After handily disposing of Michel Rivera last time out, Frank Martin has another undefeated prospect in his sights, as Dan Rafael confirms an earlier report from Keith Idec that Martin will face Artem Harutyunyan on a July Showtime card.
The bout will land on either the 15th or the 22nd.
Harutyunyan (12-0, 7 KO) represented Germany in the 2016 Olympics, reaching the semifinals before falling to Azerbaijan’s Lorenzo Sotomayor. He debuted a year later, but has been rather unremarkable as a pro; two of his last five wins have come by split or majority decision, while the most notable victory came via dramatic come-from-behind knockout against undefeated Samuel Molina.
Though he does sit at no. 8 in the WBC rankings, he’s not exactly the kind of follow-up foe anyone wanted. Martin (17-0, 12 KO) looked like champion material against Rivera; now’s the time to pit him against a well-known figure, not someone with little more than a seemingly squandered amateur pedigree.