Must be hard not to....is he another WBO stiff, or could the mystery man from Armenia a danger? Like they say, if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans....
From the BBC:
Mger Mkrtchian says Joe Calzaghe has made a big mistake in looking past his WBO super-middleweight title challenge.
The Armenian will meet Calzaghe in Cardiff on 21 February, but the Welshman has been more keen to talk about his forthcoming move to the light-heavyweight division.
"I am certain that I can beat Calzaghe and take his title," said Mkrtchian.
"He is not concentrating on me but is looking ahead at big paydays in America. That's a big mistake."
The man from Gumni earnt his title shot by defeating long-time WBO number-one contender Freeman Barr.
It is going to be a very bad time for boxing in Britain
Mger Mkrtchian
"Calzaghe will pay the price like Barr did," said Mkrtchian, who came in as a late replacement for that fight in Florida.
"Barr ignored how dangerous I was and was looking ahead at a title shot at Calzaghe.
"I ended his dream and knocked him out to get the opportunity instead.
"It is going to be a very bad time for boxing in Britain."
Cwmbran middleweight Gary Lockett will return to action on the Calzaghe-Mkrtchian bill.
'The Rocket Man' will face Kreshnick Qato of Albania, who holds a 5-5 record.
"I'm just glad to be back in action, and I'm looking forward to securing a title fight in 2004," said Lockett.
Calzaghe looking past Mger Mkrtchian?
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MightyWarrior
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Calzaghe looking past Mger Mkrtchian?
Last edited by MightyWarrior on 12 Feb 2004, 14:05, edited 1 time in total.
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Bard of Boxrec
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does anyone know about mrkcheoihechan? someone said he was actually a good fighter, somewhere.
if he's as tough as an eastern european should be, he will stand up to Calzaghe's slapping punches. But is he talented enough to win rounds? people view him as a stiff, but he's coming off a decent victory. Not a lot of Calzaghe's recent opponents have come off a good win before fighting him.
i know I'm clutching at straws but I want to win some money, i want the thrill of successfully picking the underdog.
if he's as tough as an eastern european should be, he will stand up to Calzaghe's slapping punches. But is he talented enough to win rounds? people view him as a stiff, but he's coming off a decent victory. Not a lot of Calzaghe's recent opponents have come off a good win before fighting him.
i know I'm clutching at straws but I want to win some money, i want the thrill of successfully picking the underdog.
Mkrtchian is nicknamed "The Unknown", and even promoter Warren admits he knows very little about him. "All we know about the guy is that he's a hard fighter who will be desperate for Joe's belt," said Warren.
"And his name's worth 80 points in Scrabble!"
The 27-year-old Mkrtchian, based in St Petersburg in Russia, came in as a substitute to destroy Freeman Barr in three rounds last year to set up this title opportunity, and warned: "I am the mystery man of the division. Calzaghe should have every reason to be scared of me. He will not know what he is up against until we get in the ring on fight night.
"I prefer it that nobody knows who I am that way there is no pressure on me and I can go and do my job.
"No one can even pronounce my name but I promise that everybody will remember me when I knock out Calzaghe and take his title."
Sporting a useful 18-1-0 (13) record (the lone setback in an early career fight), Mkrtchian claimed pole position in the rankings by pounding long-time WBO number one contender Freeman Barr of the Bahamas last May.
"We were glad Barr got beaten," Calzaghe admitted. "He shouldn't have been ranked that high in the first place."
So, while Mkrtchian looked a very good fighter against the Bahamian, the win probably flatters him a little. Barr was hammered in five rounds in his very next fight by Charles Brewer, a man Joe unanimously outpointed in a one-sided, if never easy, encounter in 2002.
But the muscular Mkrtchian looked hungry and capable against Barr, and showed no respect for a man ranked at number one for nearly two years and fighting on relative home turf in Florida (where he had featured several times before). He controlled the early action with a solid jab, then stunned Barr at the end of the second with a left hook. He really cut loose in the third, pinning his man on the ropes with a relentless barrage of head and body punches before referee Jorge Alonso stepped in at 2:08 of the round.
Nicknamed "Matador", Mkrtchian has boxed only once since, stopping the inexperienced Rumanian Jozsef Balazs in three rounds last September in St Petersburg.
