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Jan 4 2009
Vanes Martirosyan: 2009 and Beyond
Sun 4-Jan-2009 12:21
PHOTO: Vanes `The Nightmare' Martirosyan: HoganPhotos.com
By Derek Bonnett: In July 2008, Vanes `The Nightmare' Martirosyan, 22,
was counted among the top four Armenian-born fighters in the world of
boxing in my Each Nation's Best article focusing on Armenia.
The young prospect, who represented the U.S.A in the 2004 Olympics
after defeating Andre Berto to earn his berth on the team, went
unbeaten in five bouts in 2008 to move his record to 22-0 (14). The
orthodox fighter, now making his home in Glendale, CA, went the 10
round distance twice against his strongest opposition to date (Angel
Hernandez and Michael Medina), nearly shutting out both men on the
judges' scorecards.
It would seem that Martirosyan is ready for the next step of his
professional career and capable of shedding his `prospect' label
altogether. Now that a February 7 date has been set for The
Nightmare's 2009 debut, Team Martirosyan has its eyes set on the
future and what they expect to be a fruitful year.
`2009 will by far be the biggest year in Vanes Martirosyan's career in
terms of a make or break year. Shelly Finkel, his manager, plans to
move Vanes along from prospect to top 10 contender status during the
year,' stated Al Nazaryan of Team Martirosyan. `If all goes well, we
would like to see Vanes challenge for a world title by the end of
'09. To get to that goal, Vanes would first need to show strong
performances against some top fifteen guys in the junior middleweight
division, then perhaps fight for the NABO or NABF before taking that
big step to the world title bout. While some may argue that he is
being moved along somewhat slowly, we can only respond by assuring
them he has the best in the business in his corner and that our long
term goals are all set and will be met, God willing.'
No names of these top fifteen contenders were mentioned by Team
Martirosyan, but one source mentioned Billy Lyell, 18-6 (3), of
Youngstown, OH as the opponent for February. While hardly a top
fifteen caliber opponent, Lyell does bring greater experience with him
to the ring after having squared off with James Kirkland, Yory Boy
Campas, and David Lopez over the last two years. However,
Martirosyan's management is well aware of who is who amongst the 154
pound bunch, particularly Vanes' contemporary prospects.
`If you ask Vanes, he believes he is ready to compete with ANYONE in
the division, and that of course is a healthy mindset for a rising
prospect to have. Ideally, we would like for him to meet the likes of
Alfredo Angulo, James Kirkland, John Duddy, Joe Greene, Yuri Foreman,
and Chavez Jr., all of whom are solid undefeated prospects/contenders
in their own rights,' Nazaryan explained. `These fights of course
won't happen just yet, but along with Vanes Martirosyan, these are the
biggest names in the division and one or two will stand above the rest
after all is said and done. The trick of course is to try and remain
at the top once you get there, nothing can be worse for a young
fighter than short lived glory followed by a sudden downfall.'
2008 was witness to quite a few sudden downfalls concerning young,
highly touted prospects such as James McGirt Jr., Andy Lee, Yoan Pablo
Hernandez, and Amir Khan. While the hottest prospects at 154 may not
be on the table just yet for Martirosyan, the team is well aware that
there cannot be a reward without taking a substantial risk.
When asked about his opinion of how his career has been paced, Vanes
has this to say, `I just take it as it comes. I'm always ready to
fight whoever they put in front of me. I have a lot of respect and
trust for my team, that includes my manager Shelly Finkel, promoter
Bob Arum/Top Rank, trainer Ronnie Shields, and of course my dad and
uncle who all want the best for me. I think my progress has been
steady considering I joined the pro ranks at the young age of 18, now
we are ready for the next step and I think you will see that going
into 2009. We have always stressed a common goal, which is not only to
get to the top, but to get there at a level that will see me remain at
the top for some time.'
Staying power is hard to come by and only the best of the best manage
to keep their name atop their division for very long. Before the
boxing world can worry itself about Martirosyan's ability to remain a
champion, it must first be convinced he battle his way through the
division's young guns and earn his shot. That march will begin this
February.
PHOTO: Martirosyan lands a right hand on Marcus Brooks:
HoganPhotos.com
`I will definitely be on the Darchinyan vs. Arce undercard come
February 7th at the Honda Center in Anaheim. I will train to be ready
for the best as I always do. I didn't even stay in LA to spend
Christmas or New Year's with my family; that has been my sacrifice and
determination over the years,' Martirosyan explained. ` I'm back in
Houston to work with Ronnie and be in top form both physically and
mentally. This will be a big fight for me considering Anaheim is a
short drive from my hometown of Glendale. A lot of my loyal fans will
be at the Honda Center for both myself and my countryman, the now
undisputed world champion, Vic Darchinyan. Jorge Arce of course is
another good friend and Top Rank stable mate of mine. I'm real
excited; expect plenty of fireworks come February 7th.'
