Facing Jermell Charlo THIS Saturday at the Palm!
Vanes Martirosyan will be fighting for victory this Saturday night in a crossroads battle versus Jermell Charlo at the The Pearl in the Palms Casino Resort. This Las Vegas matchup is part of the doubleheader airing live on Showtime.
In preparation for this March 28 war, Vanes and his team held a media workout at the Main Event Sports Club in Glendale, Calif. During Monday’s workout, Vanes shared the ring with featherweight champ Jhonny Gonzalez who will be taking on Gary Russell Jr. on this same Showtime card.
Martirosyan arrived at the gym with his wife and their two toddlers in tow. The Olympian and current WBO Inter-Continental super welterweight titlist was relaxed 
and ready for Saturday he says.
“I prepare 100% and I know I’m going to be victorious,” Vanes (35-1-1, 21 KOs) stated during our interview. His last fight was an October 2014 victory against Willie Nelson and the lanky fighter says he can’t wait to square off against Houston’s Charlo (25-0, 11 KOs) this weekend.
The Armenian warrior and SoCal resident has been going through a change in camps. During the last few years, he’s worked with trainers Freddie Roach, Ronnie Shields and Joe Goossen (whom he recently parted with three weeks ago). Now the 28-year-old has returned to his roots training at Main Event with Roma Kalantaryan, whom he worked with early in his career (when Vanes was just 14 years old).
In readying for this Saturday’s matchup, Vanes has sparred with Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora and is also working with Dean Campos. Both Roma and Dean were in the ring with Martirosyan during the workout. Also watching on was Martirosyan’s’ father Norik, who boxed in his youth and still loves the sport. Vanes’ younger brother Vic Martirosyan is a young pro with a 4-0 record. The passion for boxing runs deep in this family and the Glendale team is looking for a win this Saturday.
This is an important crossroads bout between the two gladiators, Martirosyan vs. Charlo. Vanes says he and Jermell used to train together in Texas and they know each other well. Should the boxer-puncher get past Charlo (who’s twin brother Jermall is also on the card), the Glendale fighter says he would love a rematch with Erislandy Lara. Martirosyan’s sole loss is to Demetrius Andrade; he received a technical decision draw against Erislandy Lara. Vanes was cut from an accidental head butt in the latter fight and says he’d love to face Lara in the future.
For now this newly-named “Lion Killer” fighter will trade leather with the unbeaten Jermell Charlo in this weekend’s Showtime fight. The junior middleweight says he is ready, hungry and focused on victory this Saturday. And he also has nothing bad to say about his opponent.
“He’s #1 by the WBO. I think he’s a great boxer, the perfect boxer,” Vanes tells me. “Ronnie Shields has done a great job with him.”
While the mutual respect is there, the two prizefighters will go at it when the bell rings, make no doubt about that.
“At the end of the day, we put our lives on the line,” says Martirosyan. “It’s not a game when we step into the ring.”
Prepping for battle and ten rounds of action, watch this Saturday as Vanes Martirosyan and Jermell Charlo exchange fire in this Vegas showdown.
Photos by Michele Chong