In one month he will defend his world title for the twelfth time: Artur Grigorian, born as Armenian, based in Hamburg since more then six years and reigning as WBO world lightweight champion since four and a half years.

"King Arthur" will put his title on the line this time against Columbian Antonio Pitalua, the champion of Central America. The 30-year-old Pitalua is a professional boxer since 1992 and won 30 of 31 contests, 24 by knockout. He suffered his single loss in 1995 due to an injury.

It will be Grigorian's first fight since his last appearance in June in Budapest. It was a title defense against local Hungarian favorite Zoltan Kalocsai which Grigorian won by TKO in round 12 but nevertheless was unable to display his usually eye catching superior skills because of a painful handicap.

"From round two I suffered from three huge blisters under my sole. During the fight they became extremely painful bruises", Grigorian, father of three girls, remembers.

"I was using new socks and shows that day" explains Grigorian who owns the Armenian citizenship but lived in Uzbekistan until the age of 27, the land between Turkmenistan, Kazachstan and Afghanistan. Between his fights he still returns several times a year to the Uzbekian capital Taschkent. Last Friday Grigorian turned 33.

"It was a big mistake to use these new shoes. They began to scrub immediately and rubbed my skin from my soles. At the end I was almost completely unable to move."

"King Arthur" certainly won't repeat that mistake on November 25 when he fights beside Vitali Klitschko and Timo Hoffmann in the second main event at Preussag arena in Hannover.

Grigorian who won his world title in April of 1996 with a knockout over Antonio Rivera, is by far today's longest reigning lightweight world champion. His counterpart Paul Spadafora (IBF) from the US is holding his version of the title only since August of 1999. Mexican Jose Luis Castillo (WBC) and Japanese Takanori Hatakeyama (WBA) are world champion only since June of this year.

This makes Grigorian, 30-0 (20 KOs), unquestionably the best of the reigning lightweight world champions.

Among his most exciting title defenses are his victory in March of 1998 over German Marco Rudolph, over Italian Giorgio Campanella half a year later and his dramatic battle against undefeated Brit Michael Clark who he knocked out badly in round five last year in Oberhausen.

-------------------------------

The next events of Universum Box-Promotion:

25th November
Preussag Arena, Hannover
European Heavyweight Championship:
Vitali Klitschko vs. Timo Hoffmann
WBO Lightweight Championship:
Artur Grigorian vs. Antonio Pitalua
Undercard: Torsten May, Stipe Drvis, Jürgen Brähmer, Danilo Häussler and Norbert Nieroba

Universum Ticket Hotline: +49 40 696559-59
Universum Box-Promotion GmbH - Am Stadtrand 27 - 22047 Hamburg - Tel: +49 40 696559-0 - Fax: +49 40 696559-50