Trainer Expects Ryan Martin to Become a Big Puncher

by David P. Greisman

It was quick work for Ryan Martin, the self-described “Blue Chip” prospect who moved to 13-0 and 8 KOs with a first-round win over Ivan Zavala on the undercard to Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland.

Martin, who has now fought just 37 rounds in his 13 wins, said the quick ending was “kind of disappointing,” but that he “can only go in there and do my job.”

Five of his last six wins have come by knockout or technical knockout, with two of those in the first round and two of those in the second round. Given those quick endings, Martin has to look elsewhere for ensuring that he’s improving in the ring.

“Sparring partners. A-plus sparring partners,” Martin said. “In the gym is where you develop. This is where you showcase your skills. Our gym time is very important. We’re in the gym every day working on different things. We develop while we’re in the gym. Boxing is never-ending learning. I’ve been in the sport since I was 7 years old and I’m still learning today. There’s no specifics. My coach is an all-around coach. We learn slip game, footwork, foot-speed, IQ in the ring, general leadership in the ring, everything.”

Martin is listed at 5-foot-11 and came in at 136.25 pounds for the win over Zavala. He says he foresees himself in the division for a long time. And his trainer, Joe Delguyd, believes that Martin will only continue to improve, and will show even more pop in his punches.

“This is a guy who’s making the transition from being an amateur star, where you just throw a lot of punches and score a lot of points, to the pros,” Delguyd said. “He’s learning how to sit down on punches. He’s still learning. He’s a beginner at this. We’re going to see a big puncher.”

Martin has been training nearly nonstop since he came to Delguyd’s gym in August 2013. The trainer wants the fighter to take about 10 days off before returning to the gym.

The fighter will be “working on different skills, some different things that we need to sharpen up on,” Delguyd said.

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