Artur Grigorian


Artur Grigorian 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.

Biography

Grigorian was born on 20 October 1967 in Soviet Tashkent, Uzbek SSR to an Armenian family from Nagorno-Karabakh. 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. 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.

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.
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.

Personal life

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

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
39Win38–1 Kirkor KirkorovPTS624 Feb 2009 Universum Gym, Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany
38Win37–1 Vasile HertegTKO4, 2:3511 Sep 2004 Kisstadion, Budapest, Hungary
37Loss36–1 Acelino FreitasUD123 Jan 2004 Foxwoods Resort, Mashantucket, Connecticut, United StatesLost WBO lightweight title
36Win36–0 Matt ZeganMD1218 Jan 2003 Grugahalle, Essen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, GermanyRetained WBO lightweight title
35Win35–0 Stefano ZoffUD1214 Sep 2002 Volkswagenhalle, Braunschweig, Niedersachsen, GermanyRetained WBO lightweight title
34Win34–0 Rocky MartinezTKO8, 2:155 Jan 2002 Bordelandhalle, Magdeburg, Sachsen-Anhalt, GermanyRetained WBO lightweight title
33Win33–0 Aldo Nazareno RiosUD1216 Jun 2001 Kisstadion, Budapest, HungaryRetained WBO lightweight title
32Win32–0 Angel Jose PerezTKO6, 1:4024 Feb 2001 Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, GermanyRetained WBO lightweight title
31Win31–0 Antonio PitaluaUD1225 Nov 2000 Preussag Arena, Hannover, Niedersachsen, GermanyRetained WBO lightweight title
30Win30–0 Zoltan KalocsaiTKO12, 1:0023 Jun 2000 FTC Stadium, Budapest, HungaryRetained WBO lightweight title
29Win29–0 Sandro CasamonicaTKO9, 1:4819 Feb 2000 Estrel Convention Center, Neukoelln, Berlin, GermanyRetained WBO lightweight title
28Win28–0 Wilson Enrique GalliTKO10, 2:4627 Nov 1999 Hansehalle, Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, GermanyRetained WBO lightweight title
27Win27–0 Michael ClarkKO5, 1:459 Oct 1999 Koenig Pilsener Arena, Oberhausen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, GermanyRetained WBO lightweight title
26Win26–0 Oscar Garcia CanoUD1213 Mar 1999 Hansehalle, Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, GermanyRetained WBO lightweight title
25Win25–0 Giorgio CampanellaTD10, 1:3624 Oct 1998 Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, GermanyRetained WBO lightweight title
24Win24–0 Marco RudolphTKO6, 1:5014 Mar 1998 Sporthalle, Wandsbek, Hamburg, GermanyRetained WBO lightweight title
23Win23–0 David ArmstrongUD1211 Oct 1997 Stadthalle, Cottbus, Brandenburg, GermanyRetained WBO lightweight title
22Win22–0 Raul Horacio BalbiTKO11, 1:1022 Feb 1997 Sporthalle, Wandsbek, Hamburg, GermanyRetained WBO lightweight title
21Win21–0 Marty JakubowskiUD1216 Nov 1996 Sporthalle, Wandsbek, Hamburg, GermanyRetained WBO lightweight title
20Win20–0 Gene ReedKO2, 1:2521 Sep 1996 Sport und Erholungszentrum, Friedrichshain, Berlin, GermanyRetained WBO lightweight title
19Win19–0 Antonio RiveraKO12, 2:2313 Apr 1996 Sporthalle, Wandsbek, Hamburg, GermanyWon vacant WBO lightweight title
18Win18–0 Esteban Perez QuinonesTKO62 Oct 1996 Stadthalle, Cottbus, Brandenburg, Germany
17Win17–0 Paul KaomaPTS82 Dec 1995 Carl Benz Halle, Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
16Win16–0 Jean-Marc CamaleriTKO2 7 Oct 1995 Festhalle, Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany
15Win15–0 Pascal RagautTKO4 23 Sep 1995 Saaltheater Geulen, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
14Win14–0 Angel AldamaTKO5 19 Aug 1995 Eisstadion, Düsseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen, GermanyRetained WBO Inter-Continental lightweight title
13Win13–0 Carlos PenaPTS810 Jun 1995 Europahalle, Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
12Win12–0 Mark SmithPTS420 May 1995 Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany
11Win11–0 Antonio StrabelloTKO8, 1:521 Apr 1995 Saaltheater Geulen, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, GermanyWon vacant WBO Inter-Continental lightweight title
10Win10–0 Armando Juan ReyesTKO4 11 Mar 1995 Deutz Sporthalle, Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
9Win9–0 Bobby BrewerTD4 28 Jan 1995 Sporthalle, Schoeneberg, Berlin, Germany
8Win8–0 Benito MartinezTKO517 Dec 1994 Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany
7Win7–0 Jose Carlos CanteroTKO53 Dec 1994 Atelier Bruno Bruni, Hamburg, Germany
6Win6–0 Alberto AliceaTKO522 Oct 1994 Hansehalle, Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
5Win5–0 Oscar PalominoPTS810 Sep 1994 Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany
4Win4–0 Senturk OzdemirTKO5 23 Jul 1994 Sportforum, Lichtenberg, Berlin, GermanyWon vacant German International lightweight title
3Win3–0 Pascal MontuletPTS828 May 1994 Tivoli Eissporthalle, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
2Win2–0 Marcelo RodriguezPTS823 Apr 1994 Sporthalle Bildungszentrum, Halle, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany
1Win1–0 Juan TubbsTKO210 Apr 1994 Universum Gym, Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany