David Alaverdian: Israel's Next World Title Hope
You can count on one hand the number of Israeli professional boxers who have competed for world titles: Yuri Foreman, Ran Nakash, and Hagar Finer. But David Alaverdian, an undefeated flyweight from Nahariya now based in Las Vegas, is attempting to become the fourth.
In 2009, Yuri Foreman beat Daniel Santos for the WBA junior middleweight belt but lost in his first defense to Miguel Cotto. Then in 2011, Haifa’s Ran Nakash challenged cruiserweight great Marco Huck and gave a valiant effort in a decision loss for the WBO strap. Last but not least, Hagar Finer, a flyweight from Jerusalem, competed from 2002-2012, and she went 6-6 in title fights, including four bantamweight title defenses.
Alaverdian aims to be the next Israeli to fight for a world title. He’s 29 years old and has a record of 8-0-1, which means that time is not exactly on his side. To reach his goals, he needs to expedite his progress while he is still in his athletic prime. That is why he intends to move down to junior flyweight soon.
“I think I should move down to 108 pounds. I am not even big for flyweight (112 pounds). I can cut down with proper training and dieting and make 108, where there’s not a big pool of good boxers, so it will be much easier to fight for a title there. And then once I win a title, I will be more of a star and then go up to 112 for big fights. In one year, I think I can fight for a title. At the age of 30, I think that would be a good time. I am very healthy. I take care of my body, and I don’t have any injuries. I don’t cut a lot of weight and never have. I think I can stay in boxing until 35 years old.”
But becoming a world champion wasn’t the goal from the outset for Alaverdian. Although he started boxing at eight, he didn’t train consistently throughout his youth. At 15, he joined an Air Force military school in Haifa, and during those years, he stopped boxing entirely. Bereft of crucial experience typically acquired during those formative years, Alaverdian had to make up for lost time when he got back into boxing at 18.
But even then he couldn’t make boxing his sole focus as he had to complete his mandatory army service for three years. Although his army duties were less demanding due to his special status as a high-performance athlete, his service still occupied many hours of his time.
“It took me a while to get over that lack of experience. I should have boxed during those three years [15-18], but I didn't. When I got back to boxing, I was already a senior and I constantly lost because I didn't have that experience. They were all adults, some were 25-30 years old, and I was an 18-year-old with no experience. So it took me a while.
“Training in Israel is completely different. Unlike in the States, where gyms are packed with good boxers, most gyms in Israel might have one or two good boxers. But they usually leave because there is no future. Where can you go? Let’s say you're outstanding, and you win a medal in a big international tournament, and they put you on an athlete payroll that pays less than 1,000 dollars per month. You can’t make a career out of that.
“It’s a very long journey that 90% of the people will not be successful in. It's a big risk with a very low chance of a reward. So many Israelis won’t go that route. I don’t think that will change anytime soon unless somebody like myself becomes successful, and people will look at me in a different way, and the sport will grow.”
Alaverdian completed his amateur career in 2019 with roughly 70 wins and 35 losses, then moved to Las Vegas to start his pro career. He trains out of Richard Steele’s boxing gym under the tutelage of Cedric Ferguson, his main coach, in addition to weekly sessions with Floyd Mayweather Sr.
Alaverdian demonstrates a monastic dedication to the sport, which starkly contrasts his sporadic training as an adolescent. But that’s what it will take to become a world champion. And although Alaverdian recognizes the arduous journey ahead of him, he doesn’t let that dissuade him.
“I enjoy the struggle because if you’re struggling, it means you’re doing something right, and it will turn out to be good because nothing worth anything is easy to get. I am already proud of myself for the journey that I have made. All the losses I had as an amateur and not quitting and staying consistent. I am proud of that. All the guys that were with me on the amateur team quit a long time ago. I am the only one left with the younger generation.
“I will be way more proud if I become a world champion. I dream of opening my own gym in Israel that will inspire the younger generation to box. I am very good with social media, so I believe that I will make people interested in the whole sport. So a lot more things in the future that I can be proud of.”
Alaverdian has already asserted himself among the coterie of Israeli boxing pioneers. And if he keeps grinding and stays fully committed to his chosen sport, he may even become a world champion. Either way, he will have inspired the next generation of Israelis to pursue professional boxing. And that’s one accomplishment that will stand the test of time.