By: Sean Crose
Frank Martin, the 15-0 heavyweight boxer, made his Showtime debut Saturday night at the Alamodome as the cable network aired his battle with his late substitute Jackson Marinez 19-2. Nampaw Martin started right into the scheduled 10th round using a wide stance while launching his shot. For his part, Marinez was able to confront his men without being threatened or hyped by the promising Martin.
Martin started putting his punches together in the second. He also started the landing with a strong hand strike. Marinez continued to lead Martin in the third round while his opponent shrunk in body mass. The fourth game saw Martin turn up the heat while Marinez tried to rise above the chance, dodging and delivering a stab of his own. By the end of the round, it was really Marinez who was the aggressor.
The fifth man witnessed what looked like the beginning of a sea change in the fight as Marinez lunged at his men in the first half of the round. Martin came back in the second half with powerful shots of his own, but the half went to late substitute Marinez. By the sixth day, Marinez’s legacy continued to find a home. Martin had a much better Saturday, clean landings, including shots.
Both men landed well on day 8. Martin landed slightly better. It was definitely a high octane bout. Martin continued to land continuously for the 9th. By the end of the inning, Marinez was down after an explosive combination. He gets up, thus surviving the round, but unless he does something really impressive in the final chapter, the man is clearly headed for defeat.
Martin missed the 10th half, causing the referee to stop the game while Marinez was being beaten.
