The North American Boxing Federation (NABF) is a not-for-profit regional sanctioning body that awards regional boxing titles. It is a boxing federation within the World Boxing Council (WBC).

History[link]

The WBC established the NABF in 1969 as part of its creation of a variety of regional boxing federations. These regional federations would sanction championship bouts and crown regional champions. These champions would be given consideration in the world rankings put out by the WBC. The first title NABF title bout was between Sonny Liston and Leotis Martin on December 6, 1969.^[1]

According to the International Boxing Research Organization, "the appearance of the NABF in 1969 marked the start of major 12-round title bouts in western countries..."^[2]

Championship lineage[link]

• List of NABF champions

Current Title Holders[link]

Other regional WBC federations[link]

• Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF)
• European Boxing Union (EBU)
• Asian Boxing Council (ABCO)
• African Boxing Union (ABU)
• Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE)
• Central American Boxing Federation (FECARBOX)
• CIS and Slovenian Boxing Bureau (CISBB)
• South American Boxing Federation (FESUBOX)

External links[link]

• NABF official site

References[link]

Yuri Foreman
Statistics
Rated at	Super Welterweight
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Nationality	Israeli
Born	(1980-08-05) August 5, 1980 (age 31) Gomel, Belarus
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	31
Wins	28
Wins by KO	8
Losses	2
Draws	0
No contests	1

Yuri Foreman (born August 5, 1980) is a Belarusian-born Israeli professional boxer, based in the United States. He is a former World Boxing Association (WBA) super welterweight champion. Foreman turned professional in January 2002^[1] in the Junior Middleweight Division^[2] and remained undefeated for 29 fights until June 5, 2010, in which he lost by TKO in the ninth round to Miguel Cotto.^[1]

Early life[link]

Foreman was born in Gomel, Belarus, then part of the Soviet Union. He started out as a swimmer, but his mother signed him up for boxing lessons at age seven after he experienced anti-Semitic bullying and beatings. At age nine, he emigrated with his family to Israel.^[2] Boxing was not popular in Israel and there were few boxing gyms so he trained at an Arab gym. On his early days in boxing, Foreman said:

The first time I walked in, I saw the stares. In their eyes, there was a lot of hatred. But I needed to box; and boy, did they all want to box me. After a while, the wall that was between us melted. We all wanted the same thing. I traveled with them as teammates. It helped that I won almost all the time. And finally, we became friends."^[1]

In Israel he became an amateur boxer and won three national boxing championships.^[3] In 1999, Foreman moved to Brooklyn, New York.^[2] His first job was in the Garment District in Manhattan, where he made deliveries and swept the floors for a clothing store. At the same time, he began training at Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn, where he met his future wife, Leyla Leidecker, a Hungarian model and amateur boxer.^[1]

Amateur career[link]

In 2000, Foreman lost the New York Golden Gloves in the final,^[4] but came back in 2001 to win the tournament.^[2][3] During his amateur career, Foreman compiled a 75–5 record.^[1]

Professional career[link]

At the onset of his professional career, Foreman's management team was unsuccessful procuring appropriate fights. Foreman struggled financially.^[4] Around 2004, Foreman met Murray Wilson who became his manager. Wilson signed Foreman up with Bob Arum's Top Rank promotion company.^[4]

Light middleweight[link]

On June 3, 2006, Foreman defeated Jesus Felipe Valverde, but tore ligaments in his left hand in the process.^[5] His next scheduled fight was June 9, 2007 facing the favored Anthony Thompson (23 (17 KOs)-2-0) of Philadelphia in Madison Square Garden on the undercard of the Miguel Cotto-Zab Judah fight.^[6][7] Prior to the fight, Foreman moved his training grounds from Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn to Joe Grier's gym in Paterson, New Jersey.^[6] Foreman won a tactical 10-round split decision, with the scores 97–93 and 96–94 for Foreman, and 96–94 for Thompson.^[7] Representatives for Germany-based 70-kg (154-pound) titlist Sergei Dzindziruk scouted the fight, with the intention of offering a title shot to the winner.^[7] In September 2007, he was ranked as the 8th-best welterweight (67 kg, or 147 pounds) challenger by the World Boxing Association.^{[citation needed]}

In December 2007, Foreman won a 10-round split decision over Andrey Tsurkan (25–3; 16 KOs), to take the North American Boxing Federation super welterweight title from him at the Paradise Theater on Grand Concourse in The Bronx, New York City.^[8]

In April 2008 he beat 28–4–0 Saúl Román in a unanimous decision. While training for the fight, he was also studying to become a rabbi.^[4] In October 2008, he defeated Vinroy Barrett (22–7, 11 KOs) from Kingston, Jamaica on the Hopkins-Pavlik undercard.

Foreman defeated James Moore (16–1; 10 KOs), in a 10-round unanimous decision for Foreman’s NABF title at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on December 13, 2008. In the five outings leading up to the Moore fight, Foreman won decisions over fighters with a cumulative record of 118–17–2.^[9]

WBA title[link]

Foreman (left) and Cotto at the official weigh-in on June 4, 2010.

On November 14, 2009, Foreman defeated Daniel Santos by a 12-round unanimous decision to become the new WBA super welterweight champion and Israel's first WBA champion.^[10] He also became Israel's first world boxing champion.^[10] In early January 2010, Foreman began talks with Bob Arum to arrange for himself and Filipino boxer seven-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, to meet on March 13, 2010. However, Pacquiao rejected the offer.

