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Xavier Martinez was pressured to go the gap in a grueling affair for the second straight struggle.
The unbeaten junior light-weight contender as soon as once more prevailed, this time in a 10-round unanimous choice over three-time title challenger Juan Carlos Burgos. Judges Rudy Barragan, Dr. Lou Moret and Don Deverges all scored the competition 99-91 for Martinez, although in a struggle deemed a lot nearer by the passionate crowd at Dignity Well being Sports activities Park in Carson, California.
Burgos went in opposition to the scouting report within the opening spherical, instantly taking the struggle to an undefeated opponent 10 years his junior. The 33-year-old Tijuana native accepted the bout on brief discover instead of countryman Abraham Montoya, abandoning his regular artful fashion of boxing to drive an intense tempo. Martinez welcomed the struggle at shut quarters, driving out Burgos’ quantity punching to attach with proper fingers.
Motion continued at a fierce tempo in spherical two, one the place Martinez threw and landed together. Burgos continued to return ahead, Martinez permitting the method and drawing the veteran boxer to the ropes the place each fighters ripped off fast hearth combos.
Burgos solved the shoulder roll fashion protection tried by Martinez, who settled down right into a extra standard method in spherical three. Martinez threw a crisp jab whereas cognizant of the incoming, although it didn’t discourage Burgos from letting his fingers go.
Spherical 4 noticed Burgos take the lead and try to work the physique. Martinez did nicely to defend in opposition to a lot of the incoming, selecting off physique pictures together with his elbows although his protection left open lengthy sufficient to catch a left hook upstairs.
Martinez turned the tide in spherical 5, outworking his elder foe. Burgos confirmed exceptional resilience and stamina in sustaining the hectic tempo, although it was Martinez who landed the extra telling blows.
After an uncomfortable spherical six the place he briefly discovered himself trapped alongside the ropes, Martinez loved a dominant spherical seven. Burgos continued to struggle at shut quarters, although started to indicate indicators of fatigue. Martinez turned up the warmth late within the ring, connecting with a straight proper hand which briefly had Burgos damage.
Martinez remained a step forward in spherical eight, a body the place Burgos was urged to press the motion for worry that he was falling nicely behind on the scorecards. Martinez fought nicely off of the ropes, avoiding most of Burgos’ punches and countering with a proper uppercut within the last minute of the spherical.
With two rounds to go, it turned clear that Burgos—as valiant and relentless was his effort—wanted to land a bomb to show the tide. Martinez was composed within the pocket, crashing dwelling lefts and straight rights as Burgos confirmed vital swelling round his left eye. Burgos’ assault noticeably slowed within the last minute, whereas Martinez continued to land together.
Burgos went for broke within the tenth and last spherical, throwing a pair of combos to Martinez’s physique. Martinez bit down and instantly responded, driving Burgos to the ropes and touchdown a proper hand and left hook. Burgos managed a counter shot however was pressured to indicate bravado within the absence of protection as he waved in Martinez who continued to land with heavy pictures.
Each boxers let their fingers go down the stretch, a lot to the delight of the group at a web site that provides one other battle to its younger but storied historical past.
Last Compubox statistics had Martinez touchdown 329-of-891 complete punches (37%), in comparison with 261-of-830 (31%) for Burgos.
Martinez stays excellent as a professional as he improves to 17-0 (11KOs). The unbeaten contender hears the scorecards for the second straight time, having twice climbed off the canvas to outpoint Claudio Marrero final October at Mohegan Solar Area in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Burgos falls to 34-5-2 (21KOs) with the defeat, the third in his final 4 begins. His different defeats all got here to world champions and rising contenders, falling brief versus Mikey Garcia and Hozumi Hasegawa in title fights and to Devin Haney and Hector Tanajara whereas each have been on the rise.
The bout aired stay on Showtime, opening a televised tripleheader topped by a 122-pound two-belt title struggle between Luis Nery (31-0, 24KOs) and Brandon Figueroa (21-0-1, 16KOs).
Jake Donovan is a senior author for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
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