Photo: Vincent Ethier — Is Erik Bazinyan the best ‘technician’ of the 168 division?
It was in 2013 that I discovered Jean-Philippe Ouimette and his Facebook page Boxingtown Québec. It was in contact with the man known as JIPI, at the now-defunct restaurant-bar Le Coin du Métro, that I trained week after week to prepare to inherit his page. Quickly, I noticed he wore a cap bearing the image of an 18-year-old Armenian boxer whom he saw as a future world champion: it’s Erik Bazinyan.
Back in Armenia, he practiced karate and traditional dance before discovering boxing at the age of 13. He lost his first fight… since then, he’s been on a streak of 141 consecutive victories.
At the age of 14, Erik was inspired by his compatriots Arthur Abraham and Vic Darchinyan, who were then world champions in the 160-pound and 115-pound divisions, respectively. He enrolled at the gym of Vladimir Yengibaryan, a legend of Armenian boxing who won the gold medal at the 1956 Olympic Games.
Heading to Canada
When he was only 16, he had to forget about the European championships because his parents obtained a visa to come and live here in Canada. His family opened a bakery in Laval, and Erik attended Saint-Maxime High School in Chomedey. He appeared as a relatively unknown Golden Gloves boxer at the age of 16; the public didn’t know him and scratched their heads as he soared through the competition and won gold.
“There isn’t much future for young people in Armenia. My parents chose to come here for me and my brother, who is now fourteen. Military service is mandatory there, and there are often deaths due to exchanges of gunfire at the border with Turkey,” he relates.
Transitioning to the Pros
His transition to the pros was with Rixa Promotions; I remember he sometimes missed weight rather spectacularly, and the prodigy wasn’t recognized at the time for his seriousness in training. But he quickly learned with the Grant brothers, and Rixa put him in the spotlight at their galas, paying for minor belts and opponents who made sense.
The company would close, he changed trainers for a brief stint with Stéphan Larouche. You know the proverb, to sign with EOTTM, find yourself another trainer, so he ended up with Marc Ramsay.
Fun fact: Erik speaks 4 languages, Armenian, Russian, English, and of course, French.
An Extraordinary Technician
In the ring, I’m fascinated by the boxer; he doesn’t have any qualities that set him apart from other boxers, but he does everything better than average. And his results speak for themselves in recent months, Alantez Fox, Jose de Jesus Macias, and Ronald Ellis. Nothing to catch Canelo’s attention, but let’s say things are progressing for the 28-year-old boxer.
Ring Magazine Rankings of March 30, 2024:
- (C) Canelo Alvarez
- (1) David Benavidez
- (2) Christian Mbilli
- (3) Caleb Plant
- (4) David Morrell
- (5) Jaime Munguia
- (6) Erik Bazinyan
- (7) Vladimir Shishkin
- (8) Diego Pacheco
- (9) Osleys Iglesias
- (10) Edgar Berlanga
Additionally, Bazinyan is #3 WBC and #3 WBA, as well as #6 IBF and WBO.
His next fight is against Shakeel Phinn in a magnificent local war North Shore/South Shore that will make a lot of noise and tear Quebec apart. Bazinyan, with his rankings and aspirations in the 168-pound division, must outclass this type of opponent, even if it’s not often simple to fight against a Jamaican freight truck.
Sending a Message
Furthermore, with Christian Mbilli at Top Rank and Osleys Iglesias in his own backyard, he must be spectacular fight after fight to avoid becoming the third wheel.
I am very intrigued by what lies ahead for Erik Bazinyan; I wonder every day how EOTTM will manage to satisfy three top 10 boxers without chaos striking.
In the meantime, don’t look for me on April 11th. I’ll be right near the ring, at the Montreal Casino, watching the boxer who said these words.
“I want to become a world champion. That’s the next thing I want to achieve. And that’s what my father wanted.”
