If there was any doubt that Frank Martin would play on Saturday night, it would be no doubt now.
Martin, facing his biggest test yet, overcame undefeated lightweight rival Michel Rivera to a decisive one-way win in a 12-round knockout in Las Vegas and considers himself a threat. legal threat to any 135-pound athlete on the planet.
The official score is 120-107, 118-109 and 117-110 in favor of Martin. Boxing Junkie also helped Martin win 120-107, a loss.
Frank Martin with a knockdown
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“This is what I do,” Martin said in the ring afterward. “I feel good tonight. There were some things I saw in there that I didn’t take advantage of, some opportunities. But I got in there and got the job done. And we got ‘W’.
The bout was basically right on paper, as both men were considered naturally gifted boxers with slick skill.
However, it didn’t take Martin long to prove that he was an order of magnitude ahead of Rivera in speed and ability.
No man throws many punches but Martin is calculated, positioning himself to unleash explosive combinations to both head and body whenever he chooses. One of them took out Rivera (24-1, 14 KOs) in Round 7.
At the same time, Martin’s excellent defense makes him an elusive target.
Rivera, increasingly frustrated, had some good moments but was never able to deliver continuous punches. He connected over 67 for the entire game – just 5.6 per inning (compared to Martin’s 14.5), according to CompuBox.
That formula made Rivera’s quest impossible. He never stopped trying. He simply did not have the physical tools nor the acumen in the ring to deal with what Martin was doing in the ring.
In short, Martin gave a stellar performance. And he insists that he will only get better.
“What we did tonight worked for us,” he said. “But there’s a lot of room for improvement for us, so we’ll keep working.”
The bout is considered a WBA title knockout, meaning Martin is now in a stronger position to challenge the top 135-pound fighters.
Devin Haney, the undisputed champion, is expected to defend his title against Vasiliy Lomachenko next year. And Gervonta Davis, second WBA belt, has said he’ll take on Ryan Garcia if “The Tank” beats Hector Garcia on January 7.
However, they won’t be able to avoid Martin for long, especially after his strong performance on Saturday night. The 27-year-old from Indianapolis believes he will be ready when the time comes.
“I just believe in myself,” he said. “I believe in my team. We know what we do in the gym, work consistently. Outside of the gym, I’m doing my own thing.
“We just believe it. We believe we are ready for the top warriors. Give them to us. Let us take them. We are ready to eat. … We want it all. We can get Gervonta Davis. We can get Devin Haney. We can get any of the top ones. We are ready.
“I see Rolly [Romero] here. Rolly, my boy, we can go in there too. Make it happen, man.
It is only a matter of time.
