By Miguel Maravilla
Glendale’s Vanes “The Nightmare” Martirosyan (36-3-1, 21 KOs) by way of Armenia will have the biggest fight of his career when he takes on undefeated undisputed middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs), of Karaganda, Kazakhstan this Saturday at the Stub Hub Center in Carson, California live on HBO World Championship Boxing.
Here’s what Vanes had to say about his shot at GGG.
“I’m happy to get this opportunity. I will make the most of it and leave it all in the ring. I will show my Armenian Power,” Martirosyan told Fightnews.com®. “You’re all thinking he’s fighting a giant but that’s what I want. I plan on going at him the way he comes at people. He will come at me and I will come at him!”
The opportunity comes after the much anticipated rematch between Golovkin and Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez was scratched after Canelo tested positive for the banned substance Clenbuterol. Following the incident Canelo, withdrew from the fight as Golovkin and his team scrambled for a potential replacement. Vanes beat out Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan, IBF #1 Sergey Sergiy Derevyanchenko, and Jaime Munguia to get the call.
“I didn’t even think I was going to get this fight,” Vanes said. “I am the Nightmare, a creative nightmare and that’s what will happen for those that are looking forward to the Golovkin Canelo rematch,” Vanes on his role of potential spoiler.
The last time Martirosyan stepped into the ring was May 2016, dropping a unanimous decision to former world champion Erislandy Lara in a rematch. The two previously fought to a draw in 2012. Following that fight, Vanes laid low and last year he signed a promotional contract with Legendary Promoter Don King. Most in the boxing world, including myself, were wondering what Vanes was thinking. Good thing for Vanes is that decision paid off and now he has the last laugh.
“I am so happy Don King took me under his wing,” Vanes said. “When I got the call, he told me ‘there is this guy they call Triple G. Do you want to take the fight?’ and my reaction was like ‘are you serious? Let’s do it! Hell yeah!'”
The 2004 Olympian who represented the U.S was a highly touted prospect coming out of the Olympics. Turning pro in 2005 and winning his first 32 fights before suffering his first blemish with a draw to Erislandy Lara in 2012. Coming up short in his world title shots, in his first crack at a world title Vanes dropped a split decision to Demetrius Andrade back in 2013 for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title. Now he gets set to redeem himself by taking on the middleweight king.
“I’m always the underdog but that has always been my motivation. When I went to the Olympics everyone picked me to lose. I was supposed to lose to Timothy Bradley, Andre Berto, and Austin Trout. I beat them to make it to the Olympics and now they are picking me to lose but that just gives me extra motivation,” Vanes said.
“Me and Golovkin were in the same Olympics,” Vanes commented. “He has had a lot of knockouts but he has gone the distance his last two fights. Some people thought he lost against Jacobs. The guy is beatable. He has my respect. He’s a giant, but he doesn’t know what I have in my heart.”
Martirosyan was in training camp preparing for his next fight at the Glendale Fighting Club in Glendale, California, with his trainer Edmund Tarverdyan.
“I have been training. I was supposed to fight Sulecki, the guy that fought Jacobs. He took that fight but I continued to work. I have been in training, in shape and ready to fight,” Martirosyan commented. “Everyone says that Golovkin is bigger but my sparring partners have always been bigger than me,”
Fighting practically in his backyard, Vanes will have his Armenian supporters rooting him on making the drive from nearby Glendale. Not to mention, it is Cinco de Mayo weekend. Southern California fight fans are sure to converge on the Stub Hub “battle grounds,” as the venue is known as due to its history and reputation for staging classic battles.
“You will be surprised. I know it will be intense. Just enjoy the show,” Vanes concluded.
Follow Miguel on Twitter @MigMaravilla