On June 4th junior middleweight contender Vanes Martirosyan went through a bit of baptism by fire as he was rocked, dropped, and cut in the first round of his bout against Saul Roman in the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Martirosyan survived the test as he came back to eventually stop his Mexican foe in the 7th round while securing his unbeaten record as he can once again go back to eyeing the big fights near his weight class.
Reflecting on that scare, Martirosyan admits he was completely caught off guard during that first stanza.
?I wasn?t woken up until that knockdown in that fight,? Martirosyan told me recently while at the Cosmopolitan Resort in Las Vegas. ?I went in there with a different game plan and did totally something else. It was a good fight but I learned a lot from it. It was a good experience and I think I moved on to the next level and I can?t wait to the next fight.?
Martirosyan is ranked in the top five of the IBF, WBC and WBO rankings and the 25-year old would love nothing more than to test himself against one of the division?s champions at the moment.
?I would want Sergiy Dzinziruk, Miguel Cotto; one of the top names. Cornelius Bundrage or anybody with a title. I think I?m up to fight them,? Martirosyan continued.
Martirosyan loves to poke fun at WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez and that too is a fight he has little worries about.
?I call him ?Fire crotch? now, because of his hair and stuff,? said Martirosyan. ?I think I will box his head off and I would knock him out. I know that for sure. Freddie said one round, so I think it?s possible.?
Alfredo Angulo hasn?t fought in more than a year but was one of the sport?s hottest attractions while active. The former WBO interim champion is presently banned from fighting in the United States but Martirosyan is open to facing him in another locale.
?I like the Angulo fight,? he continued. ?I?d just have to box him. Move around and get out of the way. Get in and out. I would like to fight Angulo. So, we?ll see what happens; I?m ready. They say one name and I am training for another name.?
