“It was like a new me in there” – Michael Avetisian feeling strong as he approaches adult ranks

Teenage talent Michael Avetisian made his return to the ring on Friday night on the big Glasnevin BC show in the Ringside Club.

In what will be one of his underage fights, the Dubliner took on Westside welterweight Martin Sweeney and scored a decisive win, forcing a count in the second round.

It was Avetisian’s first fight at 69kg, and his first fight since his second round stoppage loss to eventual champion Paddy Donovan in the opening quarter finals of this year’s Under 18s.

Avetisian, who was born in Armenia but moved to Ireland as an infant, revealed that there were factors that ensured he was not in prime condition for that fight.

The 18 year old described to Irish-Boxing.com how “I’m 69kg now. For my last contest I had to lose 10kg in 14 days, which was stupid. I was dehydrated”

“Just making the weight was like I had won something, losing that 10kg, it was like I had achieved something – and I still had to fight!”

Three-time Irish underage champion, Avetisian is an aggressive, attacking fighter, but noted how this was not the case during his last days at light welter.

“I always had it [power], but when I kept losing weight it was going away – and I was getting caught with shots and feeling them.”

“Say, in pre-season, I’d be sparring middleweights and they’d catch me with very hard shots shots and I’d feel them but wouldn’t be hurt.”

“Then when I went into those Under 18s, every shot, I was feeling it, even a little light jab. I was sparring my mate Jordan Moore [then a flyweight] in the club before and his shots, I was feeling them and thinking ‘what’s happening here?'”

Avetisian has had a varied past in the sport, but the driven Dub is determined to make a name for himself in the fight game.

He outlined how “I used to do kickboxing, I went to the WAKO Worlds and won a silver when I was 12, semi-contact.”

“I stopped because there is no future in it [kickboxing] at all, for anyone, which is sad because there’s very talented people there. I stopped it to focus on boxing and make a living out of it. I’ve an unorthodox type of style from it, it’s kind of weird compared to other people’s.”

“I picked boxing up when I was 11. I was with Mulhuddart then came to Glasnevin in Summer 2015. I boxed here for a year then during a fight I dislocated my shoulder, I got surgery, was out for six months, and I only picked it back up at the start of this year.”

“I have the Celtic Box Cup coming up, then after that I’m going to do the Wexford Box Cup a week later, then Intermediates and Under 22s as well. I think I’ll sit out the Seniors for a year.”

Between the shoulder injury – Avetisian bears a noticeable scar on his chest – and the weight trouble, the last year or so have been tough. However there was a real sense for him that Friday represented a fresh start.

“It was like a new me in there,” he stated.

“Once I moved up weight I felt amazing. I felt good in there.”

“I was seeing what the shots felt like at the weight and I was taking them terrific, and I could rip some back, I gave him a count and all.”