This weekend, on July 6 in Newark, 33-year-old Armenian boxer from Germany, Artem Harutyunyan, will compete for the WBC lightweight world title against the undefeated Shakur Stevenson, who is ranked 4th by The Ring.
Let's take a closer look at Artem Harutyunyan, who aims to create a miracle this Saturday. He is a clear underdog in this fight, but his confident performance against Frank Martin gives hope for the upset of the year.
Artem Harutyunyan (12-1) vs. Shakur Stevenson (21-0) | WBC World, July 6
Artem Harutyunyan, a talented boxer, was born in Yerevan in 1990. In 1991, his family moved to Germany, where they started a new life from scratch. Despite the hardships the Harutyunyan family faced, they managed to build a decent future, becoming some of the most prominent figures in the boxing world.
Artem's father, Aram Harutyunyan, was a military man and a karate coach in the army. He served in East Germany and decided to move to Germany after the collapse of the Soviet Union, choosing Hamburg as their new home. The first years in Germany were tough, with the family living in a refugee shelter and overcoming numerous difficulties on their way to stability. After ten years, they were well-established, and Aram became a boxing trainer and judge in Germany.
Artem's older brother, Robert Harutyunyan, was also a successful boxer, representing Germany at the 2013 World Championships. He is currently the sports director and head coach at Universum Boxing.
Artem Harutynyan with family.
Artem began his sports journey in taekwondo, achieving significant success and becoming the European Youth Champion in 2005. However, at the age of 17, he switched to amateur boxing, where even greater achievements awaited him.
In amateur boxing, Artem won numerous awards. At the 2016 Olympic Games, he became a bronze medalist, earning Germany's first Olympic boxing medal since 2004. This success played a key role in reviving interest in amateur boxing in the country.
At the 2016 Olympics, he was the only boxer from Germany. The German Boxing Federation was facing major difficulties and would have lost all funding if they returned without a medal from Rio. But Artem managed to secure a bronze medal. Thanks to this, amateur boxing in Germany began to develop again, and Harutyunyan gained immense popularity. He is now one of Germany's most media-covered boxers. Therefore, it is not surprising that he is getting his second big fight in the USA. After 12 consecutive wins in the professional ring, Artem got the chance to fight one of the best lightweights, Frank Martin. Although this fight ended with a close decision in favor of Martin (112-115, 112-115, 113-114), many believe that the victory could have gone to Harutyunyan.
Interestingly, boxers from Germany have not won a championship fight in the USA since 1930, when Max Schmeling (56-10-4) defeated Jack Sharkey (37-13-3) at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Arthur Abraham also failed to win twice in the USA. Now it's Harutyunyan's turn to make history.
Artem faces a new challenge — a fight against Shakur Stevenson, who is ranked second in the lightweight division by Boxrec.
Despite the many years spent in Germany, Artem and his family have maintained strong ties with Armenia. They actively participate in organizing Armenian protests in Berlin and provide assistance to their homeland. Artem enters his fights to Armenian music and with the Armenian flag, demonstrating his love and respect for Armenian culture.
Artem Harutyunyan in Amateur Boxing:
- 2016 Olympic Games
- 2013 European Championships
In Taekwondo:
- 2005 European Youth Championship
Professional Boxing (12-1):
- 2x WBC International
- 3x IBO International
- BDB International