vanes Martirosyan became a professional boxer when he was 20 years old. He joined a big boxing company called Top Rank. His uncle, Serge Martirosyan, managed his career. He also had another manager, Shelly Finkel, who worked with many world champions.
Vanes trained with a famous coach named Freddie Roach. Freddie Roach was voted "Trainer of the Year" multiple times. Vanes trained alongside other top boxers like Manny Pacquiao. He also worked with another coach, Ronnie Shields. Under Shields, Vanes won his first fight by knocking out Dan Wallace in the first round.
Vanes continued to win many fights. He beat boxers like Clarence Taylor, Billy Lyell, and Willie Lee.
Big Fights and Challenges
On June 5, 2010, Vanes made his debut on HBO, a major TV channel. He fought Joe Greene, who was also undefeated at the time. Vanes won the fight by a unanimous decision. This win meant Vanes had a perfect record of 28 wins and no losses.
In 2011, Vanes fought Saúl Román for a special WBC Silver title. Román knocked Vanes down early in the fight. But Vanes fought back strongly! He trapped Román against the ropes and knocked him down. The referee stopped the fight, giving Vanes a big victory.
Later that year, Vanes dominated Richard Gutierrez, winning every round on two of the judges' scorecards. He also defeated Troy Lowry in 2012, keeping his WBC Silver title.
In 2013, Vanes fought Demetrius Andrade for a world title. It was a very close fight, but Vanes lost by a split decision.
Important Matches
On March 28, 2015, Vanes fought Jermell Charlo. Many people thought Vanes was more aggressive. However, he lost the fight by a unanimous decision. Vanes felt he should have won.
Later in 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.
In his next fight, Vanes challenged Erislandy Lara for a world championship. Lara outboxed Vanes, and Vanes lost the fight by a unanimous decision.
Fighting Gennady Golovkin
On May 5, 2018, Vanes Martirosyan got a huge opportunity. He fought the famous unified Middleweight champion, Gennady Golovkin. Vanes was a last-minute replacement for another boxer. He had only three weeks to prepare for the fight. Also, it had been almost two years since his last professional match.
Despite the short notice, Vanes performed better than expected in the first round. But Golovkin's power was too much. Vanes was knocked out in the second round. After the fight, Vanes said Golovkin's punches felt like "being hit by a train." Golovkin praised Vanes, saying he was a good fighter. This fight was watched by many people, becoming one of the most-viewed boxing matches on cable TV in 2018.
Professional Boxing Record Summary
| 41 fights | 36 wins | 4 losses |
| By knockout | 21 | 1 |
| By decision | 15 | 3 |
| Draws | 1 | |
Images for kids
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Martirosyan celebrating his victory against Joe Greene, 2010
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Martirosyan (left) vs. Taronze Washington, 2007
See also
- List of Armenian Americans
