By Joe Harrison
On Friday night, jr. lightweight prospect Jaime “Superfly” Sandoval (14-2, 12 KOs) seeks another ‘W’ for his record when he takes on Juan Carlos Martinez (8-4-1, 5 KOs) headlining the “Bad Blood“ fight card at Cicero Stadium near Chicago, Illinois. It is expected to be a very exciting bout, and Sandoval has no intentions of taking Martinez lightly in their scheduled eight-round contest.
“He can be crafty, he’s a crafty fighter. He can fight, he can box a little bit, and he can be a little slick. I think he’s going to try and make it into a brawl. He’s going forward and throwing a lot of punches.”
In Sandoval’s professional career, twelve of his fourteen victories have come by stoppage. Although it appears that he has a tendency to out-slug his opponents, Jaime does not think brawling will be the key to a victory this time around.
“I like to box,” Sandoval stated. “I prefer for it to be a tactical fight. Even though I’m the taller person, I think I can throw as well. I think that’s going to be an advantage for me. I’m going to try and keep him at bay with my jab.”
With the preference of tactics and the potential of power, Sandoval feels that he is fully prepared for Martinez. He also believes that he is more than just a one-dimensional fighter.
“I had a great camp this time, so I’m in good shape,” said Sandoval. “I’ve gained a lot of experience, and I am being a lot more patient around the ring. I’m working a lot on using my feet. I also worked on my offense, using my jab and my height.”
“I have some good weapons. I have a good hook to the body, a good right hand, and I have a good jab. I have a pretty good arsenal.”
Although Sandoval has his mind set on the match-up with Martinez, he is still bothered by the result of his most recent bout. Last May, in Broomfield, Colorado, Sandoval lost a six-round majority decision to Johnnie Edwards. The scores were 59-56 and 58-56 for Edwards, while the third scorecard had 57-57.
“After Martinez, I was hoping to get a rematch with Edwards,” said Sandoval.
“It was a real close fight. I think the altitude got to me. It was a difference coming from Chicago to go fight in Colorado.”
As for the rest of his future, Jaime is looking forward to climbing the ladder in the jr. lightweight division. He has his eyes set on the top boxers, but knows it will be a tough road along the way.
“I think all opponents are dangerous,” Sandoval explained. “In the boxing business, one punch can change the whole fight around. Right now, I’m not taking anyone lightly.”
“Pacquiao and Marquez, I think they very dangerous. Soto is another great fighter. He’s a great boxer, has great skill, and is a hard puncher. Out of those three, I think Soto could be the most dangerous.”
“I’m confident that next year I can face the bigger names.”
Surely, with a victory over Juan Carlos Martinez, and then after avenging his loss to Johnnie Edwards, we will see Sandoval face the bigger names in his bright future.
The Sandoval/Martinez bout headlines BAD BLOOD, a world class evening of professional boxing presented by Dominic Pesoli’s 8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING, along with TCF Bank, Miller Beer and AeroMexico.
Cicero Stadium is located at 1909 S. Laramie, just minutes from the Eisenhower and Stevenson Expressways. Doors for this event will open at 7:00pm with the first bell at 8:00pm. Tickets are available in advance
by calling 312-226-5800.
