Lara vs Martirosyan has got to be the standout card of the weekend, arguably trumping Moscow’s now that Deontay Wilder has (quite rightly) declined to fight a dope-test-failed Alexander Povetkin. Lara vs Martirosyan tops a rather impressive triple-header which, with three 154-pound world titles on the line, is going to tell us who the best fighter of the division is overnight. Or, at the very least, answer a whole bunch of questions. Five of Boxing Base’s Top 10 Junior Middleweights will be in action: Erislandy Lara (No.1), Austin Trout (No.2), Jermell Charlo (No.4), Jermall Charlo (No.5) and Vanes Martirosyan (No.7). Not bad, eh?
TV & Fight Time: Lara vs Martirosyan will air Live on broadcasters Showtime and Boxnation (UK), with the action set to start at 9:00pm ET / 2:00am GMT. Saturday, May 21st is the date, with Las Vegas’ Cosmopolitan playing host. The triple-header will kick off with Jermell Charlo vs John Jackson and Jermall Charlo vs Austin Trout before the main event gets underway.
Lara vs Martirosyan, which will see Lara’s WBA strap on the line, probably has the greatest chance of not stealing the show. But it’s a solid matchup, nonetheless. Both fighters produced a competitive albeit somewhat ugly affair in 2012, which ended in a 9th round Technical Draw after Martirosyan suffered a nasty gash from an accidental head butt. The Draw verdict seemed just and, if anything, the then-unbeaten Martirosyan proved himself to be worthy of fighting at top-level, and of sharing Lara’s company.
So who has the edge in this encounter? At first glance, you might think Lara (22-2-2, 13 KO) given his No.1 ranking. But, while Lara is a bona-fide technician, his high performance level hasn’t always been the most consistent. Since settling for a Draw against Martirosyan, Lara has looked top-drawer against Alfredo Angulo, Austin Trout, and fringe contenders Delvin Rodriguez and Jan Zaveck, but failed to do enough against Canelo Alvarez (in my humble opinion), resulting in a Split Decision defeat.
Canelo Alvarez is a standout fighter, though, right? So what’s the fuss over Lara’s performance and the impact it might have on the Martirosyan fight? Perhaps nothing. Perhaps something. While Lara is a legitimate talent worthy of his praise among hardened boxing fans, he has a history of waiting far too long for openings and for taking few risks. And sometimes just not looking as great as we all think he is. For instance, Lara gave limited puncher Alfredo Angulo a sublime boxing lesson but was dropped twice, and seemed content to coast against a vastly overmatched Delvin Rodriguez for 12 rounds. Lara gave Canelo Alvarez a tough night’s work, sure; but again, his cageyness made sure he wasn’t a hit with the judges.
Given Lara’s style and lack of urgency in big fights has remained much the same throughout his career, Martirosyan (36-2-1, 21 KO), an underrated challenger here, is in with a fairly good chance. Martirosyan was generally matched against unworthy opposition prior to his meeting with Lara, but has claimed some notable scalps in Willie Nelson and Ishe Smith since. Detractors will of course point out that he lost decisions to Demetrius Andrade and Jermell Charlo. That’s fair enough, but it should be noted that Martirosyan was competitive in both of those encounters.
So who will have their hand raised when the dust is settled here? Gun to my head, I’d go with Lara by a hard-fought yet clear Unanimous Decision. But more than anything, I’m just hoping for a good fight.
Lara vs Martirosyan: Extended Tale of the Tape, Facts & Stats
Note: Advantageous stats are indicated in red (some may be subjective), and championship stats refer to ‘fully fledged world titles’ only.
Erislandy Lara vs Vanes Martirosyan
Physical/Vital
Birthplace
Guantanamo, Cuba … Abovyan, Armenia
Age
33 … 30
Height
5’ 9” … 6′ 0″
Reach
74″ … 70″
Stance
Southpaw … Orthodox
Record
Debut
2008 … 2005
Bouts
26 … 39
Wins / Defeats / Draws / KOs
22-2-2, 13 KO … 36-2-1, 21 KO
Knockout Ratio
50% (13) … 54% (21)
Last 5 Fights
4-1 … 3-2
Last 10 Fights
7-2-1 … 7-2-1
1st Round Knockouts
8 … 5
2nd Round Knockouts
0 … 4
3rd Round Knockouts
1 … 6
4th – 6th Round Knockouts
2 … 3
Defeats by Knockout
0 … 0
Knockdowns Suffered
3 … 2
Rounds Boxed
159 … 212
12-Rounders Completed
4 … 1
Current Winning Streak
3 … 1
Undefeated Fighters Defeated
2 … 3
Latest Win
Jan Zaveck (TKO 3) … Ishe Smith (MD 10)
World Title Bout Experience
Wins / Defeats / Draws / KOs
3-0, 1 KO … 0-1, 0 KO
Successful Defenses
2 … NA
Longest Championship Reign
12/2014 – 11/2015 … NA
Major Titles Won
WBA (154 lbs) … NA
Major Titles Currently Held
WBA (154 lbs) … NA
Boxing Base Top 10 World Ranking
No.1 … No.7
Notable Performances
LARA: Jan Zaveck (TKO 3), Delvin Rodriguez (UD 12), Ishe Smith (UD 12), Canelo Alvarez (LOSS: SD 12), Austin Trout (UD 12), Alfredo Angulo (TKO 10), Vanes Martirosyan (Draw), Freddy Hernandez (UD 10), Ronald Hearns (TKO 1), Paul Williams (LOSS: MD 12), Carlos Molina (Draw)
MARTIROSYAN: Ishe Smith (MD 10), Jermell Charlo (LOSS: UD 10), Willie Nelson (UD 10), Mario Alberto Lozano (UD 10), Demetrius Andrade (LOSS: SD 12), Erislandy Lara (TD 9), Troy Lowry (TKO 3), Saul Roman (TKO 7), Joe Greene (UD 10), Kassim Ouma (UD 10)
What’s your take on BB’s Lara vs Martirosyan Tale of the Tape, Facts & Stats? And how do you see this action-packed triple-header unfolding on Saturday? We’ll have Live Results Coverage here on Boxing Base, plus Live Round by Round Coverage on Twitter via @BoxingBase.