Foreman fought Miguel Cotto on June 5, 2010, the first fight to take place at the new Yankee Stadium. Foreman went down from a slip in the 7th round when his already braced, right knee buckled. He got back to his feet and continued fighting despite heavily favoring the knee. After a few more falls from the knee giving out and Cotto beginning to land, Foreman's trainer Joe Grier threw in the towel midway through the 8th round. The ring filled with both camps and officials. Cotto and Foreman embraced, thinking it was over. Feeling that Foreman was in no immediate danger, however, Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. asked him if he wanted to continue, and he did. While the crowd was not sure what was happening, the ring was cleared after a delay of a couple of minutes and the fight resumed with about half the round remaining. Cotto landed a left hook to the body and Foreman went down 42 seconds into the 9th round and Mercante called off the fight. In interviews after the fight, Cotto said "He was working on one leg, but I still kept fighting.”^[11]

When asked why he continued after injuring his leg, Foreman said: "I'm a world champion – now a former world champion – and you don't just quit ... A world champion needs to keep on fighting." A week after the fight, Foreman underwent surgery on his right knee to repair a torn ACL and Meniscus and to remove torn cartilage around his knee joint. The injury which had occurred when he was 15 years old, was aggravated during the bout. Foreman was told by doctors to take off for a year, but was boxing again nine months later.^[12] On March 2, 2011, he battled Polish Light Middleweight boxer Pawel Wolak, and lost.^[12] Shortly after the fight, Foreman said he wasn't sure if he was going to continue fighting or retire. As of November 2011, he still hasn't formally announced his decision, although he has no fights scheduled at the moment.^[13]

Jewish heritage and rabbinic studies[link]

Foreman, "the first Orthodox Jew to own a world title since Barney Ross held championships in two divisions in 1935",^[14] is one of three top contemporary Jewish boxers. The others are Dmitry Salita (30–1–1),^[15][16] a junior welterweight, and heavyweight Roman Greenberg (27–1–0).^[1]

In the post-fight interview of his December 2007 win over Andrey Tsurkan, Foreman raised his hands and wished the television audience a happy Chanukah.^[18] Foreman, who wears a Star of David on his boxing trunks, is an aspiring rabbi. "Boxing is sometimes spiritual in its own way", he said. "You have the physical and mental challenges in boxing, just like you have lots of challenges in exploring the different levels of Judaism. They are different but the same."^[18]

Foreman studies the Talmud and Jewish mysticism in the morning, trains for boxing in the afternoon and attends rabbinical classes twice a week at the IYYUN Institute, a Jewish educational center in Gowanus. "Yuri is a very good student", said Rabbi DovBer Pinson, an author and lecturer who is Foreman's teacher. "Most people (in the class) who find out that he's a boxer are very surprised. He doesn't have that boxing personality, at least in the perception of what a boxer is. He's not the rough kid on the block. He's a sweet, easy-going kid."^[18]

TV and film[link]

Foreman has appeared numerous times in nationally televised fights on ESPN, Showtime, HBO and Versus, and on talk shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live. He appeared in the film Fighting, which starred Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard.^[18]

Family[link]

Foreman's wife since 2004, Leyla Leidecker.^[3], a native of Hungary who converted to Judaism, is making a documentary about women's amateur boxing in the Golden Gloves.^[18] The couple has one child.^[19]

Professional boxing record[link]

