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Crave Online
Nov 10 2012
Martirosyan motivated to prove doubters wrong against respected Lara
by Mike Coppinger
Nov 10th, 2012
Vanes Martirosyan has been criticized throughout his career for
talking a big game but never fighting anyone of note.
The decorated amateur is undefeated and fought on HBO in 2009, a
decisive win over fellow undefeated prospect Joe Greene at Yankee
Stadium, but the victory wasn't a springboard and led to more fights
against sub-par opposition.
More than two years later, Martirosyan finally has his big fight - and
a chance to prove his doubters wrong - when he takes on top junior
middleweight Erislandy Lara (17-1-1, 11 knockouts) in the main event
of HBO's Boxing After Dark tonight at the Wynn Casino in Las Vegas,
Nev. (9:45 p.m. ET).
`I'm fighting somebody now so we'll see what they say after this,'
Martirosyan, 26, told RingTV.com. `I think Lara is a great fighter, he
comes from the Cuban [amateur] background and Saturday night I will
beat him. He's good but I'm better. I hope it's the start of Vanes.
It's the start of big things to come.'
Martirosyan (32-0, 20 knockouts) has big plans, with the winner of
Saturday's fight the mandatory to Saul `Canelo'Alvarez, but Lara, 29,
presents a stiff test. The 2005 World Amateur Champion at welterweight
is a crisp southpaw with good power and long arms. After drawing with
Carlos Molina in March 2011, he soundly outclassed Paul Williams in
his HBO debut, only to be robbed on the cards. Now, he has another
crack on the network to show his class.
`I can do many different things in the ring, but I'm going to set the
pace and impose my game plan on him,' said Lara, who recently signed
with powerful advisor Al Haymon. `He'll have to deal with my speed and
everything else I'm bringing. I don't want to give up my game plan
but I'm coming out to establish my will on him.'
Friday's weigh-in was heated with the fighters almost coming to blows
during the customary pre-fight stare-down. Both fighters made the
junior welterweight limit of 154 pounds (Martirosyan 153, Lara 153 ½)
and Lara was irritated by Martirosyan's actions.
`He tried to get up in my face thinking I was going to back-up but I
crossed my arms and stood there piercing him with a look of
determination and pushed him off me when he started putting his finger
in my face,' said Lara. `He's going to see on fight night when I put a
beating on him that he's not on my level.'
The 2004 Olympian has yet to lose a fight, with his biggest scare
coming against perhaps his toughest opposition to date - Kassim Ouma.
In the January 2010 fight, Ouma dropped the Armenian hard in the ninth
and lost a unanimous decision, though many thought he won. Many doubt
Martirosyan and he is a sizeable underdog heading into Saturday night,
but he says the detractors fuel him.
`It motivates me, because they didn't think I could be a top guy in
the amateurs and I [proved them wrong],' said Martirosyan. `That's the
reason I got my name `The Nightmare'.
And while Martirosyan, THE RING's No. 5-rated junior middleweight,
feels overlooked, Lara feels he has finally earned the respect of the
boxing public.
`I believe the fans know I'm the WBC No. 1-ranked contender for a
reason,' said Lara, THE RING's No. 4-rated junior middleweight. `I've
worked my way to this position by winning at the top level. On
Saturday night everyone will know I'm the best light middleweight in
the world. I'm going to unleash every weapon I have on him. Everyone
should tune into HBO to watch this fight.'
http://ringtv.craveonline.com/blog/175787-martirosyan-motivated-to-prove-doubters-wrong-against-respected-lara
Nov 10 2012
Martirosyan motivated to prove doubters wrong against respected Lara
by Mike Coppinger
Nov 10th, 2012
Vanes Martirosyan has been criticized throughout his career for
talking a big game but never fighting anyone of note.
The decorated amateur is undefeated and fought on HBO in 2009, a
decisive win over fellow undefeated prospect Joe Greene at Yankee
Stadium, but the victory wasn't a springboard and led to more fights
against sub-par opposition.
More than two years later, Martirosyan finally has his big fight - and
a chance to prove his doubters wrong - when he takes on top junior
middleweight Erislandy Lara (17-1-1, 11 knockouts) in the main event
of HBO's Boxing After Dark tonight at the Wynn Casino in Las Vegas,
Nev. (9:45 p.m. ET).
`I'm fighting somebody now so we'll see what they say after this,'
Martirosyan, 26, told RingTV.com. `I think Lara is a great fighter, he
comes from the Cuban [amateur] background and Saturday night I will
beat him. He's good but I'm better. I hope it's the start of Vanes.
It's the start of big things to come.'
Martirosyan (32-0, 20 knockouts) has big plans, with the winner of
Saturday's fight the mandatory to Saul `Canelo'Alvarez, but Lara, 29,
presents a stiff test. The 2005 World Amateur Champion at welterweight
is a crisp southpaw with good power and long arms. After drawing with
Carlos Molina in March 2011, he soundly outclassed Paul Williams in
his HBO debut, only to be robbed on the cards. Now, he has another
crack on the network to show his class.
`I can do many different things in the ring, but I'm going to set the
pace and impose my game plan on him,' said Lara, who recently signed
with powerful advisor Al Haymon. `He'll have to deal with my speed and
everything else I'm bringing. I don't want to give up my game plan
but I'm coming out to establish my will on him.'
Friday's weigh-in was heated with the fighters almost coming to blows
during the customary pre-fight stare-down. Both fighters made the
junior welterweight limit of 154 pounds (Martirosyan 153, Lara 153 ½)
and Lara was irritated by Martirosyan's actions.
`He tried to get up in my face thinking I was going to back-up but I
crossed my arms and stood there piercing him with a look of
determination and pushed him off me when he started putting his finger
in my face,' said Lara. `He's going to see on fight night when I put a
beating on him that he's not on my level.'
The 2004 Olympian has yet to lose a fight, with his biggest scare
coming against perhaps his toughest opposition to date - Kassim Ouma.
In the January 2010 fight, Ouma dropped the Armenian hard in the ninth
and lost a unanimous decision, though many thought he won. Many doubt
Martirosyan and he is a sizeable underdog heading into Saturday night,
but he says the detractors fuel him.
`It motivates me, because they didn't think I could be a top guy in
the amateurs and I [proved them wrong],' said Martirosyan. `That's the
reason I got my name `The Nightmare'.
And while Martirosyan, THE RING's No. 5-rated junior middleweight,
feels overlooked, Lara feels he has finally earned the respect of the
boxing public.
`I believe the fans know I'm the WBC No. 1-ranked contender for a
reason,' said Lara, THE RING's No. 4-rated junior middleweight. `I've
worked my way to this position by winning at the top level. On
Saturday night everyone will know I'm the best light middleweight in
the world. I'm going to unleash every weapon I have on him. Everyone
should tune into HBO to watch this fight.'
http://ringtv.craveonline.com/blog/175787-martirosyan-motivated-to-prove-doubters-wrong-against-respected-lara