Frank “The Ghost” Martin is set to face undefeated Olympic bronze medalist Artem Harutyunyan in a WBC Lightweight Title Eliminator. This thrilling match-up will take place live on SHOWTIME from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The fight is the main event of the Premier Boxing Champions event.
The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® broadcast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. It will feature future Hall of Famer and Filipino sensation Nonito Donaire going against Mexican contender Alexandro Santiago for the vacant WBC Bantamweight World Championship in the co-main event. Also on the card, top super lightweight contender Elvis Rodriguez will face former world champion Viktor Postol in a 10-round showdown that will open the telecast.
WHEN IS MARTIN VS. HARUTYUNYAN?
Date: Saturday, July 15
Start time: 2.30 a.m. BST / 9.30 p.m. ET
The fight will take place at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
Showtime will broadcast the fight in the U.S.
Main event ringwalks (approx): 5 a.m. BST / 12 a.m. ET
“Every time Frank Martin steps into the ring, he demonstrates why he’s a potential world champion and one of the sport’s most skilled fighters,” said unified welterweight world champion Errol Spence Jr., Martin’s promoter. “Having observed him closely in the gym, I am certain he will deliver an impressive performance on July 15. This is an event not to be missed, as it will showcase a special fighter at his peak.”
“Frank Martin has positioned himself among the elite fighters in the heavily packed lightweight division, and he can further propel his career by winning against the formidable Olympic bronze medalist Artem Harutyunyan on July 15 at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas,” stated Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “With a world championship at stake between legendary Nonito Donaire and Mexico’s Alexandro Santiago in the co-main event, and a crucial bout between Elvis Rodriguez and Viktor Postol to start the telecast, this card is primed to deliver memorable matches throughout the evening.”
The 28-year-old Martin (17-0, 12 KOs) cemented his status as one of the top 135-pounders last December at The Cosmopolitan by defeating the previously unbeaten Michel Rivera in a unanimous decision. Martin’s rise in the 135-pound division began by defeating the then-unbeaten Jerry Perez in April 2021 before overcoming tough contenders Jackson Marinez, Romero Duno, and Ryan Kielczweski. Originally from Indianapolis, Ind., Martin now trains in Dallas under the tutelage of renowned trainer Derrick James and his promoter and unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr.
“Anyone unaware of my abilities will certainly take notice after my performance on July 15,” Martin stated. “I am fully prepared and have a lot of momentum on my side. There is a fantastic energy in our gym and I am eager to demonstrate what I have been working on. I understand he is also undefeated and will try to upset me, but we will be ready for anything he brings. I am poised to make a statement. I am certainly not overlooking Harutyunyan, but I am ready for the best fighters and this performance will show everyone how prepared I am.”
Harutyunyan (12-0, 7 KOs) earned a Bronze medal for Germany in the 2016 Olympics before turning pro in late 2017. Born in Armenia and currently fighting out of Hamburg, Germany, Harutyunyan scored a career-high victory by knocking out then unbeaten Samuel Molina in five rounds in September 2021. He most recently defeated Humberto Galindo by unanimous decision last June. The 32-year-old will make his U.S. debut on July 15 after fighting in Germany for his first 12 bouts.
“I respect all of my opponents, but Frank Martin is merely the next step toward achieving my dream of becoming a world champion,” Harutyunyan said. “I am thrilled to make my U.S. debut in Las Vegas and I know the crowd will love my style. I have been training hard in Germany for months now. All of this will culminate in an extraordinary victory over Frank Martin.”
One of the sport’s most accomplished active fighters, Donaire (42-7, 28 KOs) has captured titles at flyweight, bantamweight, super bantamweight, and featherweight. He will aim for another shot at the bantamweight title after a May 2021 knockout of Nordine Oubaali and a subsequent loss to Naoya Inoue in their June 2022 rematch. Hailing from Talibon, Bohol, Philippines, Donaire’s previous campaign at bantamweight began in 2018 when he upset then unbeaten champion Ryan Burnett in his hometown, capturing a title once again, before eventually losing the belt in the 2019 Fight of the Year in his first matchup against Inoue.
“I am entering the ring on July 15 to take that belt home, and there’s no alternative for me,” Donaire asserted. “I am grateful to my team for this opportunity and I have been training hard to make the most of it. I have brought in some really fast fighters who have helped me prepare, and my team has given me valuable defensive pointers. I am ahead of schedule right now and can’t wait to step into the ring.”
A native of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, Santiago (27-3-5, 14 KOs) will compete for a bantamweight title for the first time in his career on July 15. He enters this fight on a three-bout winning streak since a majority decision loss to Gary Antonio Russell in November 2021. The 27-year-old had previously fought for a 115-pound championship in September 2018, battling Jerwin Ancajas to a split draw. Santiago most recently avenged one of the draws on his record by stopping Antonio Nieves in seven rounds last October.
“I would like to thank my whole team for this amazing opportunity,” Santiago expressed. “I have been waiting for another world title opportunity since my draw with Ancajas. The camp has been fantastic and I’m working extremely hard. It is also a great honor to share the ring with one of the greatest of my generation, Nonito Donaire. However, this is my moment to shine.”
Rodríguez (14-1-1, 12 KOs) has bounced back from his first career defeat, a majority decision loss to Kenneth Sims Jr., with three straight wins. His most recent fight took place in February on SHOWTIME, where he defeated Joseph Adorno by decision, following knockouts of Juan Pablo Romero and Juan Jose Velasco. The 27-year-old burst onto the scene with knockout victories in 10 of his first 11 fights, accumulating an impressive five wins in 2020. Originally from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Rodríguez now resides and trains in Los Angeles, Calif.
“I am highly motivated to return to the ring,” Rodriguez said. “Viktor Postol is an exceptional fighter and has faced the best in this division. This will be an action-packed fight that no one should miss. I am coming to prove that I deserve a title shot after this fight. Defeating Postol impressively is a statement that will earn me that shot. I have a duty to myself, my family, and my country to win on July 15. This is the most important fight of my career.“
Respected contender in the 140-pound division, Postol (31-4, 12 KOs) returns to the ring following a defeat to top contender Gary Antuanne Russell in February 2022. Originally from Ukraine and now fighting out of California, Postol knocked out Lucas Matthysse in 2015 to win a super lightweight world title before losing a unification showdown against Terence Crawford. Postol had won three of his previous five fights before facing Russell, with the only losses in that stretch coming against then-unified champion Jose Ramirez and former undisputed champion Josh Taylor, both by decision.
“I am thrilled to return to the ring in the U.S. against a strong contender,” Postol remarked. “I know my opponent very well. We’ve trained together under Freddie Roach and have sparred together. Now, we get to fight for real and prove who is better on July 15.”
MARTIN VS. HARUTYUNYAN CARD
Frank Martin vs. Artem Harutyunyan, 12 rounds, WBC lightweight eliminator
Nonito Donaire vs. Alexandro Santiago, 12 rounds, for vacant WBC bantamweight title
Elvis Rodriguez vs. Viktor Postol, 12 rounds, junior welterweights
Freudis Rojas vs. Diego Santiago Sanchez, 10 rounds, welterweights
Quinton Randall vs. Willie Jones, 8 rounds, welterweights
Justin Cardona vs. Jose Perez, 8 rounds, junior welterweights
Anthony Cuba vs. Angel Rebollar, 6 rounds, lightweights
Alex Holley vs. TBA, 4 rounds, welterweights
