Artur Grigorian

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

For the footballer, see Artur Grigoryan (footballer).
Artur Grigorian
Grigorian on a 2001 stamp of Uzbekistan
Statistics
Real nameArtur Grigoryan
Nickname(s)King Artur
Weight(s)Lightweight
Height5 ft 7 1⁄2 in (1.71 m)
Reach69 in (175 cm)
NationalitySoviet
Uzbek
Armenian
Born (1967-10-20) 20 October 1967
Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union[1]
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
1991 Australia -60 kg
Goodwill Games
1990 Seattle -60 kg

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.

  • 1991 2nd place as a lightweight at the World Championships in Sydney, Australia. His results were:[5]
  • 1992 Grigorian represented the Unified Team (Former Soviet Union) at the Barcelona Olympic Games as a lightweight. His results were:[1]

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
Professional record summary
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 Kirkor Kirkorov PTS 6 24 Feb 2009 Universum Gym, Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany
38 Win 37–1 Vasile Herteg TKO 4 (8), 2:35 11 Sep 2004 Kisstadion, Budapest, Hungary
37 Loss 36–1 Acelino Freitas UD 12 3 Jan 2004 Foxwoods Resort, Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States Lost WBO lightweight title
36 Win 36–0 Matt Zegan MD 12 18 Jan 2003 Grugahalle, Essen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
35 Win 35–0 Stefano Zoff UD 12 14 Sep 2002 Volkswagenhalle, Braunschweig, Niedersachsen, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
34 Win 34–0 Rocky Martinez TKO 8 (12), 2:15 5 Jan 2002 Bordelandhalle, Magdeburg, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
33 Win 33–0 Aldo Nazareno Rios UD 12 16 Jun 2001 Kisstadion, Budapest, Hungary Retained WBO lightweight title
32 Win 32–0 Angel Jose Perez TKO 6 (12), 1:40 24 Feb 2001 Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
31 Win 31–0 Antonio Pitalua UD 12 25 Nov 2000 Preussag Arena, Hannover, Niedersachsen, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
30 Win 30–0 Zoltan Kalocsai TKO 12 (12), 1:00 23 Jun 2000 FTC Stadium, Budapest, Hungary Retained WBO lightweight title
29 Win 29–0 Sandro Casamonica TKO 9 (12), 1:48 19 Feb 2000 Estrel Convention Center, Neukoelln, Berlin, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
28 Win 28–0 Wilson Enrique Galli TKO 10 (12), 2:46 27 Nov 1999 Hansehalle, Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
27 Win 27–0 Michael Clark KO 5 (12), 1:45 9 Oct 1999 Koenig Pilsener Arena, Oberhausen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
26 Win 26–0 Oscar Garcia Cano UD 12 13 Mar 1999 Hansehalle, Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
25 Win 25–0 Giorgio Campanella TD 10 (12), 1:36 24 Oct 1998 Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
24 Win 24–0 Marco Rudolph TKO 6 (12), 1:50 14 Mar 1998 Sporthalle, Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
23 Win 23–0 David Armstrong UD 12 11 Oct 1997 Stadthalle, Cottbus, Brandenburg, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
22 Win 22–0 Raul Horacio Balbi TKO 11 (12), 1:10 22 Feb 1997 Sporthalle, Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
21 Win 21–0 Marty Jakubowski UD 12 16 Nov 1996 Sporthalle, Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
20 Win 20–0 Gene Reed KO 2 (12), 1:25 21 Sep 1996 Sport und Erholungszentrum, Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germany Retained WBO lightweight title
19 Win 19–0 Antonio Rivera KO 12 (12), 2:23 13 Apr 1996 Sporthalle, Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany Won vacant WBO lightweight title
18 Win 18–0 Esteban Perez Quinones TKO 6 2 Oct 1996 Stadthalle, Cottbus, Brandenburg, Germany
17 Win 17–0 Paul Kaoma PTS 8 2 Dec 1995 Carl Benz Halle, Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
16 Win 16–0 Jean-Marc Camaleri TKO 2 (8) 7 Oct 1995 Festhalle, Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany
15 Win 15–0 Pascal Ragaut TKO 4 (8) 23 Sep 1995 Saaltheater Geulen, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
14 Win 14–0 Angel Aldama TKO 5 (12) 19 Aug 1995 Eisstadion, Düsseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany Retained WBO Inter-Continental lightweight title
13 Win 13–0 Carlos Pena PTS 8 10 Jun 1995 Europahalle, Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
12 Win 12–0 Mark Smith PTS 4 20 May 1995 Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany
11 Win 11–0 Antonio Strabello TKO 8 (12), 1:52 1 Apr 1995 Saaltheater Geulen, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany Won vacant WBO Inter-Continental lightweight title
10 Win 10–0 Armando Juan Reyes TKO 4 (8) 11 Mar 1995 Deutz Sporthalle, Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
9 Win 9–0 Bobby Brewer TD 4 (4) 28 Jan 1995 Sporthalle, Schoeneberg, Berlin, Germany
8 Win 8–0 Benito Martinez TKO 5 17 Dec 1994 Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany
7 Win 7–0 Jose Carlos Cantero TKO 5 3 Dec 1994 Atelier Bruno Bruni, Hamburg, Germany
6 Win 6–0 Alberto Alicea TKO 5 22 Oct 1994 Hansehalle, Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
5 Win 5–0 Oscar Palomino PTS 8 10 Sep 1994 Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany
4 Win 4–0 Senturk Ozdemir TKO 5 (10) 23 Jul 1994 Sportforum, Lichtenberg, Berlin, Germany Won vacant German International lightweight title
3 Win 3–0 Pascal Montulet PTS 8 28 May 1994 Tivoli Eissporthalle, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
2 Win 2–0 Marcelo Rodriguez PTS 8 23 Apr 1994 Sporthalle Bildungszentrum, Halle, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany
1 Win 1–0 Juan Tubbs TKO 2 10 Apr 1994 Universum Gym, Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany

See also

References
  1. Artur Grigoryan. sports-reference.com
  2. Groves, Lee (8 December 2016). "Who's next?: Potential candidates for IBHOF Class of 2018". The Ring. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  3. 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.
Achievements
Preceded by
Oscar De La Hoya
Vacated		 WBO lightweight champion
13 April 1996 – 3 January 2004		 Succeeded by
Acelino Freitas
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