28 Wins (8 knockouts), 2 Loss, 0 Draws,1 No Contest
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Rd., Time	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	28–2	Paweł Wolak	RTD	6 (12), 3:00	2011-03-12	MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada	Yuri's first fight after knee surgery
Loss	28–1 1 NC	Miguel Cotto	TKO	9 (12), 0:42	2010-06-05	Bronx, New York, USA	The fight was aired on HBO. The fight was Foreman's first defense of his WBA Light Middleweight title. This was the first fight at Yankee Stadium since 1976 with Muhammad Ali vs. Ken Norton III. There were 20,272 people in attendance.[citation needed]
Win	28–0 1 NC	Daniel Santos	UD	12 (12)	2009-11-14	Las Vegas, Nevada, USA	The fight was aired on HBO PPV. The fight was for Santos's WBA Light Middleweight title. The fight was on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto. This was Foreman's first fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
NC	27–0 1 NC	Cornelius Bundrage	NC	3 (12)	2009-06-27	Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA	The fight was aired on HBO PPV. Foreman defended his NABF Light Middleweight title for a third time. The fight was intended on being a IBF Light Middleweight title eliminator. Foreman received an unintentional headbutt and was unable to continue. The fight was on the undercard of Juan Manuel López vs. Olivier Lontchi.
Win	27–0	James Moore	UD	10 (10)	2008-12-13	Brooklyn, New York, USA	The fight was aired on Showtime. Foreman defended his NABF Light Middleweight title for a second time.
Win	26–0	Vinroy Barrett	UD	10 (10)	2008-10-18	Brooklyn, New York, USA	The fight was on the undercard of Kelly Pavlik vs. Bernard Hopkins.
Win	25–0	Saúl Román	UD	10 (10)	2008-04-03	Brooklyn, New York, USA	The fight was aired on Versus. Foreman defended his newly awarded NABF Light Middleweight title. The fight was on the undercard of Joshua Clottey vs. Jose Luis Cruz.
Win	24–0	Andrey Tsurkan	SD	10 (10)	2007-12-06	Bronx, New York, USA	The fight was aired on Versus. The fight was for Tsurkan's NABF Light Middleweight title.
Win	23–0	Anthony Thompson	SD	10 (10)	2007-06-09	New York, New York, USA	The fight was aired on HBO PPV. The fight was part of the undercard of Miguel Cotto vs. Zab Judah. This was Foreman's third fight was Madison Square Garden.
Win	22–0	Donny McCrary	UD	10 (10)	2006-12-02	Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA	The fight was aired on Showtime. The fight was part of the undercard of Miguel Cotto vs. Carlos Quintana.
Win	21–0	Jesus Felipe Valverde	UD	10 (10)	2006-06-03	Las Vegas, Nevada, USA	The fight was aired on Showtime. The fight was part of the undercard of Vic Darchinyan vs. Luis Maldonado.
Win	20–0	Jimmy LeBlanc	KO	1 (10), 2:49	2006-02-04	Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Win	19–0	Troy Lowry	UD	10 (10)	2005-10-21	Hollywood, Florida, USA	The fight was part of the undercard of Edison Miranda vs. Sherwin Davis.
Win	18–0	Kevin Cagle	UD	8 (8)	2005-05-06	Mashantucket, Connecticut, USA
Win	17–0	Jesus Soto Karass	UD	8 (8)	2005-02-24	New York, New York, USA
Win	16–0	Shakir Ashanti	TKO	2 (6), 1:07	2004-11-13	New York, New York, USA	The fight was part of the undercard of Chris Byrd vs. Jameel McCline. This was Foreman's second fight at Madison Square Garden.
Win	15–0	Joshua Onyango	UD	6 (6)	2004-07-23	Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA	The fight was aired on ESPN 2. This was Foreman's first fight at the Trump Taj Mahal.
Win	14–0	Calvin Shakir	UD	6 (6)	2004-04-15	New York, New York, USA
Win	13–0	Anthony Ivory	UD	6 (6)	2004-01-16	Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Win	12–0	Israel Garcia	UD	8 (8)	2003-10-24	Bushkill, Pennsylvania, USA
Win	11–0	Sammy Sparkman	UD	6 (6)	2003-06-03	Uncasville, Connecticut, USA
Win	10–0	Charles Clark	TKO	2 (8), 1:40	2003-04-26	Mashantucket, Connecticut, USA
Win	9–0	James Johnson	TKO	1 (6), ?:??	2003-03-29	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Win	8–0	Will Evans	KO	1 (6), 1:28	2003-01-25	Temecula, California, USA
Win	7–0	Andre Trunov	UD	6 (6)	2003-01-10	Uncasville, Connecticut, USA
Win	6–0	Jose Luis Almanzar	UD	4 (4)	2002-08-30	New York, New York, USA
Win	5–0	Michael Corleone	TKO	2 (6), 1:40	2002-06-20	Glen Burnie, Maryland, USA
Win	4–0	Michael Doaks	UD	6 (6)	2002-04-27	New York, New York, USA	This was Foreman's first fight at Madison Square Garden.
Win	3–0	George Armenta	MD	6 (6)	2002-03-21	Glen Burnie, Maryland, USA
Win	2–0	Tommy Attardo	TKO	3 (4), ?:??	2002-03-15	New York, New York, USA
Win	1–0	Israel Felix	TKO	1 (4), ?:??	2002-01-24	New York, New York, USA

See also[link]

• List of Jews in sports#Boxers

References[link]

External links[link]

• Professional boxing record for Yuri Foreman from BoxRec
• Official website

Professional championship[link]

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (March 2008)

Vanes Martirosyan Վանես Մարտիրոսյան
Statistics
Real name	Vanes Norik Martirosyan
Nickname(s)	Nightmare
Rated at	Light Middleweight
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Reach	73 in (185 cm)
Nationality	Armenian American
Born	(1986-05-01) May 1, 1986 (age 26) Abovyan, Armenia
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	32
Wins	32
Wins by KO	20
Losses	0
Draws	0
No contests	0

Vanes Norik Martirosyan (Armenian: Վանես Մարտիրոսյան) (born May 1, 1986 in Abovyan, Armenia) is an Armenian-American professional boxer.

Vanes is the currently the WBC Silver Light Middleweight Champion. He is ranked the #1 contender in the WBC, the #9 light middleweight on BoxRec.com and the #3 light middleweight by The Ring.

Biography[link]

Vanes was born on May 1, 1986, in Abovyan, Armenia. Vanes' father, Norik Martirosyan, was a boxer in Armenia who worked for an industrial company and was also in the army. Vanes has two brothers, one older and one younger, and a sister.^[1]

His family moved to Glendale, CA when he was four years old. He started boxing when he was seven after his father found out there was a gym nearby.

Martirosyan was taken out of junior high school by his father and became home-schooled once it had become clear that he needed to keep his son’s fighting confined to the ring.

Amateur career[link]

Martirosyan was an eight-time National Champion and a Golden Gloves Champion.

