Israjel Hakobkochjan

Israjel Hakobkochjan ( Armenian Իսրայել Հակոբկոխյան , Russian Исраел Акопович Акопкохян , Israjel Akopkowitsch Akopkochjan ; born October 21, 1960 in Yerevan ) is a former Soviet boxer of Armenian descent. He was world champion of amateurs in 1989 in the light middleweight division.

Life

Israjel Hakobkochjan started boxing as a teenager in Armenia . In 1978 he took 3rd place in the Soviet Junior Championship (U 20) in Lipetsk in lightweight. In 1979 he was used at the Junior World Championships in Yokohama in lightweight. He defeated Pierluigi Thierry from France by breaking off in the 2nd round and Raschko Lomski, Bulgaria , Darrell Chambers , USA and Rick Anderson from Canada each on points and thus became Junior World Champion . This was his first major international success.

In 1979 Israjel Hakobkochjan started for the first time in the Soviet senior championship and won the light welterweight championship with a victory in the final over Valery Grishkovtes, after he had also beaten Serik Konakbayev in the semifinals . At that time he belonged to the sports organization "Arbeiterreserven" (Trud Reserwy).

In 1980 Israjel Hakobkochjan won a well-staffed international tournament in Belgrade with a demolition victory in the third round over Mikulović from Yugoslavia . In the final battle of the Soviet championship this year he had to admit defeat to Serik Konakbajew on points. At the Olympic Games in Moscow Serik Konakbajew was then used in the light welterweight division, while he went to the start in the welterweight division. But he was already defeated in the round of 16 against Andrés Aldama from Cuba on points and only came in 9th place.

At a national elimination tournament for the Soviet championship in 1981 in Riga Israjel Hakobkochjan lost again in welterweight against Serik Konakbajew, but still qualified for these championships. In this he won the Soviet championship title for the second time in the absence of Serik Konakbajew with a final victory over Valeri Laptjew. At the European Amateur Boxing Championship in 1981, however, it was not used. But towards the end of 1981 he still won the tournament for the "Golden Glove" in Bucharest with a victory in the final over his compatriot Oleg Koljadin.

In 1982 he won the Soviet championship title for the third time. He won the welterweight division over Vladimir Vasilyev clearly on points. There were no international championships this year. The sources from 1983 onwards do not allow any statements to be made about his successes at the Soviet championships. Israjel Hakobkochjan was active until 1991 and had his greatest international successes in the following years. It can therefore be assumed that he became Soviet champion several times between 1983 and 1991, otherwise he would not have been used in the international championships.

In 1983 and 1984 Israjel Hakobkochjan came to no appearances in international championships. At the 1983 European Championships in Varna , Piotr Galkin started in welterweight for the Soviet Union and at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles there were no Soviet athletes at the start.

While doing his military service in 1985 he won the SKDA championship (championship of friendly armies of the socialist states). He won it in the Bydgoszcz welterweight in the final over Jacek Olejniczak from Poland on points. In the same year he was in Budapest with victories over Romeo Kensmith, Netherlands, Vedat Onsoy, Turkey , Borislaw Abadschiew , Bulgaria and Joni Nyman from Finland for the first time European champion of the amateurs in the welterweight division. Finally, towards the end of 1985 in Seoul , he won the Welterweight Cup with victories over Derrick Frazer, Canada , Kim Tong-Gil, South Korea and Darryl Lattimore , USA.

1986 Israjel Hakobkochjan started in Reno / USA at the world championship of amateurs. In welterweight he came here to victories over Helmut Gertel from the FRG and Carlos Marcano from Venezuela . He lost to Torsten Schmitz from the GDR in the quarterfinals and was eliminated without winning a medal. At the "Goodwill Games" taking place in Moscow in the same year , he started one weight class higher for the first time. In the light middleweight division he won over Sayed Maafoud from Yemen , Mylon Watkins from the USA and his Soviet compatriot Viktor Jegorow and was tournament winner.

In 1987 and 1988 Israjel Hakobkochjan was not seen at any international championships. In 1987 he became Soviet runner-up in the welterweight division after a point defeat against Vasily Schischow . But he celebrated a big comeback in 1989 when he was almost thirty. This year European championships were held in Athens and world championships in Moscow . Both times the light middleweight winner was Israjel Hakobkochjan. In Athens he won against Rudel Obreja from Romania and Enrico Richter from the GDR and in Moscow he celebrated point victories over Albert Pepilaya from Indonesia , Raymond Downey from Canada, Rudel Obreja and Torsten Schmitz, against whom he was defeated at the European Championship 1986 could reciprocate. Another win that Israjel Hakobkochjan celebrated in 1989 in an international match in Spokane / USA is remarkable . He beat there in light middleweight the later professional world heavyweight champion Chris Byrd , who was also against the "Klitschkos" in the ring, on points.

In the last year of his time as an active boxer in 1991, Israjel Hakobkochjan almost managed to repeat his great successes from 1989. He was first in Gothenburg with a victory in the final over Torsten Schmitz for the third time European champion and defeated at the World Championships in Sydney Salem Karim Kabbary from Iran, Robin Reid of England and Ole Klemetsen of Norway and was in the final against Juan Carlos Lemus from Cuba . In a tough battle he was subject to this on points and therefore had to be content with the runner-up world title.

After this world championship, Israjel Hakobkochjan ended his long and very successful career as a boxer, in which he was not allowed to win an Olympic medal.

International battles

• 1985 in Reno , USA against USSR , point defeat against Darryl Lattimore ,
• 1985 in Buffalo , USA against USSR, points winner over K. Cooper,
• 1986 in Moscow , USSR against USA, points winner over Frank Liles,
• 1989 in Spokane , USA against USA, points winner over Chris Byrd

Championships of the USSR

(Le = light weight, Hw = half welter weight, We = welter weight, Hm = light middle weight, back then up to 60 kg, 63.5 kg, 67 kg and 71 kg body weight)

• 1979, Hw: 1. Israjel Hakobkochjan, 2. Valeri Grischkowets, 3. R. Salevius u. Serik Konakbayev,
• 1980, Hw: 1. Serik Konakbajew , 2. Israjel Hakobkochjan, 3. Oleg Koselski u. Vladimir Zolotaryev,
• 1981, We: 1. Israjel Hakobkochjan, 2. Valeri Laptjew, 3. Wladimir Wassiljew a. Alexei Polishchuk,
• 1982, We: 1. Israjel Hakobkochjan, 2. Wladimir Wassiljew, 3. Alexei Polishchuk a. Oleg Koljadin,
• 1987, We: 1. Wassili Schischow, 2. Israjel Hakobkochjan

Individual evidence

• Box Sport trade journal from 1978 to 1991,
• Website "www.amateur-boxing.strefa.pl"
• Website "www.sports123.com"