By Matt Bevan

Russian David Avanesyan’s manager Neil Marsh has confirmed that his man has been promoted to full champion status by the WBA and will defend his ‘regular’ welterweight title against former world champion Lamont Peterson on February 18 at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, live on Showtime.

Avanesyan secured the biggest win of his career last May when he unanimously outpointed Shane Mosley in Glendale, Arizona, and his manager Marsh claims a win over Peterson will see his charge explode onto the US scene.

Peterson, 34-3-1 (17 KOs), hasn’t fought since he took a majority decision over then unbeaten Felix Diaz in October 2015 and the Washington DC fighter has never fought over 144lbs in his career. Marsh said all these factors play into his man’s hands.

Marsh told Boxing Scene: “This is a huge fight for David over a former champion in Peterson and gives him a chance to explode onto the US scene. He’s a great name, who has been inactive and is coming up in weight, but still is the biggest name we could have got for David’s first fight since he was promoted to full champion by the WBA.

“It will be on the undercard to Adrien Broner’s fight with Adrian Granados, which is a big deal and then we want a crack at the winner of Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia on March 4.

“We believe Peterson will be a step up to that fight, so rather than jump straight in the deep end with one of them, we’ll build David up to those huge fights one step at a time.

“We’d like to thank Al Haymon and Mayweather Promotions who are putting on the card for the opportunity to be on it, we’re extremely grateful as it doesn’t get any bigger than that. Also we’d like to thank BoxNation in the UK who have picked up the fight and are giving British fans the chance to see David showcase his talents.”

Marsh was quick to pay tribute to Avanesyan’s trainer, Carl Greaves, a well-known figure in British boxing circles who trains the Russian out of his gym in Newark, Nottinghamshire, where according to Marsh, the 28-year-old has shone.

He also described how Avanesyan, whose records stands at 22-1-1 (11KO’s), came together as a team and how he hopes a win over Peterson will catapult him into the thick of the conversation of the top welterweights in the world.

“David has grown so much since I put him together with Carl,” he continued. “They suit each other perfectly and Carl works him so hard and takes him out of his comfort zone. He’s been brilliant for David and is a diamond to work with, so the gamble has paid off handsomely.

“It’s hard for any human being to leave home and your family for three months to go to a country where you don’t speak the language. It’s a huge sacrifice. But you can see how much David wants it because he has that burning desire to improve.

“I’ve never invested in a foreign fighter before so I gave him a trial fight against Dean Byrne in Blackpool in 2015 and after seeing David perform it was simply a no-brainer for me.

“He has grown into a genuine world-class fighter and will be looking to move up to the elite names at welterweight, which is always an amazing division to be involved in.

“Even to be see his name alongside the likes of Thurman, Garcia, Kell Brook and Manny Pacquiao is incredible.

“When he beats Peterson, he’ll show that he belongs in the conversation with those names.”