Garbis Zakaryan ( hy, Կարպիս Զաքարեան), (June 2, 1930 – 25 January 2020) was a Turkish and European
welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify the ...
boxing champion of Armenian ethnicity. He was the first
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
professional boxer.
He was nicknamed "Demir Yumruk" ("Iron Fist").
Life and career
Zakaryan was born in
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
, of
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
descent, and studied at the local Armenian Esayan school.
His father couldn't work because of poor health and his mother would make the entire household living from knitting.
He left school at 5th grade and began working as a newspaper salesman.
He began his boxing career in 1944 at the Boğaziçi Turnuvası (Bosporus Tournament).
He became the Istanbul and Turkey champion at 48 kg in 1947 and 1948. He then represented the Turkish National Team for the first time in 1949 against Spain. He became the first Turkish professional boxer in 1951. Zakaryan retired in 1966. He then worked as a boxing trainer including European champion, Cemal Kamaci.
Zakaryan went on to lose his European champion title in March 1957. He was Middle-East champion in 1964.
Zakaryan died on 25 January 2020 at the age of 89 in Istanbul, Turkey. He was interred at
Şişli Armenian Cemetery
The Şişli Armenian Cemetery is an Armenian cemetery in the Şişli district of Istanbul, Turkey which is operated and served by the Armenian community of Turkey.
Notable burials
* Hovhannes Arsharouni – Armenian Patriarch of Constantin ...
after the religious funeral ceremony at
Surp Yerrortutyun Armenian Church ( hy, Սուրբ Երրորդութիւն Եկեղեցի, tr, Beyoğlu Üç Horan Ermeni Kilisesi).
Record
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="8", 28 Wins (6 knockouts), 8 Losses (1 knockouts), 5 Draws
[Professional Boxing Record](_blank)
. Boxrec. Retrieved on 2012-05-19.
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Franco Nenci
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, Win, , 5-5-3, , align=left, Abdulha Mohamed Djen Doubi
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, Win, , 4-6, , align=left, Jean-Claude Labreuille
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, Win, , 2-1-2, , align=left, Lothar Kremer
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, Win, , 0-0, , align=left, Maroun Jeres
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, Win, , 3-17-6, , align=left, Mario Della Corte
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, Win, , 39-29-11, , align=left, Rene Brunet
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, Win, , 66-65-20, , align=left, Jean Ruellet
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, Win, , 38-26-10, , align=left, Rene Brunet
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, Win, , 1-0-2, , align=left, Charles Attali
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, style="background: #B0C4DE", Draw, , 1-0-1, , align=left, Charles Attali
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, Win, , 0-1-0, , align=left, Mohammed Salah Mousri
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, Loss, , 38-15-4, , align=left, Paulo Sacoman
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, Win, , 11-7-6, , align=left, Brahim Kettani
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, Loss, , 34-2-2, , align=left, Martiniano Pereyra
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, Loss, , 44-1-2, , align=left, Cirilo Gil
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, Loss, , 48-7-2, , align=left, Idrissa Dione
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, Win, , 14-3-2, , align=left, Ousmane Cisse
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, Loss, , 7-0-0, , align=left, Jacques Nervi
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, Win, , 16-1-0, , align=left, Michel François
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, Win, , 22-6-2, , align=left, Ziyaris Taki
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, Win, , 22-6-2, , align=left, Ahmed Belarbi II
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, Win, , 19-7-8, , align=left, Karl Oechsle
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, Win, , 22-30-7, , align=left, Emmanuel Clavel
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, Win, , 15-3-2, , align=left, Ziyaris Taki
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, Win, , 9-22-4, , align=left, Robert Astoine
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, Win, , 22-8-4, , align=left, Charles Dhery
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, Win, , 8-18-4, , align=left, Leandre Mateos
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, Win, , 8-18-4, , align=left, Michel Lambidis
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, Win, , 5-0-0, , align=left, Ziyaris Taki
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, style="background: #B0C4DE", Draw, , 5-6-2, , align=left, Ali Amrane
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See also
*
Armenians in Turkey
Armenians in Turkey ( tr, Türkiye Ermenileri; hy, Թուրքահայեր, also Թրքահայեր, "Turkish Armenians"), one of the indigenous peoples of Turkey, have an estimated population of 50,000 to 70,000, down from a population of over 2 ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zakaryan, Garbis
2020 deaths
1930 births
Sportspeople from Istanbul
Armenians in Istanbul
Welterweight boxers
Turkish male boxers
Armenian male boxers
Burials at Şişli Armenian Cemetery