# Garbis Zakaryan

Garbis Zakaryan (Armenian: Կարպիս Զաքարեան), (June 2, 1930 – 25 January 2020) was a Turkish and European welterweight boxing champion of Armenian ethnicity. He was the first Turkish professional boxer. He was nicknamed "Demir Yumruk" ("Iron Fist").

## Life and career

Zakaryan was born in Istanbul, of Armenian 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 after the religious funeral ceremony at Surp Yerrortutyun Armenian Church (Armenian: Սուրբ Երրորդութիւն Եկեղեցի, Turkish: Beyoğlu Üç Horan Ermeni Kilisesi).

## Record

28 Wins (6 knockouts), 8 Losses (1 knockouts), 5 Draws :
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Type | Date | Location | Notes |
| Draw | 32-13-6 | Franco Nenci | PTS | 1966-04-15 | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| Win | 1-1 | Piero Morgia | TKO | 1965-12-09 | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| Win | 0-1 | Maroun Jeres | PTS | 1965-08-14 | Beirut, Lebanon | |
| Win | 5-5-3 | Abdulha Mohamed Djen Doubi | TKO | 1965-03-20 | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| Win | 4-6 | Jean-Claude Labreuille | PTS | 1964-12-02 | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| Win | 2-1-2 | Lothar Kremer | PTS | 1964-09-17 | Paris, France | |
| Win | 2-1-2 | Lothar Kremer | PTS | 1964-09-17 | Paris, France | |
| Win | 0-0 | Maroun Jeres | KO | 1964-06-08 | Istanbul, Turkey | Middle Orient Middleweight Title |
| Win | 3-17-6 | Mario Della Corte | PTS | 1964-04-09 | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| Win | 39-29-11 | Rene Brunet | PTS | 1963-11-18 | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| Win | 66-65-20 | Jean Ruellet | PTS | 1963-08-19 | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| Win | 38-26-10 | Rene Brunet | TKO | 1963-03-27 | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| Win | 1-0-2 | Charles Attali | PTS | 1960-10-12 | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| Draw | 1-0-1 | Charles Attali | PTS | 1960-03-18 | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| Win | 0-1-0 | Mohammed Salah Mousri | PTS | 1959-10-08 | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| Loss | 38-15-4 | Paulo Sacoman | PTS | 1957-11-22 | São Paulo, Brazil | |
| Win | 11-7-6 | Brahim Kettani | PTS | 1957-11-10 | Paris, France | |
| Loss | 34-2-2 | Martiniano Pereyra | TKO | 1956-10-20 | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Loss | 44-1-2 | Cirilo Gil | PTS | 1956-09-22 | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Loss | 48-7-2 | Idrissa Dione | PTS | 1956-08-18 | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| Win | 14-3-2 | Ousmane Cisse | PTS | 1956-04-08 | Beirut, Lebanon | |
| Loss | 7-0-0 | Jacques Nervi | PTS | 1956-03-17 | Granville, France | |
| Win | 16-1-0 | Michel François | PTS | 1956-03-03 | Paris, France | |
| Win | 22-6-2 | Ziyaris Taki | KO | 1955-07-30 | Istanbul, Turkey | Turkish Welterweight Title |
| Win | 22-6-2 | Ahmed Belarbi II | PTS | 1955-06-05 | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| Draw | 0-1-0 | Jan Papadopulos | PTS | 1955-05-15 | Alexandria, Egypt | |
| Win | 19-7-8 | Karl Oechsle | PTS | 1955-03-27 | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| Win | | Emmanuel Lambidis | PTS | 1955-02-27 | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| Win | | Jan Papadopulos | PTS | 1954-11-02 | Beirut, Lebanon | |
| Loss | 34-2-0 | Idrissa Dione | PTS | 1954-02-05 | Beirut, Lebanon | |
| Loss | 33-2-0 | Idrissa Dione | PTS | 1954-01-23 | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| Win | | Brahim Kettani | PTS | 1954-01-12 | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| Win | 22-30-7 | Emmanuel Clavel | RTD | 1953-10-03 | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| Win | 15-3-2 | Ziyaris Taki | PTS | 1953-08-18 | Istanbul, Turkey | Turkish Welterweight Title |
| Win | 9-22-4 | Robert Astoine | PTS | 1953-04-30 | Paris, France | |
| Draw | 16-15-31 | Freddi Teichmann | PTS | 1953-04-17 | Berlin, Germany | |
| Win | 22-8-4 | Charles Dhery | PTS | 1953-03-14 | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| Win | 8-18-4 | Leandre Mateos | PTS | 1953-01-13 | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| Win | 8-18-4 | Michel Lambidis | PTS | 1951-12-23 | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| Win | 5-0-0 | Ziyaris Taki | PTS | 1951-05-02 | Istanbul, Turkey | Precise date is uncertain. This fight is from a record provided by Leo Vollnhofer, Vienna. |
| Loss | 2-0-0 | Ziyaris Taki | PTS | 1951-03-10 | Istanbul, Turkey | Precise date is uncertain. This fight is from a record provided by Leo Vollnhofer, Vienna. |
| Draw | 5-6-2 | Ali Amrane | PTS | 1950-10-18 | Istanbul, Turkey | |