Former Olympic Boxer Venes Martirosyan Passes Away at 39

Venes Martirosyan, once a prominent figure in the boxing ring, has sadly passed away, as announced by officials on Sunday. He was 39 years old.

The World Boxing Council shared the news on social media, expressing their condolences.

“Venes Martirosyan is now resting peacefully,” they wrote. “He left us with a deep legacy of resilience, an inspiring warrior spirit, and an abiding love of life. Farewell, Champ!”

Martirosyan had been fighting a battle with skin cancer for two years prior to his death.

Born in Armenia, he moved to Glendale, California, at a young age. He began boxing at just seven years old, later earning the title of eight-time U.S. champion and a Golden Glove Award winner.

In a significant moment early in his career, Martirosyan defeated Haiti’s Andre Berto during the inaugural AIBA American Olympic Boxing Qualification Tournament. This victory qualified him to represent Team USA in the welterweight division at the 2004 Olympics when he was merely 18 years old.

However, his Olympic journey was cut short after defeating Algeria’s Benamar Mesquin in the first round, as he fell to Cuba’s Lorenzo Aragón in the next round, with Aragón eventually securing a silver medal.

Martirosyan turned professional two years later, going on to compete in notable matches against fighters like Jermell Charlo and Gennady Golovkin. He started his professional career with an impressive 32 wins until he drew with Erislandy Lara, marking a pause in his success before experiencing his first loss against Demetrius Andrade.

His final fight, unfortunately, ended with a knockout against Golovkin in the second round.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman expressed his sadness over Martirosyan’s passing, stating, “We are deeply saddened by the news of Venes Martirosyan’s death after battling cancer. He was a proud WBC silver champion and a dear friend. Our hearts go out to his family and friends.”