In 2004, after winning a match against Haiti's Andre Berto in the 1st AIBA American 2004 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Tijuana, Mexico, Vanes secured a spot in the US Olympic Team. He represented the United States at the 2004 Olympics as a Welterweight. He was on the same olympic team as Andre Ward and Andre Dirrell.

Vanes got his nickname when, as he was fighting his way through the Olympic Trials, everybody was calling him "Nightmare." Once he fought in the Western Trials, Vanes started beating all fighters that were highly ranked nationwide. The young Nightmare underdog came in and beat all the favorites to eventually make the 2004 US Olympic thirteen-man boxing team. Martirosyan became the first ever Armenian to represent the United States in the Olympics, as well as the first ever US Olympian from his hometown of Glendale, California.^[2]

Results were:

• Defeated Benamar Meskine (Algeria) 45-20
• Lost to Lorenzo Aragon Armenteros (Cuba) 11-20

He finished his amateur career with 120 wins and 10 losses. All losses except to Nick Casal and Lorenzo Aragon had been avenged in rematches.

Notable boxers Vanes defeated as an amateur include Austin Trout (three times), Andre Berto and Timothy Bradley.^[3]

Professional career[link]

At the age of 20, he turned professional at 154 pounds with Bob Arum's promotional company Top Rank. Vanes is managed by his uncle, Serge Martirosyan.^[4] He is also co-managed by Shelly Finkel, who also manages and advises world champions such as Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, Evander Holyfield, Manny Pacquiao, Fernando Vargas and Jeff Lacy, among others.

Vanes is trained by Freddie Roach, who was voted 2003 and 2006 Trainer of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America. He trains alongside Roach's other top students: Manny Pacquiao, Julio César Chávez, Jr. and Amir Khan.

Martirosyan has also worked with Ronnie Shields, winning his first fight under Shields's tutelage when he knocked out Dan Wallace in one round. Shields has also trained: Evander Holyfield, Juan Díaz, Rocky Juarez and Pernell Whitaker.

Martirosyan subsequently scored a shutout unanimous decision over Clarence Taylor,^[5] and also recorded wins against Billy Lyell (who would later topple previously unbeaten John Duddy), Harrison Cuello, Andrey Tsurkan and Willie Lee.^[6]

Martirosyan was scheduled to make his HBO debut on June 5, 2010 in Yankee Stadium on the Miguel Cotto vs. Yuri Foreman undercard. His opponent was fellow undefeated prospect Joe Greene (22-0, 14 KOs). Martirosyan handed Greene the first loss of his career by way of unanimous decision. With this win Martirosyan, advanced to 28-0 with 17 wins coming by way of knockout.

On March 19, 2011 Vanes made his next appearance in the ring at the Bell Centre in Montreal. He got an easy win over Mexican Bladimir Hernandez by way of KO in the second round.

His next fight was against veteran Saúl Román in a WBC semi-final title eliminator for the vacant WBC Silver Light Middleweight Championship. The bout was on June 4, 2011 in HBO's televised portion of the Julio César Chávez, Jr. vs. Sebastian Zbik undercard. Román knocked Vanes down in the first round and gave him trouble in the next two. Martirosyan came back in the fourth and fifth. When the seventh round began, Román cornered Vanes against the ropes and landed several blows. Vanes may have caught Román just in time from being stopped. In the same round, Vanes trapped Román against the ropes and knocked him down. After Román got up, Vanes landed a hard right hook on his chin and followed up with a barrage of blows while Román was leaning on the ropes, causing the fight to be stopped and turning what seemed to be near-defeat into victory.

On October 29, 2011 Vanes fought contender Richard Gutierrez. Vanes dominated from start to finish and won a ten round unanimous decision. The judges' scorecards were 100-90, 100-90 and 99-91; Vanes winning all but one round from one judge.

Martirosyan fought veteran Troy Lowry on the Julio Cesar Chavez Jr vs. Marco Antonio Rubio undercard. Vanes knocked Lowry down in the first round and stopping him in the third to retain his WBC Silver title.

Professional boxing record[link]

