Xavier Martinez: record, next fight and profile →
The 2022 junior lightweight world title picture will get a bit clearer Saturday, Jan. 29 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 10-round main event — a WBC title eliminator — will see recent title challenger Robson "O Brabo" Conceicao attempt to turn back hard-charging Sacramento native Xavier Martinez at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.
If Xavier Martinez is to fight for a 130-pound world title, the 24-year-old contender will do so as a member of Top Rank’s stable of fighters.
Martinez (17-0, 11KOs) landed in a great fight of his own, outlasting Tijuana’s Juan Carlos Burgos in a 10-round firefight. The wide scorecards—99-91 across the board—in favor of the unbeaten Sacramento native weren’t quite indicative of the action that took place in the ring, though with the right guy winning in the end.
Showtime’s viewership increased Saturday night for its broadcast of Brandon Figueroa’s knockout of Luis Nery. Nielsen Media Research reported Tuesday that an average of 221,000 viewers watched Showtime’s main event from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. The average viewership for the Figueroa-Nery fight was higher than the prior main event Showtime televised.
Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, rising super featherweight contender Xavier Martinez (17-0, 11 KOs) remained unbeaten with a unanimous decision victory over former title challenger Juan Carlos Burgos (34-5-2, 21 KOs) in an action-packed 10-round fight.
Juan Carlos Burgos isn’t claiming he won the fight but will vehemently argue that he did far more than for which the judges gave him credit. The former three-time title challenger saw his stock soar in defeat after a hard-fought 10-round unanimous decision win over undefeated junior lightweight prospect Xavier Martinez. Burgos was a late replacement for countryman Abraham Montoya, taking the fight on two weeks’ notice and delivering a memorable performance Saturday evening at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
Xavier Martinez was forced to go the distance in a grueling affair for the second straight fight. The unbeaten junior lightweight contender once again prevailed, this time in a 10-round unanimous decision over three-time title challenger Juan Carlos Burgos. Judges Rudy Barragan, Dr. Lou Moret and Don Deverges all scored the contest 99-91 for Martinez, though in a fight deemed much closer by the passionate crowd at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
For Juan Carlos Burgos, this is an opportunity for the Mexican veteran to revive his career. If the longtime junior lightweight contender can knock off undefeated Xavier Martinez in a fight Showtime will televise Saturday night, Burgos could land an opportunity against a top 130-pound opponent. The 33-year-old Burgos is 0-2-1 in world title bouts, but Burgos believes he can change the perception of his career by beating Martinez.
Xavier Martinez didn’t even break stride upon learning of a last-minute opponent switch for his next fight. A late change of plans now has the 23-year-old facing Tijuana’s Juan Carlos Burgos (33-4-2, 21KOs), a former three-time title challenger who replaces countryman Abraham Montoya. The stakes—a junior lightweight title eliminator—remain the same, which is ultimately what matters most at least to the unbeaten rising contender.
Martinez vs. Burgos, Roman vs. Espinoza Weights Photos Gallery - Undefeated super bantamweight champions Luis “Pantera” Nery and Brandon “Heartbreaker” Figueroa faced off at the official weigh-in before their world title clash live on SHOWTIME this Saturday, May 15 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. (photos by Esther Lin, Sean Michael Ham)