Photos: Noé Cloutier – Erik Israyelyan, junior amateur world champion in 2022.
Erik Israyelyan is in Montreal! He arrived on February 10 and will make his professional debut on April 10.
That’s the real—and good—news.
Because the signing of Eye of the Tiger’s prospect, a 2022 European and junior amateur world champion, was announced back in April 2023.
Time reference: the Armenian’s signature was in the same press release as Albert Ramirez’s. Since then, the Venezuelan has represented EOTTM five times, from Montreal to Monaco…
Administrative update
There’s no James Bond-style story behind the delay. Nor any spectacular escape story like the Stastnys in Czechoslovakia. And you know what? It’s kind of a good news, even if it makes this article start a little slower.
Marc Ramsay told me that “an accumulation of small disagreements” between promoter and manager was the cause. But it’s hard to blame EOTTM. Anthony Rudman, the Tigers’ lawyer, had done his homework with a solid contract and the proof of it is now running sprints in Parc-Extension.
And most importantly, he’s happily doing so.
Without taking anything away from Christian, Jhon, Mehmet, and Moreno, who were probably all very happy to see me, it was Erik who was the most smiley in the gym when I passed by.
Boxing updates
I met the Armenian boxer on the afternoon of March 3 at the Ramsay Boxing Academy.
You don’t learn French in just three weeks in Montreal, though he has a basic grasp of English. And I don’t speak Armenian. Anyway, he had training to do.
But his new coach, Samuel Décarie-Drolet, was more than optimistic.
“He’s very motivated and recovers quickly!”
While waiting to come to Montreal, Israyelyan stayed in shape, but not exactly in fighting shape. So, he’s combining his boxing training with an enhanced conditioning plan.
“We’ll start at 135 lbs, but the plan is to drop to 130 lbs and maybe even 126 lbs,” his head coach told me.
Romanian Legends
The language barrier didn’t stop me from asking the new recruit who his favorite boxers were. A bit of a contrast, but he named Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather Jr. He even still wears a TMT cap—The Money Team.
But those two Americans are just childhood idols, not direct comparisons.
Because if you really analyze Israyelyan’s boxing style, you see traces of Romanian legends.
“He’s a pressure fighter, he hits with authority, and he’s explosive! Some fans might even say his style resembles that of former world champion Leonard Dorin,” Samuel Décarie-Drolet told me—this time for EOTTM’s press release.
And do you know who Marc Ramsay compared him to in 2023? Adrien Diaconu.
Childhood Memories
Don’t get me wrong, the comparisons are always stylistic. Still, the fact that he, like them, left Europe to train in America shows that this EOTTM recruit shares the same dream once held by Interbox legends.
A few days later, I messaged him to ask where that dream first came from. “Very young, I was always restless,” he first replied.
“To stay out of trouble, I started kickboxing at age 5. But I dreamed of the Olympic Games, so at 10, I focused solely on boxing,” he continued.
From an Olympic dream to a pro contract at 18, the dream evolved. But when you grow up watching Mike and Floyd, how do you turn your back on the pros?
Thinking Out Loud
–A shoutout to Samuel Décarie-Drolet. Growing up, I watched him on TV as Marc Ramsay’s assistant. Now, I have the privilege of seeing him shine as a head coach. Biyarslanov, Asanau, Israyelyan, Beaudoin, Veyre, and company—it’s a strong team, especially since he’s still assisting many others, including Marc’s guys.
–Last week, I gave a shoutout to my friend, matchmaker, and coach Jordan Mathieu. But if Israyelyan drops to 126 lbs, don’t hassle him for local fights. On BoxRec, there are only seven Canadians at that weight, and the five lower divisions combined only add ten more.
–And no, despite nearly a decade of age difference, Erik Israyelyan and Erik Bazinyan didn’t know each other in Armenia. But Marc told me that, like Oscar Rivas once did for Jhon Orobio, Bzo reached out to the Armenian recruit to welcome him to the team.
–In Olympic boxing, records are like children’s stories—you have to take them with a grain of salt. But just like that never stopped me from enjoying The Dog Who Stopped the War, I’ll still share that Israyelyan’s record stood at 113-5 at the time of his signing.
