Arthur Abraham
Friday, August 30, 2024Avetik Abrahamyan (Armenian: Ավետիք Աբրահամյան; born 20 February 1980), best known as Arthur Abraham, is an Armenian-German professional boxer. He is a multiple-time former world champion in two weight classes, having held the IBF middleweight title from 2005 to 2009 with ten successful defenses (the fourth most in middleweight history), and the WBO super-middleweight title twice between 2012 and 2016.
Avetik Abrahamyan was born in Yerevan, Soviet Armenia on 20 February 1980 to parents Grigor and Sylvia Abrahamyan. He moved to Germany with his parents and brothers in 1995 at the age of 15. As a teenager, Abraham showed an interest in cycling and eventually became the North Bavarian and Franconian Youth Champion. However, after watching an exciting Mike Tyson fight, Arthur was inspired to become a boxing star too. In 1999, Arthur and his brothers returned to Armenia for military service. After 2002, all the brothers had finished their military service and returned to Germany in 2003.
His family members call him "Avo", short for Avetik. Abraham married his wife Mary, then a Yerevan State University student, in 2015. The wedding took place in Armenia and was not publicized; he informed media of his marriage six months later.[ His younger brother Alexander is also a professional boxer, and his older brother Christian owns a furniture shop.
Abraham plans on opening a boxing school in Armenia following his future retirement.[ He will also have foreign-language classes for students at the boxing school, such as English and German, to help have success internationally.
He received German citizenship in August 2006, while also retaining his Armenian citizenship.
On 21 September 2008, Abraham and fellow boxer Vic Darchinyan were honored by Armenian President Serge Sargsyan during a 20th anniversary celebration of the nation's independence. Both men were awarded with medals "For the great services for Armenia" of the first degree.