HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Chattanooga native Ryan Martin put aside any notion he would have boxing ring-rust with a dominant performance Tuesday night, stopping Luis Eduardo Florez of Colombia in the fourth round in the headline fight of a seven-bout card at the Avalon Theatre.
What is next for the 25-year-old Martin? That depends on what his promotional and managerial team decide.
It was Martin’s first fight since a 12-round split-decision victory over Francisco Rojo of Mexico on Sept. 16 in Las Vegas. During that fight, Martin suffered a fracture in his right hand, requiring a splint that sidelined him for weeks.
Ryan MartinAfter a feeling-out opening round Tuesday night, the 2011 Central High School graduate was aggressive, walking Florez back and initiating exchanges that put the Colombian on the defensive. Martin dropped Florez once in the third round and again the next round before the junior welterweight bout was stopped by referee Jack Reiss at 30 seconds of the fourth.
“This fight was to make up for my last fight,” Martin told the Times Free Press after the fight. “I didn’t perform even a fraction of what I could (in September). This fight was a mental thing for me. It was to show the fans what I know I’m capable of doing.