He does look a decent puncher. An early fight saw him stop Belarussian Sergey Karanevich in two rounds - the only time Sergey has been stopped to date in a career that has seen him face plenty of good men (including hard-punching Welshman Chris Davies in Liverpool). But his one defeat to date saw him stopped himself in two rounds by unbeaten Russian Denis Inkin in 2001 - a puncher like Calzaghe. He was also held to a split decision by Vage Kocharyan in 12-rounder in St Petersburg in 2002 - a southpaw like Calzaghe, and a man who has lost to several British fighters on his travels (though never stopped).
This hardly bodes well for his chances tomorrow night. Generally regarded as the best pound for pound fighter in Britain now Lennox Lewis has retired, Calzaghe is certainly more regarded at his weight than current WBC champion Markus Beyer, who outpointed Mkrtchian as an amateur in the 1995 world military games in Rome at light-middleweight (another southpaw of course). The Welsh star will also have height and reach over the 5ft 10in Armenian (Joe is just under six foot), and the class and power to make that pay.
Fighting Calzaghe in Cardiff only adds to the enormity of the Armenian's task. As a pro, Mkrtchian has boxed only three times outside St Petersburg in Russia, twice in Spain against mediocrities, and the one in Florida against Barr - all three of them stoppage wins.
But a small arena in Fort Myers, Florida will seem a world away from a packed National Ice Rink on Saturday night.
"And his name's worth 80 points in Scrabble!"
The 27-year-old Mkrtchian, based in St Petersburg in Russia, came in as a substitute to destroy Freeman Barr in three rounds last year to set up this title opportunity, and warned: "I am the mystery man of the division. Calzaghe should have every reason to be scared of me. He will not know what he is up against until we get in the ring on fight night.
"I prefer it that nobody knows who I am that way there is no pressure on me and I can go and do my job.
"No one can even pronounce my name but I promise that everybody will remember me when I knock out Calzaghe and take his title."
Sporting a useful 18-1-0 (13) record (the lone setback in an early career fight), Mkrtchian claimed pole position in the rankings by pounding long-time WBO number one contender Freeman Barr of the Bahamas last May.
"We were glad Barr got beaten," Calzaghe admitted. "He shouldn't have been ranked that high in the first place."
So, while Mkrtchian looked a very good fighter against the Bahamian, the win probably flatters him a little. Barr was hammered in five rounds in his very next fight by Charles Brewer, a man Joe unanimously outpointed in a one-sided, if never easy, encounter in 2002.
But the muscular Mkrtchian looked hungry and capable against Barr, and showed no respect for a man ranked at number one for nearly two years and fighting on relative home turf in Florida (where he had featured several times before). He controlled the early action with a solid jab, then stunned Barr at the end of the second with a left hook. He really cut loose in the third, pinning his man on the ropes with a relentless barrage of head and body punches before referee Jorge Alonso stepped in at 2:08 of the round.
Nicknamed "Matador", Mkrtchian has boxed only once since, stopping the inexperienced Rumanian Jozsef Balazs in three rounds last September in St Petersburg.
He does look a decent puncher. An early fight saw him stop Belarussian Sergey Karanevich in two rounds - the only time Sergey has been stopped to date in a career that has seen him face plenty of good men (including hard-punching Welshman Chris Davies in Liverpool). But his one defeat to date saw him stopped himself in two rounds by unbeaten Russian Denis Inkin in 2001 - a puncher like Calzaghe. He was also held to a split decision by Vage Kocharyan in 12-rounder in St Petersburg in 2002 - a southpaw like Calzaghe, and a man who has lost to several British fighters on his travels (though never stopped).
This hardly bodes well for his chances tomorrow night. Generally regarded as the best pound for pound fighter in Britain now Lennox Lewis has retired, Calzaghe is certainly more regarded at his weight than current WBC champion Markus Beyer, who outpointed Mkrtchian as an amateur in the 1995 world military games in Rome at light-middleweight (another southpaw of course). The Welsh star will also have height and reach over the 5ft 10in Armenian (Joe is just under six foot), and the class and power to make that pay.
Fighting Calzaghe in Cardiff only adds to the enormity of the Armenian's task. As a pro, Mkrtchian has boxed only three times outside St Petersburg in Russia, twice in Spain against mediocrities, and the one in Florida against Barr - all three of them stoppage wins.
But a small arena in Fort Myers, Florida will seem a world away from a packed National Ice Rink on Saturday night.
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mickeybeard
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Bard of Boxrec
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mickeybeard
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