Chattanooga boxer fighting close to home after standby due to 50 Cent's bankruptcy

Chattanooga native Ryan Martin is all smiles as he thinks of showcasing his 14-0 professional boxing record in a Saturday bout in Birmingham, Ala.
Chattanooga native Ryan Martin is all smiles as he thinks of showcasing his 14-0 professional boxing record in a Saturday bout in Birmingham, Ala.

Ryan "Blue Chip" Martin's professional boxing career is back on the rails after 11 months on standby because of former promoter 50 Cent's bankruptcy issues.

The 23-year-old Chattanooga native and Central High School graduate went to 14-0 as a pro lightweight with his ninth knockout. That was on April 23 when he fought for his brother that was killed here last year on a card headed by Gennady Golovkin in the Forum in Inglewood, Calif.

Martin will be in a group of fights headed by another well-known champion this Saturday, but the site will be much closer: Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., where Deontay Wilder from Tuscaloosa will be defending his WBC heavyweight championship against Chris Arreola in the main bout. The packed slate of boxing is set to start at 4 p.m. CDT.

Wilder, who is well-known to many Chattanoogans, is 36-0 with 35 knockouts; Arreola is 36-4-1 with 31 KOs.

Martin, who fights out of Cleveland, Ohio, will be facing 32-year-old Ghana native Samuel Amoako, who lives now in Silver Spring, Md. Amoako is 21-11 and has lost his last seven fights - including six in 2016, all by decision as opposed to knockout. But those six, including three in 28 days in late January and February, were against boxers with a combined 106-10 record.

Amoako's most recent outing was a loss to 19-3 Abner Cotto on May 13 in Washington, D.C. But he's dangerous, with 15 of his victories by knockout.

"A very durable boxer who's gone the distance with many American prospects and world contenders," Martin's manager, Tim VanNewhouse, said of Saturday's opponent.

"This bout contributes to Ryan's development and our plan to keep him on track for bigger fights and platforms in the very near future."

Martin is particularly excited about this opportunity.

"My team put together an amazing training camp with high-quality sparring," he said in email correspondence Tuesday, "and I'm just eager to showcase my skills. My coach has outlined a very specific fight plan and we plan to break this guy down and do more damage than a lot of other American prospects.

"Fighting close to home has always been on my heart. This is just another fight closer to a future homecoming in Chattanooga," Martin added. "I'm happy there's a lot of family and friends making the trip to Alabama to see me fight, and I appreciate all their support."

Wilder's first national championship came in Chattanooga in 2007 when he was an amateur and worked out in the YCAP facility where Martin developed into a national champion.

"Wilder and I go far back when we were both amateurs," Martin said. "We've built a mutual respect for one another over the years, and I'm happy he's been taking notice of my progression in the professional ranks. I wish him and his team all the best."

Contact Ron Bush at rbush@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6291.

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