But will the fireworks end there? What about the rest of the pack at
154?
`We are all bound to collide with one another at one point or another
for junior middleweight supremacy,' Martirosyan stated. `There are at
least six or seven young, undefeated, solid prospects/contenders
including myself in this division, who are all capable of winning
world titles. I'm not sure how many other divisions can offer that at
this time. As for me, I really don't have a preference on who I'll
fight against, just bring me the best, and I will be ready to do my
thing come fight night.'
If Martirosyan's calling for the best at 154, well, that can be as
difficult to determine as who leads the current crop of prospects? Is
it the unbeaten Sergiy Dzinziruk? The newly crowned Paul Williams? Or
perhaps old warhorse Vernon Forrest? Who stands above all the rest?
`At this time, in my eyes, it has to be Sergio Martinez,' Martirosyan
conceded. `He was most impressive out of all the champions when I last
saw him on HBO. Very technical, good speed, and a fun fighter to
watch. Some of the other champs are getting older and are perhaps on
their way out to make room for this new school coming in. In another
year's time, I honestly believe 154 will have the most excitement to
offer compared to all other divisions.'
The junior middleweight division has been in a transitional period for
the last couple of years as most of the excitement and talk has been
centered around the welterweight division. The welterweights once had
a pretty firm grasp on the title of being called the best division in
the sport, but the super bantamweight, super flyweight, and junior
flyweight divisions have made it a close race. I believe boxing fans
wouldn't be too upset about a new horse entering the race. If the new
class of junior middleweights feel their up to the task, then here's
to hoping Vanes Martirosyan isn't the only one with a big 2009 on his
mind.
January 4, 2008
PHOTO: 22 year-old Vanes Martirosyan 22-0 (14) : HoganPhotos.com
View photos at http://www.secondsout.com/Columns/index.cfm?ccs=90 0&cs=51161
Jan 4 2009
Vanes Martirosyan: 2009 and Beyond
Sun 4-Jan-2009 12:21
PHOTO: Vanes `The Nightmare' Martirosyan: HoganPhotos.com
By Derek Bonnett: In July 2008, Vanes `The Nightmare' Martirosyan, 22,
was counted among the top four Armenian-born fighters in the world of
boxing in my Each Nation's Best article focusing on Armenia.
The young prospect, who represented the U.S.A in the 2004 Olympics
after defeating Andre Berto to earn his berth on the team, went
unbeaten in five bouts in 2008 to move his record to 22-0 (14). The
orthodox fighter, now making his home in Glendale, CA, went the 10
round distance twice against his strongest opposition to date (Angel
Hernandez and Michael Medina), nearly shutting out both men on the
judges' scorecards.
It would seem that Martirosyan is ready for the next step of his
professional career and capable of shedding his `prospect' label
altogether. Now that a February 7 date has been set for The
Nightmare's 2009 debut, Team Martirosyan has its eyes set on the
future and what they expect to be a fruitful year.
`2009 will by far be the biggest year in Vanes Martirosyan's career in
terms of a make or break year. Shelly Finkel, his manager, plans to
move Vanes along from prospect to top 10 contender status during the
year,' stated Al Nazaryan of Team Martirosyan. `If all goes well, we
would like to see Vanes challenge for a world title by the end of
'09. To get to that goal, Vanes would first need to show strong
performances against some top fifteen guys in the junior middleweight
division, then perhaps fight for the NABO or NABF before taking that
big step to the world title bout. While some may argue that he is
being moved along somewhat slowly, we can only respond by assuring
them he has the best in the business in his corner and that our long
term goals are all set and will be met, God willing.'
No names of these top fifteen contenders were mentioned by Team
Martirosyan, but one source mentioned Billy Lyell, 18-6 (3), of
Youngstown, OH as the opponent for February. While hardly a top
fifteen caliber opponent, Lyell does bring greater experience with him
to the ring after having squared off with James Kirkland, Yory Boy
Campas, and David Lopez over the last two years. However,
Martirosyan's management is well aware of who is who amongst the 154
pound bunch, particularly Vanes' contemporary prospects.
