EARLY LIFE

Vanes was born on 1 May 1986, in Abovyan, Armenia. Vanes' father, Norik Martirosyan, was an amateur boxer in Armenia who worked for an industrial company and was also in the army. Vanes had two brothers, one older and one younger, and a sister.

His family moved to Glendale, California, when he was four years old. He started boxing when he was seven after his father found out there was a gym in Glendale.

Martirosyan was taken out of junior high school by his father and became home-schooled once it had become clear that he needed to keep his son's fighting confined to the ring.

AMATEUR CAREER

Martirosyan was an eight-time National Champion and a Golden Gloves Champion.

In 2004, after winning a match against Haiti's Andre Berto in the 1st AIBA American 2004 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Tijuana, Mexico, Martirosyan secured a spot in the U.S. Olympic Team.

He represented the United States at the 2004 Olympics as a Welterweight at age 18. Martitosyan lost in the second round to Aragon Armenteros who was 12 years his senior.

Notable boxers Martirosyan defeated as an amateur include Austin Trout (three times), Andre Berto, and Timothy Bradley

He finished his amateur career with 120 wins and 10 losses

PROFESSIONAL CAREER

At the age of 20, Martirosyan turned professional at 154 pounds with Bob Arum's promotional company Top Rank. Vanes was managed by his uncle, Serge Martirosyan. He was also co-managed by Shelly Finkel. Vanes was trained by Freddie Roach.

LIFE AFTER BOXING

PERSONAL LIFE

After the loss to Golovkin, he went through a severe depression episode. In September 2019, Martirosyan was arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife after a verbal altercation. The incident involved Martirosyan reportedly grabbing his wife by the arm and headbutting her, resulting in visible injuries. She managed to escape and was found by police with a bruise and a broken nose; she declined medical assistance. Martirosyan was arrested the following morning and charged with felony domestic violence, later released on $50,000 bail. The pair reconciled and remained together until his death.

DEATH

Passed away at 39 on November 23, 2025, after a two-year battle with skin cancer. Martirosyan was survived by his wife, Gaby Tsao, son Andrew, and daughter Arianna.

LEGACY