| Artur Grigorian | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Atuiz Grigorjan |
| Nickname(s) | King Artur |
| Rated at | Lightweight |
| Height | 5 ft 7 1⁄2 in (1.71 m) |
| Reach | 69 in (175 cm) |
| Nationality | Soviet Union Uzbekistan Armenian |
| Born | October 20, 1967 Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 39 |
| Wins | 38 |
| Wins by KO | 22 |
| Losses | 1 |
| Draws | 0 |
| No contests | 0 |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men’s Boxing | ||
| Competitor for the Soviet Union | ||
| World Amateur Championships | ||
| Silver | 1991 Australia | Lightweight |
| Goodwill Games | ||
| Gold | 1990 Seattle | Lightweight |
Artur Grigorian (born Atuiz Grigorjan; Armenian: Արթուր Գրիգորյան; October 20, 1967 in Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union) is an Uzbek professional boxer of Armenian descent.
Grigorian is a former WBO Lightweight Champion. He retained his lightweight belt for a record of 17 times (surpassing Roberto Duran's record of 12) and held his belt for seven years, six months and twenty days; nearly as long as record holder Benny Leonard held his lightweight title (7 years, 8 months).
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Artur Grigorian was born on October 20, 1967 in Soviet Tashkent, Uzbek SSR to Armenian parents. Artur has a brother and sister. He also has a wife named Olga. The couple have three daughters.[1]
Grigorian currently lives in Hamburg, Germany and trains former WBC Middleweight Champion Sebastian Zbik.[2]
Grigorian began boxing at the age of 11.
Artur had a final amateur record of 361-23.
Grigorian began his professional career in 1994 and won eight consecutive bouts. On July, 23, 1994, Grigorian defeated Turkish boxer Senturk Ozdemir by a fitth round technical knockout and won the vacant German International Lightweight title.
On April 1, 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 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 April 13, 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 January 3, 2004. Freitas lost the belt in his first title defense against Diego Corrales. Grigorian retired later that year after winning one more bout.
On February 24, 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.
| 38 wins (22 knockouts, 16 decisions), 1 loss (0 knockouts, 1 decision), 0 draws [1] | |||||||
| Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
| Win | 38–1 | Kirkor Kirkorov | PTS | 6 (6) | 02/24/2009 | Universum Gym, Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany | |
| Win | 37–1 | Vasile Herteg | TKO | 4 (8) | 09/11/2004 | Kisstadion, Budapest, Hungary | |
| Lose | 36–1 | Acelino Freitas | UD | 12 (12) | 01/03/2004 | Foxwoods Resort, Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States | Lost WBO Lightweight title. |
| Win | 36–0 | Matt Zegan | MD | 12 (12) | 01/18/2003 | Grugahalle, Essen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany | Retained WBO Lightweight title. |
| Win | 35–0 | Stefano Zoff | UD | 12 (12) | 09/14/2002 | Volkswagenhalle, Braunschweig, Niedersachsen, Germany | Retained WBO Lightweight title. |
| Win | 34–0 | Rocky Martinez | TKO | 8 (12) | 01/05/2002 | Bordelandhalle, Magdeburg, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany | Retained WBO Lightweight title. |
| Win | 33–0 | Aldo Nazareno Rios | UD | 12 (12) | 06/16/2001 | Kisstadion, Budapest, Hungary | Retained WBO Lightweight title. |
| Win | 32–0 | Angel Jose Perez | TKO | 6 (12) | 02/24/2001 | Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany | Retained WBO Lightweight title. Perez corner throws in the towel. |
| Win | 31–0 | Antonio Pitalua | UD | 12 (12) | 11/25/2000 | Preussag Arena, Hannover, Niedersachsen, Germany | Retained WBO Lightweight title. Grigorian lost a point in round nine for hitting behind the head. |
| Win | 30–0 | Zoltan Kalocsai | TKO | 12 (12) | 06/23/2000 | FTC Stadium, Budapest, Hungary | Retained WBO Lightweight title. |
| Win | 29–0 | Sandro Casamonica | TKO | 9 (12) | 02/19/2000 | Estrel Convention Center, Neukoelln, Berlin, Germany | Retained WBO Lightweight title. |
