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By Thomas Gerbasi - A Showtime co-main event in Las Vegas, the Fight Capital of the World. A possible title shot up for grabs if he defeats unbeaten Jermell Charlo on Saturday night. That’s not a bad scenario for Vanes Martirosyan as he enters his third professional fight this weekend.
Wait. Third professional fight? Well, not really, but the way the 28-year-old Martirosyan sees it, his real career began two fights ago, after he lost for the first time as a pro to Demetrius Andrade in a WBO junior middleweight title bout in November of 2013.
Following the bout, Martirosyan signed with uber-adviser Al Haymon, changed coaches from Freddie Roach to Joe Goossen, and while the results have been impressive in the ring ever since, it’s outside the ropes that the Glendale product feels most at peace.
“I look at the loss as a blessing because I got to see the different side of boxing,” he said. “I was always treated second, and after the loss, I got with Mr. Haymon, I got with the Goossens, and they just opened my eyes to a whole different level about how you’re supposed to be treated. That makes you feel good and it makes you work hard.”
Up until the Andrade fight, Martirosyan - a 2004 United States Olympian - was seen by many as a good fighter, but not an elite one. That may have done him a disservice, as his solid fundamentals and no nonsense style served him well in wins over the likes of Kassim Ouma, Joe Greene, Saul Roman and Richard Gutierrez, and he even fought to a technical draw with one of those elite 154-pounders in Erislandy Lara. He wasn’t spectacular, but he could fight, and even though the Andrade fight shouldn’t have been decided by a split verdict, he wasn’t blown out either in a fight where he admits there were “a lot of distractions.” [Click Here To Read More]
Wait. Third professional fight? Well, not really, but the way the 28-year-old Martirosyan sees it, his real career began two fights ago, after he lost for the first time as a pro to Demetrius Andrade in a WBO junior middleweight title bout in November of 2013.
Following the bout, Martirosyan signed with uber-adviser Al Haymon, changed coaches from Freddie Roach to Joe Goossen, and while the results have been impressive in the ring ever since, it’s outside the ropes that the Glendale product feels most at peace.
“I look at the loss as a blessing because I got to see the different side of boxing,” he said. “I was always treated second, and after the loss, I got with Mr. Haymon, I got with the Goossens, and they just opened my eyes to a whole different level about how you’re supposed to be treated. That makes you feel good and it makes you work hard.”
Up until the Andrade fight, Martirosyan - a 2004 United States Olympian - was seen by many as a good fighter, but not an elite one. That may have done him a disservice, as his solid fundamentals and no nonsense style served him well in wins over the likes of Kassim Ouma, Joe Greene, Saul Roman and Richard Gutierrez, and he even fought to a technical draw with one of those elite 154-pounders in Erislandy Lara. He wasn’t spectacular, but he could fight, and even though the Andrade fight shouldn’t have been decided by a split verdict, he wasn’t blown out either in a fight where he admits there were “a lot of distractions.” [Click Here To Read More]
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