By Tom Donelson

Joel Julio
 
Joel Julio is a young knockout prospect with dynamite in both hands. His last fight with Robert “The Doctor” Kamya showed the maturity level of this prospect. 

In this fight, Julio fought with a cautious style while probing for Kamya’s weakness. Kamya offensive outburst failed to make much of an impression on Julio, but Julio’s jab sent Kamya reeling. From this point, the young Colombian knew that Kamya could not hurt him, and he could smash through Kamya's defense anytime. 

Using his jab to set up his devastating combinations, Julio sent Kamya down twice in the first round and then in the third, ended the fight with a picture perfect left hook that traveled just six inches.  Kamya did not get up from this punch.

What was learned? Kamya came in the fight with three straight victories and had fought some tough opponents. Kamya had a decent chin and often had come back to win fights in which he was staggered or knock down early.  What he lacked was power and this became obvious early on.  Julio took over the fight from the start. 

The jury is still out on Julio as he slowly marches through the ranks. Kamya was his toughest test but Julio easily passed that exam rather. Before that, he stopped Carlos Viches, who had 43 wins in 50 fights coming in their bout.  Just like Kamya, Julio finished Viches in the third round.

Strengths and Weakness.

Beside the obvious power surge, Julio does have basic boxing skills. He has a caution style and his style resembles Felix Trinidad, but he does have more mobility.  What he does have is patience.  In the Kamya fight, he only threw maybe one wild punch but for most part, when he had the Uganda fighter in trouble, he showed patience. And he finished the job. 

In the third round, he ended the fight with one punch, but he set the punch up with body shots and excellent jab in the first three rounds. In the past, he has neglected his defense but against Kamya, he shored up that defense as many of Kamya punches hit harmlessly off Julio's elbows and forearms. 

His competition level has been weak overall as he has yet to fight a top ten or even a top 20 welterweight or junior middleweight.  Before the fight, he had been fighting as a welterweight but for this fight, he moved up to the junior Middleweight division since Kamya would not go down. 

Julio’s promoters have to decide which division he wants to go for a title. The Welterweight division is presently filled with hot talent with Carlos Baldomir and Antonio Margarito ruling the division. There are bigger money events in the welterweight division but more quicker opportunities at junior middleweight.

Raul Martinez
 
In his toughest test, Raul Martinez knocked out Andres Ledesma despite a nasty cut over his left eye.  In the fourth round, he had the fight in hand as he knocked Ledesma around. In the third round, he had Ledesma down twice but by the fifth round, his inexperience showed.

With fight in hand and all of his combinations working, Raul Martinez abandoned his jab and just wailed in to finish off Ledesma. Instead, he became vulnerable to Ledesma’s jab and in the sixth round, a left hook open a deep cut and now Martinez was staring defeat in the eye.  It was here that he took desperation to a new level and stopped Ledesma in the eighth round.  This ensured that the ring doctors and judges would not decide his fate. 

Martinez's strength includes extensive amateur experience. His amateur experience give him a background of skills that has served him well in the professional ranks.  He is a excellent boxer with pop in his punches. He can box and slug, which makes him a dangerous fighter. He has the skills to adopt in the ring, just as he did with Ledesma.

His weakness is the same as most prospects - his opposition.  His toughest opponents before Ledesma was Miguel Martinez, a former NABF super flyweight champion.  Another weakness was that in the Ledesma bout, he didnt use his jab enough.  In the first four rounds, his jab proved better than the taller Ledesma and it set up all of his other combinations. When he deserted the jab, he became vulnerable to Ledesma's jab and proved vulnerable to the left hook that cut his eye open.

He has the talent to became a serious contender and is fighting at a weight that he should be able to maintain for a period of time.