| Win | 28–0 | Wilson Enrique Galli | TKO | 10 (12) | 11/27/1999 | Hansehalle, Luebeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany | Retained WBO Lightweight title. |
| Win | 27–0 | Michael Clark | KO | 5 (12) | 10/09/1999 | Koenig Pilsener Arena, Oberhausen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany | Retained WBO Lightweight title. |
| Win | 26–0 | Oscar Garcia Cano | UD | 12 (12) | 03/13/1999 | Hansehalle, Luebeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany | Retained WBO Lightweight title. |
| Win | 25–0 | Giorgio Campanella | TD | 10 (12) | 10/24/1998 | Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany | Retained WBO Lightweight title. |
| Win | 24–0 | Marco Rudolph | TKO | 6 (12) | 03/14/1998 | Sporthalle, Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany | Retained WBO Lightweight title. |
| Win | 23–0 | David Armstrong | UD | 12 (12) | 10/11/1997 | Stadthalle, Cottbus, Brandenburg, Germany | Retained WBO Lightweight title. |
| Win | 22–0 | Raul Horacio Balbi | TKO | 11 (12) | 02/22/1997 | Sporthalle, Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany | Retained WBO Lightweight title. |
| Win | 21–0 | Marty Jakubowski | UD | 12 (12) | 11/16/1996 | Sporthalle, Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany | Retained WBO Lightweight title. |
| Win | 20–0 | Gene Reed | KO | 2 (12) | 09/21/1996 | Sport und Erholungszentrum, Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germany | Retained WBO Lightweight title. |
| Win | 19–0 | Antonio Rivera | KO | 12 (12) | 04/13/1996 | Sporthalle, Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany | Won vacant WBO Lightweight title. |
| Win | 18–0 | Esteban Perez Quinones | TKO | 6 | 02/10/1996 | Stadthalle, Cottbus, Brandenburg, Germany | |
| Win | 17–0 | Paul Kaoma | PTS | 8 (8) | 12/02/1995 | Carl Benz Halle, Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany | |
| Win | 16–0 | Jean-Marc Camaleri | TKO | 2 (8) | 10/07/1995 | Festhalle, Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany | |
| Win | 15–0 | Pascal Ragaut | TKO | 4 (8) | 09/23/1995 | Saaltheater Geulen, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany | |
| Win | 14–0 | Angel Aldama | TKO | 5 (12) | 08/19/1995 | Eisstadion, Düsseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany | Retained WBO Inter-Continental Lightweight title. |
| Win | 13–0 | Carlos Pena | PTS | 8 (8) | 06/10/1995 | Europahalle, Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany | |
| Win | 12–0 | Mark Smith | PTS | 4 (4) | 05/20/1995 | Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany | |
| Win | 11–0 | Antonio Strabello | TKO | 8 (12) | 04/01/1995 | Saaltheater Geulen, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany | Won vacant WBO Inter-Continental Lightweight title. |
| Win | 10–0 | Armando Juan Reyes | TKO | 4 (8) | 03/11/1995 | Deutz Sporthalle, Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany | |
| Win | 9–0 | Bobby Brewer | TD | 4 (4) | 01/28/1995 | Sporthalle, Schoeneberg, Berlin, Germany | |
| Win | 8–0 | Benito Martinez | TKO | 5 | 12/17/1994 | Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany | |
| Win | 7–0 | Jose Carlos Cantero | TKO | 5 | 12/03/1994 | Atelier Bruno Bruni, Hamburg, Germany | |
| Win | 6–0 | Alberto Alicea | TKO | 5 | 10/22/1994 | Hansehalle, Luebeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany | |
| Win | 5–0 | Oscar Palomino | PTS | 8 | 09/10/1994 | Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany | |
| Win | 4–0 | Senturk Ozdemir | TKO | 5 (10) | 07/23/1994 | Sportforum, Lichtenberg, Berlin, Germany | Won vacant German International Lightweight title. |
| Win | 3–0 | Pascal Montulet | PTS | 8 | 05/28/1994 | Tivoli Eissporthalle, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany | |
| Win | 2–0 | Marcelo Rodriguez | PTS | 8 | 04/23/1994 | Sporthalle Bildungszentrum, Halle, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany | |
| Win | 1–0 | Juan Tubbs | TKO | 2 | 04/10/1994 | Universum Gym, Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany | Grigorian's professional debut. |
| Preceded by Oscar De La Hoya Vacated |
WBO Lightweight Champion 13 Apr 1996 – 3 Jan 2004 |
Succeeded by Acelino Freitas |