Bryant Cruz, left fights Ryan Martin during the seventh round of a lightweight boxing bout Saturday, March 18, 2017, in New York. Martin won in the eighth round. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)LAS VEGAS - Besides championship gold, the bright lights and big stages of boxing are what every young fighter aspires for.
Some fighters can rise to the occasion. Others allow the moment to get the better of them.
Unbeaten Chattanooga native Ryan Martin got a taste of that when he fought on March 18. Before a crowd of more than 19,000 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, he won by technical knockout over Bryant Cruz.
The taste of the big time continues to drive Martin, who returns to another big stage tonight with even larger aspirations and goals in mind.
Martin will square off against contender Francisco Rojo of Mexico City at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The 10-round lightweight bout will open an HBO Pay-Per-View telecast at 8 p.m. EDT.
In the main event, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will face Gennady "GGG" Golovkin in a clash to decide who is the best middleweight in the world. Multiple world title belts and the label of best "pound-for-pound" fighter in boxing are on the line.
Chattanooga always will be home to Martin, but the dream of fighting for and winning a world title belt has carried the 2011 Central High School graduate to train in Cleveland, Ohio, and Big Bear Lake in California.
Martin is making the transition from prospect to contender, and an opportunity to fight for a world title could be in play for next year. He must first get past a significant test in Rojo, who has won his past eight bouts and is ranked No. 8 by the World Boxing Council.
Martin acknowledges Rojo's recent success but is confident he will make his own statement tonight.
"Rojo is a tough fighter and does connect with right hands, but I'm not worried about what he brings," Martin told the Times Free Press in a phone interview Wednesday. "I'm confident that I will dominate from the opening bell. It's all about me in the ring."
In his most recent bout, Martin (19-0, 11 knockouts) won a one-sided 10-round decision over former fringe contender Marcos Jimenez on June 30 in Indio, Calif.
Martin's accomplishments have not gone unnoticed. He currently is ranked No. 9 by the International Boxing Federation.
He has eyed the deep lightweight division and believes he is on the cusp of fighting some of the best next year.
"My goal is to be a multi- divisional champion," said Martin, who is trained by Joe Delguyd and managed by Tim VanNewhouse. "My focus is on whoever my management team wants me to fight. I have to be ready for any step up in competition. Saturday night, I need to pass this test on Rojo to be in that title hunt."
Even though he remains humble, Martin believes he was born to fight on the big stages such as Las Vegas and New York City. Having two of his three most recent fights at these meccas reaffirms his goal of fighting there one day for a world title belt.
"I was made to fight in the spotlight," he said. "I'm fortunate to fight on the biggest fight card of the year. (Canela-Golovkin) is the most talked-about fight in the sport. I thank Golden Boy (Promotions) and (K2 managing director) Tom Loeffler. This is my first time fighting in Las Vegas, and the atmosphere here is electric. I didn't think I had this many fans, until people recognized me and wanted to take a picture with me or sign an autograph.
"Ever since a young age, I've wanted to experience this. I've taken it all in since I've been here, but this makes me hungry for all the big fights. It's given me more motivation."
As much as Martin enjoys fighting in front of large crowds, a goal he hopes to accomplish in the future would be to fight in his hometown. He wants to bring the big-fight atmosphere and fight in front of family and friends.
"I'm very grateful for the support from those in Chattanooga. Words cannot describe the love I have for the city I represent, whether it is in or out of the ring," he said. "I keep in touch with the city when I'm training. I just want to keep making the city happy with the good I do in the ring.
"I really hope I could fight in Chattanooga one day. That would be a dream come true. That's the gift I want to give to the city for all their support."
Francisco A. Salazar has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. He can be reached by email at santio89@yahoo.com or on Twitter @FSalazarBoxing.