`If you ask Vanes, he believes he is ready to compete with ANYONE in
the division, and that of course is a healthy mindset for a rising
prospect to have. Ideally, we would like for him to meet the likes of
Alfredo Angulo, James Kirkland, John Duddy, Joe Greene, Yuri Foreman,
and Chavez Jr., all of whom are solid undefeated prospects/contenders
in their own rights,' Nazaryan explained. `These fights of course
won't happen just yet, but along with Vanes Martirosyan, these are the
biggest names in the division and one or two will stand above the rest
after all is said and done. The trick of course is to try and remain
at the top once you get there, nothing can be worse for a young
fighter than short lived glory followed by a sudden downfall.'
2008 was witness to quite a few sudden downfalls concerning young,
highly touted prospects such as James McGirt Jr., Andy Lee, Yoan Pablo
Hernandez, and Amir Khan. While the hottest prospects at 154 may not
be on the table just yet for Martirosyan, the team is well aware that
there cannot be a reward without taking a substantial risk.
When asked about his opinion of how his career has been paced, Vanes
has this to say, `I just take it as it comes. I'm always ready to
fight whoever they put in front of me. I have a lot of respect and
trust for my team, that includes my manager Shelly Finkel, promoter
Bob Arum/Top Rank, trainer Ronnie Shields, and of course my dad and
uncle who all want the best for me. I think my progress has been
steady considering I joined the pro ranks at the young age of 18, now
we are ready for the next step and I think you will see that going
into 2009. We have always stressed a common goal, which is not only to
get to the top, but to get there at a level that will see me remain at
the top for some time.'
Staying power is hard to come by and only the best of the best manage
to keep their name atop their division for very long. Before the
boxing world can worry itself about Martirosyan's ability to remain a
champion, it must first be convinced he battle his way through the
division's young guns and earn his shot. That march will begin this
February.
PHOTO: Martirosyan lands a right hand on Marcus Brooks:
HoganPhotos.com
`I will definitely be on the Darchinyan vs. Arce undercard come
February 7th at the Honda Center in Anaheim. I will train to be ready
for the best as I always do. I didn't even stay in LA to spend
Christmas or New Year's with my family; that has been my sacrifice and
determination over the years,' Martirosyan explained. ` I'm back in
Houston to work with Ronnie and be in top form both physically and
mentally. This will be a big fight for me considering Anaheim is a
short drive from my hometown of Glendale. A lot of my loyal fans will
be at the Honda Center for both myself and my countryman, the now
undisputed world champion, Vic Darchinyan. Jorge Arce of course is
another good friend and Top Rank stable mate of mine. I'm real
excited; expect plenty of fireworks come February 7th.'
But will the fireworks end there? What about the rest of the pack at
154?
`We are all bound to collide with one another at one point or another
for junior middleweight supremacy,' Martirosyan stated. `There are at
least six or seven young, undefeated, solid prospects/contenders
including myself in this division, who are all capable of winning
world titles. I'm not sure how many other divisions can offer that at
this time. As for me, I really don't have a preference on who I'll
fight against, just bring me the best, and I will be ready to do my
thing come fight night.'
If Martirosyan's calling for the best at 154, well, that can be as
difficult to determine as who leads the current crop of prospects? Is
it the unbeaten Sergiy Dzinziruk? The newly crowned Paul Williams? Or
perhaps old warhorse Vernon Forrest? Who stands above all the rest?
`At this time, in my eyes, it has to be Sergio Martinez,' Martirosyan
conceded. `He was most impressive out of all the champions when I last
saw him on HBO. Very technical, good speed, and a fun fighter to
watch. Some of the other champs are getting older and are perhaps on
their way out to make room for this new school coming in. In another
year's time, I honestly believe 154 will have the most excitement to
offer compared to all other divisions.'
The junior middleweight division has been in a transitional period for
the last couple of years as most of the excitement and talk has been
centered around the welterweight division. The welterweights once had
a pretty firm grasp on the title of being called the best division in
the sport, but the super bantamweight, super flyweight, and junior
flyweight divisions have made it a close race. I believe boxing fans
wouldn't be too upset about a new horse entering the race. If the new
class of junior middleweights feel their up to the task, then here's
to hoping Vanes Martirosyan isn't the only one with a big 2009 on his
mind.
January 4, 2008
PHOTO: 22 year-old Vanes Martirosyan 22-0 (14) : HoganPhotos.com
View photos at http://www.secondsout.com/Columns/index.cfm?ccs=90 0&cs=51161