Salita Promotions, along with their European partners, Universum Box-Promotion, have secured the necessary visas and will soon be bringing 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and new WBA International Lightweight Champion Artem “The Original” Harutyunyan to live and train in the United States as he seeks out fights against the world’s best lightweights.
Harutyunyan (10-0, 6 KOs) is currently rated WBA #13 at lightweight and has also previously held the BDB German International Super Lightweight Championship in his short 10-fight pro career. He was last seen in April of this year, fighting in the 12-round main event at the Universum Gym in Hamburg, Germany, where he scored a 12-round decision over tricky 13-4 Ukrainian veteran Vladyslav Melnyk and picked up the WBA International Lightweight Championship in the process.
Currently residing in Hamburg, Germany, where he emigrated to from Yerevan, Armenia, as a toddler in 1991, Harutyunyan says travelling to the US will dramatically improve his profile in North America. “Putting together the right team is critical and I have excellent representation on both sides of the ocean who have worked hard to arrange my travel,” said a happy Harutyunyan, “this allows me to fight in the United States and chase my dream of a world title shot.”
In addition to winning bronze at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the first Olympic medal for Germany in boxing in 12 years and the first medal for Hamburg in 40, the popular Harutyunyan was also a five-time German National Champion, an APB World Champion, a 2013 European Championships bronze medalist and was awarded by the City of Hamburg for loyal work in the service of the people.
A true champion of his people and especially refugees, in his personal life Harutyunyan organizes training units for socially disadvantaged adolescents and young adults along with his brother Robert. Because his father worked as a karate trainer in the Soviet Army, Harutyunyan started Taekwondo at age six, earned a 2nd Dan Black Belt and was a multi-time national Champion, World and European Cup winner and Vice European Champion at that sport as well.
“Artem Harutyunyan is going to make an immediate splash in the lightweight division,” said Dmitriy Salita, Founder and President of Salita Promotions. “With his ability and charisma, he has the potential to be an extremely popular world champion here in the United States. I thank my partners, Universum Box-Promotion, and look forward to working with them to help guide this young man to boxing stardom and the first of his many world championships.”
“We can hardly wait for Artem to fight in the USA and show that there are still top German boxers,” said Flavio Oleaga Mirabal, Matchmaker for Universum Box-Promotion. “Artem has the potential to become world champion. With Salita Promotion we have a strong partner by our side.”
