Vanes Martirosyan Back in the Hunt, Headlines Friday Night Fights

Over the course of an eight-year pro career, no management team or promotional outfit has quite known what to do with Vanes Martirosyan (33-1-1, 21 KOs).

The 27-year-old junior middleweight contender will be returning to the ring March 21, headlining a Friday Night Fights card on ESPN2 under the new guidance of Goossen Tutor Promotions.

The Armenian talent formerly worked under Bob Arum’s Top Rank banner, but was never quite able to make that leap from talented contender to main stage star.

At times, it seemed as though Arum never quite got a handle on how to promote the Glendale, California resident, who migrated to the United States with his family at the age of four. At other times, Martirosyan seemed buried in boxing politics, lost in a division jam-packed with bigger, more established names.

In his three most recent fights, a TKO 2 victory over journeyman Ryan Davis was sandwiched between a disappointing cut-abbreviated technical draw against Erislandy Lara and a split decision loss to Demetrius Andrade for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title.

This Friday, Martirosyan faces 26-year-old Mexican club fighter Mario Alberto Lozano (28-4, 22 KOs) for a minor WBO junior middleweight title.

Lozano, a native of Chihuahua, Mexico, is tough and game, but at least two full levels beneath Martirosyan in both raw talent and professional seasoning.

Martirosyan will look to impress in this high-profile showcase fight and parlay a good showing into a return to premium cable.

On the undercard, recent Al Haymon signee, Anthony Peterson (32-1, 21 KOs) looks to get his own career back on track against tough, but limited Marcos Leonardo Jimenez (20-4, 13 KOs) from the Dominican Republic in a ten round lightweight contest.

“Like” us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for exclusives and other bonus material from Boxing’s Independent Media.