HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Chattanooga native Ryan “Blue Chip” Martin looked very sharp in his return to the boxing ring Tuesday night.
Martin battered and bruised Luis Eduardo Florez, eventually stopping the Colombian in the fourth round before a sellout crowd at the famed Avalon Theatre.
Martin was fighting for the first time since Sept. 16, when he won a 10-round split decision over Francisco Rojo of Mexico. During that fight, Martin suffered a fracture in his right hand, which led to the need of a splint while he recuperated.
The time off did not seem to affect him Tuesday in the headline bout of the inaugural 360 Promotions card. The 2011 Central High School graduate initiated exchanges, putting Florez on the defensive.
Martin (21-0, 12 knockouts) mixed his attack, doubling left hooks to the body or throwing and landing overhand right hands to the head.
Late in the third round, Martin scored a knockdown with a left hook to the body. He ended matters during the next round, dropping Florez to the canvas with a counter right hand to the head. Referee Jack Reiss immediately stopped the bout at 30 seconds of the fourth.
The scheduled 10-round bout was fought at the junior welterweight limit. Martin is ranked in the top 10 among lightweights in three of boxing’s major sanctioning bodies.
Florez falls to 23-9 with one no-contest and 19 KOs.
Francisco A. Salazar has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. He can be reached at santio89@yahoo.com or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing.