Artur Grigorian
Grigorian on a 2001 stamp of Uzbekistan
Born
Artur Razmikovich Grigoryan

(1967-10-20) 20 October 1967 (age 56)
Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union[1]
NationalitySoviet → Uzbek
Other namesKing Artur
Statistics
Weight(s)Lightweight
Height5 ft 7+1⁄2 in (1.71 m)
Reach69 in (175 cm)
StanceSouthpaw
Boxing record
Total fights39
Wins38
Wins by KO23
Losses1
Draws0
No contests0
Medal record
Men's amateur boxing
Representing the  Soviet Union
World Amateur Championships
Silver medal – second place 1991 Australia -60 kg
Goodwill Games
Gold medal – first place 1990 Seattle -60 kg

Artur Razmikovich Grigorian (Armenian: Արթուր Գրիգորյան; born 20 October 1967) is a retired Armenian-Uzbek professional boxer.

Grigorian is a former WBO lightweight champion. He defended his title against record-breaking 17 boxers, and held it for seven years, six months and twenty days; nearly as long as record holder Benny Leonard held his lightweight title (7 years, 8 months).[2]

Biography

Grigorian was born on 20 October 1967 in Soviet Tashkent, Uzbek SSR to an Armenian family from Nagorno-Karabakh.[3] He has a brother and sister.

Amateur career

Grigorian began boxing at the age of 11. He defeated Shane Mosley and won a gold medal at the 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle City.[4] Grigorian won a silver medal at the 1991 World Amateur Boxing Championships and competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

Artur had a final amateur record of 361–23.[2]

Professional career

Trained by Fritz Sdunek, Grigorian began his professional career in 1994 and won eight consecutive bouts. On 23 July 1994, Grigorian defeated Turkish boxer Senturk Ozdemir by a fifth-round technical knockout and won the vacant German International lightweight title.

On 1 April 1995, Grigorian defeated Antonio Strabello and became the WBO Inter-Continental champion. After six non-title bouts and one title defense, Artur, with a perfect 19–0 record, became eligible to fight for the WBO lightweight championship world title. The title had recently been vacated by Oscar De La Hoya after he moved up to the light welterweight division.

Grigorian faced Puerto Rican Antonio Rivera on 13 April 1996, for the vacant WBO lightweight title. Both were the two top contenders in the lightweight division. Artur won by knocking Rivera out in the twelfth round and became the new WBO lightweight champion.[2]

After four title defenses, Grigorian defended his belt against undefeated challenger Marco Rudolph. Rudolph had bested Grigorian seven years earlier at the 1991 World Amateur Boxing Championship finals. Grigorian avenged his amateur defeat by stopping Rudolph in the sixth round.

Grigorian would continue to defend his title a total of seventeen times, a new record in the lightweight division. Artur was just one more defense away from becoming the longest reigning lightweight champion, but ultimately lost his belt to Acelino Freitas by unanimous decision on 3 January 2004. Grigorian had surgery on his right shoulder prior to the bout. Freitas lost the belt in his first title defense against Diego Corrales. Grigorian retired later that year after winning one more bout.

On 24 February 2009, at the age of 41, Artur came out of retirement for one more bout in which he won a six-round unanimous decision against Bulgarian Kirkor Kirkorov. Kirkorov is also of Armenian descent and also a 1991 World Amateur Boxing Championships medalist.[3]

Personal life

Grigorian lives in Germany with his wife and three daughters. He currently works as a boxing trainer.[3]

Professional boxing record

39 fights 38 wins 1 loss
By knockout 22 0
By decision 16 1
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
39 Win 38–1 Bulgaria Kirkor Kirkorov PTS 6 24 Feb 2009 Germany Universum Gym, Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany
38 Win 37–1 Romania Vasile Herteg TKO 4 (8), 2:35 11 Sep 2004 Hungary Kisstadion, Budapest, Hungary
37 Loss 36–1 Brazil Acelino Freitas UD 12 3 Jan 2004 United States Foxwoods Resort, Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States Lost WBO lightweight title
36 Win 36–0 Poland Matt Zegan MD 12 18 Jan 2003 Germany Grugahalle, Essen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
35 Win 35–0 Italy Stefano Zoff UD 12 14 Sep 2002 Germany Volkswagenhalle, Braunschweig, Niedersachsen, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
34 Win 34–0 Mexico Rocky Martinez TKO 8 (12), 2:15 5 Jan 2002 Germany Bordelandhalle, Magdeburg, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
33 Win 33–0 Argentina Aldo Nazareno Rios UD 12 16 Jun 2001 Hungary Kisstadion, Budapest, Hungary Retained WBO lightweight title
32 Win 32–0 Spain Angel Jose Perez TKO 6 (12), 1:40 24 Feb 2001 Germany Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
31 Win 31–0 Colombia Antonio Pitalua UD 12 25 Nov 2000 Germany Preussag Arena, Hannover, Niedersachsen, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
30 Win 30–0 Hungary Zoltan Kalocsai TKO 12 (12), 1:00 23 Jun 2000 Hungary FTC Stadium, Budapest, Hungary Retained WBO lightweight title
29 Win 29–0 Italy Sandro Casamonica TKO 9 (12), 1:48 19 Feb 2000 Germany Estrel Convention Center, Neukoelln, Berlin, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
28 Win 28–0 Uruguay Wilson Enrique Galli TKO 10 (12), 2:46 27 Nov 1999 Germany Hansehalle, Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
27 Win 27–0 United States Michael Clark KO 5 (12), 1:45 9 Oct 1999 Germany Koenig Pilsener Arena, Oberhausen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
26 Win 26–0 Spain Oscar Garcia Cano UD 12 13 Mar 1999 Germany Hansehalle, Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
25 Win 25–0 Italy Giorgio Campanella TD 10 (12), 1:36 24 Oct 1998 Germany Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
24 Win 24–0 Germany Marco Rudolph TKO 6 (12), 1:50 14 Mar 1998 Germany Sporthalle, Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
23 Win 23–0 United States David Armstrong UD 12 11 Oct 1997 Germany Stadthalle, Cottbus, Brandenburg, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
22 Win 22–0 Argentina Raul Horacio Balbi TKO 11 (12), 1:10 22 Feb 1997 Germany Sporthalle, Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
21 Win 21–0 United States Marty Jakubowski UD 12 16 Nov 1996 Germany Sporthalle, Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
20 Win 20–0 United States Gene Reed KO 2 (12), 1:25 21 Sep 1996 Germany Sport und Erholungszentrum, Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
19 Win 19–0 Puerto Rico Antonio Rivera KO 12 (12), 2:23 13 Apr 1996 Germany Sporthalle, Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany Won vacant WBO lightweight title
18 Win 18–0 Colombia Esteban Perez Quinones TKO 6 2 Oct 1996 Germany Stadthalle, Cottbus, Brandenburg, Germany
17 Win 17–0 Zambia Paul Kaoma PTS 8 2 Dec 1995 Germany Carl Benz Halle, Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
16 Win 16–0 Belgium Jean-Marc Camaleri TKO 2 (8) 7 Oct 1995 Germany Festhalle, Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany
15 Win 15–0 France Pascal Ragaut TKO 4 (8) 23 Sep 1995 Germany Saaltheater Geulen, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
14 Win 14–0 Mexico Angel Aldama TKO 5 (12) 19 Aug 1995 Germany Eisstadion, Düsseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany Retained WBO Inter-Continental lightweight title
13 Win 13–0 Spain Carlos Pena PTS 8 10 Jun 1995 Germany Europahalle, Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
12 Win 12–0 United States Mark Smith PTS 4 20 May 1995 Germany Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany
11 Win 11–0 Germany Antonio Strabello TKO 8 (12), 1:52 1 Apr 1995 Germany Saaltheater Geulen, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany Won vacant WBO Inter-Continental lightweight title
10 Win 10–0 Dominican Republic Armando Juan Reyes TKO 4 (8) 11 Mar 1995 Germany Deutz Sporthalle, Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
9 Win 9–0 United States Bobby Brewer TD 4 (4) 28 Jan 1995 Germany Sporthalle, Schoeneberg, Berlin, Germany
8 Win 8–0 Dominican Republic Benito Martinez TKO 5 17 Dec 1994 Germany Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany
7 Win 7–0 Spain Jose Carlos Cantero TKO 5 3 Dec 1994 Germany Atelier Bruno Bruni, Hamburg, Germany
6 Win 6–0 Puerto Rico Alberto Alicea TKO 5 22 Oct 1994 Germany Hansehalle, Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
5 Win 5–0 Spain Oscar Palomino PTS 8 10 Sep 1994 Germany Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany
4 Win 4–0 Turkey Senturk Ozdemir TKO 5 (10) 23 Jul 1994 Germany Sportforum, Lichtenberg, Berlin, Germany Won vacant German International lightweight title
3 Win 3–0 Belgium Pascal Montulet PTS 8 28 May 1994 Germany Tivoli Eissporthalle, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
2 Win 2–0 Mexico Marcelo Rodriguez PTS 8 23 Apr 1994 Germany Sporthalle Bildungszentrum, Halle, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany
1 Win 1–0 United States Juan Tubbs TKO 2 10 Apr 1994 Germany Universum Gym, Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Artur Grigoryan. sports-reference.com
  2. ^ a b c Groves, Lee (8 December 2016). "Who's next?: Potential candidates for IBHOF Class of 2018". The Ring. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  3. ^ a b c Sukachev, Alexey (21 March 2011). "Top 50 Fighters from the USSR: Part V – 10th To 6th". Boxing Scene. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  4. ^ Interview with Artur Grigorian Archived 23 March 2005 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "6.World Championships – Sydney, Australia – November 15–23 1991". Amateur Boxing. Retrieved 7 November 2015.

External links

Achievements Preceded byOscar De La HoyaVacated WBO lightweight champion 13 April 1996 – 3 January 2004 Succeeded byAcelino Freitas
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