“France is not a boxing country,” laments the only active French world champion Arsen Goulamirian

The only French boxer with a world belt regrets, in an interview with AFP, that his sport is not recognized at its true value in France.

WBA light heavyweight champion since his victory against the Belgian Ryad Merhy in 2018, Arsen Goulamirian has since retained his title four times, the last time on points against the Russian Aleksei Egorov in November 2022. And on March 30, in Los Angeles, he will put his belt on the line for a fifth time against Mexican Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez.

From his training camp in Big Bear (California), a mountain resort near Los Angeles, where he is trained by Abel Sanchez, Goulamirian, undefeated in 27 fights, spoke of his clash against Ramirez, a “step” that he must “cross” to hope to unify the belts in his category. At 36, the Frenchman is one of the leaders of French boxing alongside Christian Mbilli and Souleymane Cissokho, a restricted club to which Tony Yoka undoubtedly no longer belongs since his defeat in December against a modest opponent, the third setback consecutive 2016 Olympic champion in Rio.

What will be the key to the fight against Gilberto Ramirez?
Arsen Goulamirian: It’s simple, it’s going to be a demolition. He’s a guy who must not be let into the fight, he must be pressed, worn down, he’s a snake in the ring, who holds on, who knows how to get out of it so as not to take too much shots. There are lower categories, but light heavyweight is my category and in my category, no one can do anything. He has qualities, he has an eye, he is left-handed, he moves well. But in this category, 90 kilos has nothing to do with it, my friend. I know what I’m doing, I know why I’m locked up in Big Bear.

And then what are your plans? Trying to unify belts?
This is the basis ! This fight is a step that I must take. Right after that, I have to go get some more belts. It doesn’t matter who the champion is. I think there is Chris Billam-Smith (WBO champion) to take and Jai Opetaia (ex-IBF champion), maybe both. I want to unify, have at least two belts before leaving boxing. I think I’ll box for two more years, until I’m 37, maybe 38.

You have fought very little in recent years (one fight in four years, due to promoter problems). Did you keep up the pace?
You lose rhythm when you really stay inactive, when you really don’t train. The combat activity is lacking, certainly, but the inactivity of training is ten times more. I never stop training, I have never remained inactive. I have been in preparation since January 13th, which will still be nine weeks.

Tyson Fury is a clown in the ring.

Arsen Goulamirian

You are the only French world champion. Do you have sufficient recognition?
No way. The problem is not recognition. France is not a boxing country, boxing is not welcome, not recognized in France. There is no recognized boxer, unless you are an Olympic champion like Tony Yoka, and even then. Otherwise, there is nothing, there is no broadcaster, the media do not talk about boxers at all. Only boxers know boxers. If you go out on the street and ask someone who Arsen Goulamirian is, the guys don’t know. To find our place and for people to recognize us, we have to come to the United States (it will be our first fight in the United States).

What did you think of the recent fights of Cameroonian Francis Ngannou?
Ngannou is not a boxer, he is a guy, he is strong. But we don’t play with boxing. Tyson Fury (narrowly victorious in October) against Ngannou, he shamed boxing, he is a clown in the ring. He gets in the ring to bother you, not to box you. He’s tall, he’s got a length, he’s a boxer that gets in the way. But with a real boxer like Anthony Joshua (who triumphed over the Cameroonian in early March) or whoever, it’s not the same. Ngannou had no place in the ring. It is not him. He needs to go to the UFC, do wrestling, something he can grab, snatch, lift. But not boxing, that’s not it.

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