32 Wins (20 knockouts, 12 decisions), 0 Losses (0 by knockout, 0 by decision), 0 Draws[7]
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
Win	32–0	Troy Lowry	TKO	3 (10)	2012-02-04	Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas, United States	Retained WBC Silver Light Middleweight title.
Win	31–0	Richard Gutierrez	UD	10	2011-10-29	WinStar World Casino, Thackerville, Oklahoma
Win	30–0	Saúl Román	TKO	7 (12)	2011-06-04	Staples Center, Los Angeles, California	Won vacant WBC Silver Light Middleweight title. WBC semi-final title eliminator.
Win	29–0	Bladimir Hernandez	KO	2 (8)	2011-03-19	Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Win	28–0	Joe Greene	UD	10	2010-06-05	Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York	Retained NABF & WBO NABO and won vacant WBA International Light Middleweight titles.
Win	27–0	Kassim Ouma	UD	10	2010-01-16	Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained NABF & WBO NABO Light Middleweight titles.
Win	26–0	Willie Lee	TKO	3 (10)	2009-12-19	Beeghly Center, Youngstown, Ohio	Won NABF & vacant WBO NABO Light Middleweight titles.
Win	25–0	Andrey Tsurkan	RTD	6 (10)	2009-06-27	Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win	24–0	Harrison Cuello	TKO	1 (8)	2009-05-16	Buffalo Bill's Star Arena, Primm, Nevada
Win	23–0	Billy Lyell	UD	8	2009-02-07	Honda Center, Anaheim, California
Win	22–0	Charles Howe	TKO	1 (10)	2008-11-01	Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	21–0	Michael Medina	UD	10	2008-09-19	Buffalo Bill's Star Arena, Primm, Nevada
Win	20–0	Angel Hernandez	UD	10	2008-06-26	Orleans Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	19–0	Michi Munoz	TKO	3 (10)	2008-02-07	Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	18–0	Clarence Taylor	UD	6	2008-01-04	Alameda Swap Meet, Los Angeles, California
Win	17–0	Dan Wallace	TKO	1 (6)	2007-12-20	Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	16–0	Patrick Thompson	UD	6	2007-10-04	Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	15–0	Alexis Division	RTD	3 (8)	2007-08-30	Grand Plaza Hotel, Houston, Texas
Win	14–0	Alberto Mercedes	TKO	7 (8)	2007-06-29	Cliff Castle Casino, Camp Verde, Arizona
Win	13–0	Nelson Estupinan	TKO	2 (8)	2007-04-27	Grand Plaza Hotel, Houston, Texas
Win	12–0	Taronze Washington	TKO	2 (8)	2007-01-27	Honda Center, Anaheim, California
Win	11–0	Edgar Reyes	RTD	4 (6)	2006-11-18	Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	10–0	Marcus Brooks	UD	6	2006-08-12	Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	9–0	Oscar Gonzalez	TKO	1 (6)	2006-06-03	Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	8–0	Tefo Seetso	KO	3 (6)	2006-04-08	Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	7–0	Juan Pablo Montes de Oca	TKO	3 (6)	2006-02-18	The Aladdin, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	6–0	Abdias Castillo	TKO	5 (6)	2005-11-12	Charleston, South Carolina, United States
Win	5–0	Tony Morales	TKO	1 (6)	2005-10-08	Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	4–0	Gerardo Cesar Prieto	UD	6	2005-09-10	Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Win	3–0	Fernando Vela	UD	4	2005-08-26	D & I Colonial Ballroom, Houston, Texas
Win	2–0	Jovanni Rubio	TKO	1 (4)	2005-05-28	Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Win	1–0	Jesse Orta	UD	4	2005-04-08	Fort McDowell Casino, Fountain Hills, Arizona	Martirosyan's professional debut.

Titles in boxing[link]

Martirosyan after defending his NABF and WBO NABO junior middleweight titles and winning the vacant WBA International title at the same time in June 2010.

Regional/International Titles:

• NABF Light Middleweight Champion (154 lbs)
• WBO NABO Light Middleweight Champion (154 lbs)
• WBA International Light Middleweight Champion (154 lbs)

Special Titles:

• WBC Silver Light Middleweight Champion (154 lbs)

See also[link]

• List of Armenian Americans

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Vanes Martirosyan

• Professional boxing record for Vanes Martirosyan from BoxRec
• Official website
• HyeFighters - Armenian Combat Sports Athletes
• Alternate record site
• Boxing Encyclopedia
• Biography at the US Olympic Committee
• Fighthype.com
• Stars are Aligned for Vanes Martirosyan

Lucian Bute
Statistics
Real name	Lucian Bute
Nickname(s)	Le Tombeur Mister KO
Rated at	Super Middleweight
Height	6 ft 1.5 in (1.87 m)
Reach	72 in (183 cm)
Nationality	Romanian Canadian
Born	(1980-02-28) February 28, 1980 (age 32) Pechea, Galaţi County, Romania
Stance	Southpaw
Boxing record
Total fights	31
Wins	30
Wins by KO	24
Losses	1
Draws	0
No contests	0 Official Site

Medal record
Competitor for  Romania
World Amateur Boxing Championships
Bronze	1999 Houston	Welterweight
Francophone Games
Gold	2001 Ottawa-Hull	Welterweight

Lucian Bute (born February 28, 1980)^[1] is a Romanian-Canadian professional boxer fighting out of Montreal, Canada. Bute is a former IBF Super Middleweight Champion. BoxRec has previously ranked him as the 9th pound for pound best boxer in the world and number 2 at super middleweight in 2012, after Andre Ward.^[2]

Personal life[link]

Lucian Bute was born on February 28, 1980 in Pechea, Galaţi County, Romania.

He also holds Canadian citizenship, gained in 2012.^[3]

Amateur highlights[link]

As an amateur, Bute won the bronze medal at the 1999 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Houston, Texas and the Gold Medal at the 2001 Francophone Games. Bute also represented Romania at the 2003 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Bangkok, Thailand as a middleweight.

2003 World Amateur Championship Results[link]

• Defeated Aleksandr Bogdanets (Latvia) RSC 2
• Defeated Dmitri Usagin (Bulgaria) 22-10
• Lost to Gennady Golovkin (Kazakhstan) KO 4

Professional career[link]

Lucian Bute turned pro in 2000. He is still trained by Stéphan Larouche, who also trained former world champions Éric Lucas and Leonard Doroftei.

