WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson has been long waiting for a mega fight against top-notch boxers including the likes of Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia, and Devin Haney. Tired of waiting, he will now be going up against an underdog from Germany, Artem Harutyunyan on July 6th. The German boxer has a stellar record of 12-1-0. Even the one fight he lost was a close call against Frank Martin last year.  

Although Harutyunyan is an accomplished boxer, he has never had the opportunity to accomplish his aim of winning a world championship title. However, he could be able to realize his dream of becoming a world champion in his next fight against the three-division champion Shakur Stevenson in a couple of days. Let’s have a look at Artem Harutyunyan’s background before the biggest bout of his career. 

Which nation does Artem Harutyunyan represent? 

The 33-year-old boxer is a resident of Hamburg, which is a city in the northern part of Germany. He was raised in Hamburg, which he believes shaped the man he is now. However, his parents are from Armenia, and he himself was born there in the capital city of Yerevan. Artem Harutyunyan lived there briefly while growing up before moving with his family to Germany in 1991. Given his love for Germany, he represents the German flag, Bundesflagge.

He deeply respects Germany, yet he holds Armenia and its culture in the highest esteem. His bond with people of Armenian descent is strong due to shared histories, fostering a sense of camaraderie. The orthodox boxer always keeps Armenian culture close to his heart, and he tries to preserve that culture.   

The boxer’s unwavering faith in Jesus Christ stems from his upbringing in a Christian household. Harutyunyan’s early years were marked by adversity and hardship. At just one-year-old, he endured life aboard a container ship, a period he doesn’t recall but which his parents vividly recount. Amidst a childhood of adversity, he also spent six years in a shelter before moving with his family to an asylum flat. It took them a decade to transition out of asylum life and embark on a new chapter.

Where was Artem Harutyunyan born? How did he start boxing?  

The Hamburg resident was born in Armenia, but all his memories are of Germany. At the age of six, he started practicing taekwondo. Then at the age of 10, he tied the boxing gloves for the first time, and thus his boxing journey began. Artem found it extremely challenging to compete against opponents in amateur fights as a child. Before fights, he would get tense and worried in the locker rooms. He was constantly afraid of what was ahead of him. He used to worry about if his opponent was more powerful than he was. But over time, he overcame all of those anxieties and developed into a formidable combatant. 

Harutyunyan’s greatest accomplishment was his bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where he competed in the light welterweight class. It was more than a medal, though. Germany hadn’t brought home an Olympic medal in boxing in twelve years. He was the sole boxer in the competition from Germany. The government would not have continued to finance the sport in the Olympics if he hadn’t won the medal. However, Harutyunyan honored Germany with a bronze.

Artem Harutyunyan’s family  

Artem Harutyunyan, popularly known as ‘The Original’ in the boxing community is very close to his family. During the time of the USSR, Artem’s father, Aram Harutyunyan taught karate in the military. He had his own karate school. Aram was serving in the Armenian forces, and he was stationed in Germany. Once Aram knew Germany better and felt safe for his family, he brought his family to Germany in 1991. 

Aram has played a big part in making his son a good fighter, as he used to train his two children, Artem and Robert from a very young age. The Harutyunyan family was very much into combat sports. His brother Robert represented Germany at the 2013 World Championships. Artem has an intriguing backstory as well: he trained Syrian refugees, drawing on his own combat expertise. Being a refugee himself, he deeply empathized with their experiences. 

He has been inseparable from his brother since he was a little child. They began boxing together and walked every step of the way together. The two are constantly there, looking out for one another. To prevent jealousy between them, their parents always gave them the same outfits. His mother prefers to support him in the background and avoid the spotlight. Artem did, however, disclose one important fact about his mother: she placed a high value on being clean and tidy.

With the fight just a few days away, fans are getting excited to witness this showdown. Do you think the German boxer would be able to claim Shakur Stevenson’s WBC title? Share your thoughts in the comments below.