Chattanooga native Ryan Martin, an undefeated professional boxer, gestures while speaking with Mayor Andy Berke on Tuesday evening. The City Council and Hamilton County Commission both honored him with proclamations.Ryan “Blue Chip” Martin made a triumphant return to Central High School on Wednesday afternoon.
The 2011 Central graduate won the World Boxing Council’s Continental Americas lightweight championship on Sept. 10 in Inglewood, Calif.
Now 16-0 in a three-year professional career based in Cleveland, Ohio, Martin was able to show off his title belt as he gave a short talk in Central’s gymnasium to the school’s fall-sports athletes. His comments were met with warm applause, and he spent a good bit of time afterward in short conversations and phone photos with the athletes.
With his manager, Tim VanNewhouse, he presented his shiny trunks from his 15th win – in Birmingham in July – to the school.
Martin spoke about the pain he feels every time he sees bad news on Facebook about the hometown he loves and follows. That pain got intensely personal this time last year when his younger brother, Kevin Albert Jr., was gunned down, and again on Sept. 5 when a friend, Jasmine Hines, was one of the victims in a Chattanooga double homicide.