IBF Super Middleweight Champion[link]

On June 15, 2007, Bute faced super middleweight contender and former Olympian Sakio Bika at the Bell Centre in Montreal in an elimination bout for the IBF title. Bute beat Bika by unanimous decision (116-111, 118-109, 118-109) and, as a result, he got his shot at the IBF Super Middleweight Champion Alejandro Berrio on October 19, 2007. Bute beat Berrio via TKO in the 11th round. With this victory, Bute became the third Romanian professional boxing world champion after Leonard Doroftei and Mihai Leu.

Andrade Controversy[link]

On October 24, 2008, Bute defeated Mexico's Librado Andrade by unanimous decision but the end of the fight was marred with controversy.^[4] While Bute dominated his opponent through most of the fight, he nearly lost the title when he was knocked down by Andrade with two seconds left in the 12th and final round. When the referee, Marlon B. Wright, reached the eight count, the bell sounding the end of the match rang. However, the referee stopped the count temporarily when he signaled Andrade to return to his corner.^[5]

Bute vs. Zúñiga[link]

Bute defeated three-time world title challenger Fulgencio Zúñiga on March 13, 2009. In round four, Bute knocked Zúñiga down with a left uppercut to the body. Zúñiga got up, but Bute continued the assault, eventually leading to a stoppage by the referee.^[6]

Bute vs. Andrade II[link]

On November 29, 2009, Lucian Bute fought Andrade in a rematch and won with a fourth-round KO at Colisee Pepsi in Quebec City, Canada. Bute retained his IBF Super Middleweight title.

Bute vs. Miranda[link]

On April 17, 2010, Bute stopped Edison Miranda at 1:22 of the third round to retain his IBF Super Middleweight title in Montreal in front of nearly 15,000 fans. Miranda lost the first two rounds and he was knocked out during the third round with a left uppercut to the jaw. Miranda got back on his feet but the referee decided to stop the fight seconds after, so the result was a technical knockout.^[7]

Bute vs. Brinkley[link]

On October 15, at the Bell Centre in Montréal, IBF Super Middleweight Champion Lucian Bute scored an impressive ninth round KO over mandatory challenger Jesse Brinkley. It was mostly a tactical fight until Bute dropped Brinkley with a left uppercut to the body in round five. Brinkley barely beat the count. Bute floored Brinkley for the second time in round eight and knocked him out with an uppercut in round nine. It was Bute’s sixth title defense.^[8]

Bute vs. Magee[link]

Bute dominated and stopped European Super Middleweight Champion Brian Magee in the 10th round in a mostly one-sided fight at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Magee showed incredible heart throughout and had some good moments in the earlier rounds. However, Bute wore Magee down, knocking him down three times – once in the 6th, another time in the 7th and a final time in the 10th. Bute won the fight with an uppercut in the 10th round. The bout was stopped at 2:04 of the round. The fight took place on March 19, 2011. This was Bute's seventh successful defense in a row.^[9]

Back home[link]

Bute successfully defended his IBF Super Middleweight title for the eighth time in a row in Romania on 9 July 2011 against the previously unbeaten Jean-Paul Mendy of France. The Frenchman was the IBF's number one contender and the mandatory challenger.^[10] This was Bute's first defense in Romania and his second fight there since 2005. The event took place at Romexpo and Bute won in the fourth round by knockout.^[11]

Bute vs. Johnson[link]

Bute defeated Glen Johnson via unanimous decision at Québec City's Colisée Pepsi in arguably the biggest fight of his career to date. The judges scorecards read 119-109 and 120-108 twice.

No Easy Way Out[link]

The IBF officially enforced Carl Froch as Lucian Bute's number one mandatory. The fight, billed as "No Easy Way Out," took place on 26 May 2012 in Froch's hometown of Nottingham.^[12] Despite being the overwhelming underdog with bookmakers, critics and fans around the world, Froch dominated Bute throughout the fight to become the IBF Super Middleweight Championship via TKO in round five.^{[13] [14] [15]}

Professional boxing record[link]

