Martinez Confident He Will Crush Lomachenko's History Goal

By Thomas Gerbasi

It’s one of boxing’s unwritten rules. If a promoter chooses to put a Puerto Rican boxer in a major fight in New York City on the night before the annual Puerto Rican Day parade, that red, white and blue-clad Boricua is not supposed to lose.

Yes, put him in tough, like Miguel Cotto had Paulie Malignaggi, Zab Judah and Joshua Clottey, and Felix Verdejo got Ivan Najera. But not tough enough that he leaves the faithful deflated as he walks out of the ring without a victory. That would be a cardinal sin.

But if the oddsmakers and pundits are to be believed, Saturday’s B-side, Vasyl Lomachenko, is really the A-side when he looks to take the WBO junior lightweight title from the hands of Roman “Rocky” Martinez this Saturday at Madison Square Garden’s Theater. And if you’re not paying attention, Lomachenko is Ukrainian and Martinez is Puerto Rican.

Yet such blasphemy is understandable. Top Rank needed a big fight with a Puerto Rican involved for this traditional card in the Big Apple, and this is a big fight, as Lomachenko attempts to become a two-division world champion in only his seventh pro bout.

But what of Vega Baja’s Martinez, a 33-year-old who could pass for ten years younger, fighting in his 35th professional match and defending his title for the second time in his third reign atop the 130-pound division? He’s not aware that he’s expected to lose, and if he is, he’s not paying attention to such sentiments.

“This is one of the biggest fights (of my career),” he said during a recent media teleconference.  “I think this will be the fight that really helps me to go to another level.  It is not an impossible fight for me.  I think I can win this fight.”

He should have such confidence. He’s the guy who has been doing this at the top level of the pro game for years, winning world titles when Lomachenko was adding Gold medals and world championships to his resume as an amateur. And yeah, Lomachenko has continued to impress as a pro, but there has to be something in the back of Martinez’ head that says “Yeah, he’s good, but he hasn’t faced anyone like me.”

“Many people don’t believe that I can beat this guy but I feel that I am the man in this fight,” Martinez said. “I am the stronger guy and have the experience, and I prepared myself very well physically and mentally. I am ready for this fight.”

Fresh from a pair of punishing wars with Orlando Salido, who is the only man to hand Lomachenko a pro defeat (albeit a controversial one), Martinez may have been out of action for the last nine months, but it was the kind of break that probably did him good. 12-round wars with an old school terror like Salido thrill fans but shorten careers, and you don’t need too many of those. Yet even with the well-schooled Lomachenko in front of him, Martinez insists that he will not be looking for Armageddon once more this weekend.

“I am going to fight smart,” he said. “I am going to box when I have to box and I am going to pressure him also.  I know that Lomachenko knows how to hold and he knows how evade punches to get good position and get me out of good position.  We are working on a full plan against Lomachenko.”

But what happens when the drums start pounding, the horns start blaring and a room full of his Puerto Rican brethren start chanting for him?

Then Roman Martinez will become Rocky again. It may not be the wisest strategy for career longevity, but for 12 rounds it may be his best course of action. You box Lomachenko, he’ll pick you apart. You fight him, you may force him into a mistake.

“The key to the fight is not letting Lomachenko think,” Martinez said. “You have to pressure him and attack him because he is a very good technical boxer and he knows how to attack.  So when he wants to come in, you have to be smart about it and let him come in and exchange, but the key is attacking the body and not letting him think.”

Add in the deafening noise coming from the raucous crowd, and who knows if Lomachenko will be rattled. If he is, it’s an entirely different fight, and when someone like Martinez is fighting for more than a paycheck and a title, special things can happen.

“It will be a great victory for me and for my country,” he said. “All of my fellow Puerto Rican fighters like Tito Trinidad and Miguel Cotto have fought on that day.  For me it will be a great victory to beat Lomachenko on the day before the Puerto Rican Day Parade.”

Would a Martinez win put him in that exclusive company with Trinidad, Cotto, Wilfredo Gomez, Wilfred Benitez and legends of their ilk? Probably not, but that’s not a slight on Martinez or a career that has been well fought.

“Everybody knows that Puerto Rico has a big boxing culture and everybody knows the fighters on the island because Rocky has been a world champion three times,” said Martinez’ promoter, Peter Rivera. “It’s very difficult to be a world champion once, so just imagine how hard it is to be champion three times.  People recognize him as a great fighter and someone that has a lot of guts and as a guy that leaves everything in the ring.  That’s why people love him a lot.”

That’s enough reason to fight. Yeah, it’s not the kind of history that Lomachenko is aiming for, but the love of an island might be even more important.

“I am only thinking about beating him,” Martinez said. “I don’t care if I stop his dreams or whatever.  I just have in my mind that I have to beat him and to be ready to beat him and I’m sure that I’m going to win the fight.  I don’t care right now if he is thinking that he is going to make history or something like that.”