INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Not even a change in opponent was going to prevent Chattanooga native Ryan Martin from earning a satisfying boxing win Saturday night.
Martin dropped last-minute sub Cesar Villarraga on the way to an eight-round unanimous decision victory at The Forum. That gave him the World Boxing Council’s Continental Americas lightweight title.
Martin, who fights out of Cleveland, Ohio, improved to 16-0. He has nine knockouts. Villarraga is 9-2.
“I don’t think Chattanooga has had a boxing champion,” Martin told the Times Free Press after the fight. “I’m happy to bring some hardware to my hometown.”
Martin was scheduled to face Fermin de los Santos of Mexico City, but de los Santos reportedly was not allowed to enter the United States due to an expired work visa. Villarraga accepted the fight on Wednesday.
Villarraga, who resides in the Los Angeles area, represented Colombia in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
The 2011 Central High School graduate had a four-inch height advantage, including a long reach, which allowed him to stay on the outside as he rained punches down on Villarraga.
Villarraga would initiate exchanges, but Martin would effectively counter with three- and four-punch combinations to the head. Martin would dig left hooks to the body of Villarraga, which began to take their toll as the bout progressed.
The bout was interrupted on a few occasions as Villarraga kept slipping on the canvas. Time was called to wrap tape around the soles of his shoe to prevent him from slipping.
Martin scored a knockdown in round four, dropping Villarraga with a right cross to the top of the head.
Martin continued to dominate the action throughout the second half of the fight. Any time Villarraga mounted an offense, Martin kept him honest by countering with left-right combinations to the head, forcing Villarraga to retreat.
All three judges scored the bout in favor of Martin: 79-72, 79-72, and 78-73.
“Even with the change of opponent, I had to be more aggressive,” said Martin, who sparred for Saturday’s fight against newly crowned IBF lightweight titleholder Robert Easter. “Overall, I just had to box.”
“I get very good sparring, and it helps me out in the long run.
Martin was once promoted by 50 Cent, but the rap mogul’s promotional company, SMS Promotions, declared bankruptcy in May of last year. Martin was released from his contract in October.
The 23-year-old has yet to sign with a promoter.
Francisco A. Salazar covers boxing for the Ventura County (Calif.) Star newspaper, RingTV and Boxingscene.com. He has covered the boxing beat in Southern California since 2000. He can be reached on Twitter @ FSalazarBoxing.