30 Wins (24 knockouts, 6 decisions), 1 Losses (1 knockout, 0 decisions), 0 Draws[16]
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Rd., Time	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	30–1	Carl Froch	TKO	5 (12), 1:05	2012-05-26	Capital FM Arena, Nottingham, United Kingdom	Lost IBF Super Middleweight title.
Win	30–0	Glen Johnson	UD	12	2011-11-05	Colisée Pepsi, Quebec, Quebec, Canada	Retained IBF Super Middleweight title.
Win	29–0	Jean-Paul Mendy	KO	4 (12), 2:48	2011-07-09	Romexpo, Bucharest, Romania	Retained IBF Super Middleweight title.
Win	28–0	Brian Magee	TKO	10 (12), 2:04	2011-03-19	Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada	Retained IBF Super Middleweight title.
Win	27–0	Jesse Brinkley	KO	9 (12), 2:48	2010-10-15	Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada	Retained IBF Super Middleweight title.
Win	26–0	Edison Miranda	TKO	3 (12), 1:22	2010-04-17	Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada	Retained IBF Super Middleweight title.
Win	25–0	Librado Andrade	KO	4 (12), 2:57	2009-11-28	Colisée Pepsi, Quebec, Quebec, Canada	Retained IBF Super Middleweight title.
Win	24–0	Fulgencio Zúñiga	TKO	4 (12), 2:25	2009-03-13	Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada	Retained IBF Super Middleweight title.
Win	23–0	Librado Andrade	UD	12	2008-10-24	Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada	Retained IBF Super Middleweight title.
Win	22–0	William Joppy	TKO	10 (12), 1:08	2008-02-29	Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada	Retained IBF Super Middleweight title.
Win	21–0	Alejandro Berrio	TKO	11 (12), 1:27	2007-10-19	Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada	Won IBF Super Middleweight title.
Win	20–0	Sakio Bika	UD	12	2007-06-15	Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada	IBF Super Middleweight Title Eliminator.
Win	19–0	Sergey Tatevosyan	UD	12	2007-01-26	Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada	Retained WBC Continental Americas Super Middleweight title.
Win	18–0	James Obede Toney	TKO	8 (12), 2:49	2006-09-15	Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada	Retained NABF, NABA & WBC Continental Americas Super Middleweight titles.
Win	17–0	Lolenga Mock	UD	12	2006-05-16	Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada	Retained WBC Continental Americas Super Middleweight title.
Win	16–0	Andre Thysse	UD	12	2006-03-24	Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada	Retained WBC Continental Americas Super Middleweight title.
Win	15–0	Donnell Wiggins	KO	2 (12), 2:53	2005-12-02	Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada	Retained NABA Super Middleweight title.
Win	14–0	Kabary Salem	TKO	8 (12), 3:00	2005-09-16	Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada	Won vacant NABF & vacant WBC Continental Americas Super Middleweight titles.
Win	13–0	Jose Spearman	KO	8 (12), 2:13	2005-06-03	Maurice Richard Arena, Montreal, Quebec, Canada	Retained NABA Super Middleweight title.
Win	12–0	Donny McCrary	KO	4 (12), 2:10	2005-04-21	Siderurgistul Hall, Galaţi, Romania	Retained NABA Super Middleweight title.
Win	11–0	Christian Cruz	TKO	12 (12), 2:18	2005-03-18	Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada	Won vacant NABA Super Middleweight title.
Win	10–0	Carl Handy	TKO	4 (12), 2:09	2005-02-19	Pavillon de la Jeunesse, Quebec, Canada	Won vacant NABF Light Heavyweight title.
Win	9–0	Dingaan Thobela	TKO	4 (8), 1:22	2004-12-03	Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Win	8–0	Norman Johnson	TKO	2 (6), 1:19	2004-11-01	The Roxy, Boston, United States
Win	7–0	Willard Lewis	TKO	3 (8), 3:00	2004-10-30	Le Medley, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Win	6–0	Rico Cason	TKO	2 (6), 2:43	2004-10-16	Club Ovation, Boynton Beach, Florida, United States
Win	5–0	Tyler Hughes	TKO	3 (6), 2:46	2004-07-24	Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win	4–0	Zane Marks	TKO	1 (4), 2:35	2004-04-24	Colisée Pepsi, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
Win	3–0	Jean Pascal Service	KO	1 (4), 1:48	2004-03-20	Casino de Montréal, Notre-Dame, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Win	2–0	Darin Johnson	TKO	1 (4), 2:50	2003-12-20	Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Win	1–0	Robert Muhammad	TKO	2 (4), 2:05	2003-11-22	Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada	Bute's professional debut.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Lucian Bute's Official Site
• Professional boxing record for Lucian Bute from BoxRec
• Profile on Interbox

See Also[link]

• List of left-handed boxers

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (November 2011)

Lonnie Brooks (born Lee Baker Jr., December 18, 1933)^[1] is an American blues singer and guitarist. He was born in Dubuisson, Louisiana, United States.^[1] Rolling Stone stated, "His music is witty, soulful and ferociously energetic, brimming with novel harmonic turnarounds, committed vocals and simply astonishing guitar work."^[2] The New York Times added, "He sings in a rowdy baritone, sliding and rasping in songs that celebrate lust, fulfilled and unfulfilled; his guitar solos are pointed and unhurried, with a tone that slices cleanly across the beat. Wearing a cowboy hat, he looks like the embodiment of a good-time bluesman."^[3]

Career[link]

He learned to play blues from his banjo-picking grandfather, but did not think about a professional career until he moved to Port Arthur, Texas in the early 1950s. There he heard live performances by Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, T-Bone Walker, B.B. King, Long John Hunter and others and began to think about making money from his music. One day, while Brooks was strumming his guitar on his front porch in Port Arthur, Clifton Chenier heard him and offered him a job in his touring band.^{[citation needed]}

Embarking on a solo career, he adopted the moniker of Guitar Junior and signed with Lake Charles's Goldband label. His singles for the label included regional hit "Family Rules", which remains a favorite of the swamp pop idiom in south Louisiana and southeast Texas.^[4] Other Goldband singles included "Made In The Shade" and "The Crawl" (later recorded by The Fabulous Thunderbirds).

In 1960, he moved to Chicago, Illinois. Luther Johnson was already using the name 'Guitar Junior' there, so he adopted the alternative stage name, Lonnie Brooks.^[1] In Chicago, he found regular work in the West Side clubs as well as in Gary and East Chicago, Indiana and occasionally in the Rush Street North Side entertainment area. He cut a series of 45s for a variety of labels, including Chess, Chirrup, Mercury, Midas and USA Records, achieving some local radio airplay. He also supported other artists on record and live, including Jimmy Reed. In 1961 he played guitar on the double album, Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall.

In 1969, he recorded his first album, Broke An’ Hungry, for the Capitol label. It was produced by Wayne Shuler, son of Eddie Shuler, who had founded Goldband Records in Louisiana.

In 1974, Brooks participated in a multi-artist tour of Europe, and cut an album entitled Sweet Home Chicago for the French label Black & Blue. When he returned to Chicago, he began playing regularly at Pepper’s Hideout on the Chicago's South Side. There he attracted the attention of Bruce Iglauer, head of the fledgling Alligator Records label, who had previously seen him a number of times at the Avenue Lounge on the city’s West Side.

In 1978, Iglauer included four of Brooks’ songs (including three originals) on an anthology series entitled Living Chicago Blues, released by Alligator Records. He was signed to the label, and the following year, he released his album Bayou Lightning on the Alligator label.^[5] The album won the 'Grand Prix du Disque Award' from the 1980 Montreux Jazz Festival. While in Montreux, Brooks befriended country star Roy Clark. Clark was impressed with Brooks, and he arranged for an appearance on the country music television program Hee Haw.

Since that time, Brooks has recorded exclusively for the Alligator, releasing seven albums as well as shared recordings and compilation appearances. Brooks' style, sometimes described as "voodoo blues", includes elements of Chicago blues, Louisiana blues, swamp pop and rhythm and blues. Other labels have issued pre-1978 recordings by Brooks as well as compilations of Brooks' singles.

Following the release of Bayou Lightning, Brooks began touring nationwide as well as returning to Europe. A 1982 trip to Germany resulted in an hour-long Brooks live performance on German television. His 1983 follow-up album was Hot Shot. 1986's Wound Up Tight featured a guest appearance by Brooks' most famous fan, Johnny Winter, on guitar. Rolling Stone took notice of the album, running a six-page feature on Brooks. And in 1987, BBC Radio broadcast an hour-long live performance.

By this time, Brooks' teenage son, Ronnie Baker Brooks, was touring with the band. He made his recording debut on his father's Live From Chicago—Bayou Lightning Strikes. Brooks’ 1991 release, Satisfaction Guaranteed, received major media coverage, including features and articles in The Washington Post, The Village Voice, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Guitar World, Living Blues, Blues Revue, and many other publications.

Brooks spent the summer of 1993 on a national concert tour with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor, Junior Wells and Eric Johnson. During the Chicago stop of his 1995 “From The Cradle” club tour, Eric Clapton honored Brooks by inviting the bluesman on stage for an impromptu jam at Buddy Guy's Legends club.

In 1996, Brooks released Roadhouse Rules. The album was produced in Memphis by Jim Gaines, who also produced Luther Allison, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Santana, and his son Ronnie Baker Brooks appeared again. In 1999, along with fellow Gulf Coast blues veterans Long John Hunter and Phillip Walker (both of whom he had known and played with in the 1950s in Port Arthur), Brooks released Lone Star Shootout.^[6]

Brooks continues to tour in the U.S. and Europe. His sons, Ronnie Baker Brooks and Wayne Baker Brooks, are also full-time blues entertainers, fronting their own bands and touring extensively in the U.S. and abroad. Wayne Baker Brooks continues to play in his father's band as well. The Brooks' are frequent guest performers at each other's shows and have booked appearances as 'The Brooks Family'.

Besides his live and recorded performances, Brooks appeared in the films Blues Brothers 2000 and The Express and in two UK television commercials for Heineken beer. His song "Eyeballin'" was heard in Forever LuLu, and "Got Lucky Last Night" featuring Johnny Winter appeared in John Candy's Masters of Menace. He also co-authored the book Blues for Dummies, along with son Wayne Baker Brooks and music historian, guitarist, and songwriter, Cub Koda.

Quotation[link]

"If my hands could get what my eyes see" he sang in "Eyeballin'", "then my whole mind and body would be trouble-free."^[1]

Discography[link]

• 1999 Lone Star Shootout (with Long John Hunter and Phillip Walker) (Alligator)
• 1997 Deluxe Edition (Alligator)
• 1996 Roadhouse Rules (Alligator)
• 1993 Let’s Talk It Over (1977 session), (Delmark)
• 1991 Satisfaction Guaranteed (Alligator)
• 1988 Live From Chicago-Bayou Lightning Strikes (Alligator)
• 1986 Wound Up Tight (Alligator)
• 1985 Live at Pepper’s (Black Magic) (reissued on Black Top, 1996)
• 1984 The Crawl (Charly) (reissue of Goldband singles)
• 1983 Hot Shot (Alligator)
• 1981 Turn On The Night (Alligator)
• 1980 Blues Deluxe (Alligator/WXRT)
• 1979 Bayou Lightning (Alligator)
• 1978 Living Chicago Blues, Vol.3 (Alligator)
• 1975 Sweet Home Chicago (Black & Blue) (reissued on Evidence Records, 1994)
• 1969 Broke An' Hungry (Capitol)

See also[link]

• Blues Hall of Fame
• List of blues musicians
• Excello Records
• Long Beach Blues Festival
• San Francisco Blues Festival
• Chicago Blues Festival

References[link]

External links[link]

• Lonnie Brooks Official website
• Bio at Alligator Records
• Lonnie Brooks at Allmusic
• Lonnie Brooks on Myspace
• Piedmont Talent - Biography and Future Tour Dates