Opportunity while everyone discussed how blown away Devin Haney, Bill Haney, and everyone else were by Ryan Garcia’s performance on Saturday night (April 20) in Brooklyn. Remember Sander Martin?
Martin, who was second only to Devin Haney in terms of impact caused by Saturday’s impact, is ranked No. 1 in the WBC super lightweight, and like all of us, we know that Haney did his job Saturday and was ready for the fight. I fully expected to hold the belt prior to. He, Martin, in the summer. That belief was only confirmed by what the Spaniard had seen and heard from Garcia in the days and weeks leading up to the fight, and the possibility of an upset was something he had never considered. In fact, as far as Martin was concerned, that was what was agreed upon. Haney vs. Garcia result and identity of next opponent. All he needed Saturday was confirmation of what he already knew.
“I think the whole world was expecting Haney to win,” Martin told Boxing News. “On paper, it was an 80-20 fight for Haney, and Garcia wasn’t at his level. But in the ring, Ryan Garcia crushed Devin Haney.”
It collapsed.
That’s certainly one word. Haney was dropped three times (rounds 7, 10, and 11), but he was repeatedly pummeled by Garcia’s left hooks, especially when he threw his own jab. As a result, the look of a man completely shocked by his own actions appeared on his face. discovered; many people watching both at Barclays Center and at home used this expression.
“It was a great game and a great performance from Ryan Garcia,” Martin said. “I’m thinking two things. One is, if everything (before the game) was true, he has very serious problems in his mind. But that’s all Even if it was fake, Ryan Garcia is a very good actor. My coach said, “Hold on Garcia, because he’s probably in better shape than people think.” And that’s very important to remember. He had all the cards and had a very good plan.
“Garcia put on an impressive show, but I’m really disappointed in Haney. No one expected Ryan Garcia to be in this condition and Devin Haney was the favorite. But boxing… Very difficult and unpredictable. Garcia played his cards very well. He played with Haney’s mind and then did a very good job in the ring. .”
Ryan Garcia staggers Devin Haney (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
There’s no doubt that much of the disappointment Martin feels with Haney stems from how Haney has complicated what once seemed like a simple situation. Now, as it turns out, Haney lost to Garcia but retained the belt due to Garcia’s failure to make weight, so a contender like Martin has no idea where he stands in the pecking order at this point. On the other hand, he still thinks he is next in line and assumes that despite the loss, Devin Haney will respect this and be his next opponent. However, this hope is weighed down by the much larger belief that Haney wants a rematch with Garcia, and even if this rematch happens soon, it is unlikely to take place at 140 pounds. There are obvious reasons for this, but Martin will once again be out in the cold watching from his sidelines.
“Right now I don’t know (what will happen). It’s so weird right now,” he said. “Devin Haney lost the fight but continued to defend the belt. Okay. But now Devin Haney will fight me for the WBC belt? I don’t know. If he keeps the belt… If it doesn’t continue, the WBC and (WBC president) Mauricio Sulaiman will need to say something about this situation.
“Ryan Garcia has said he won’t fight at 140 pounds, so we need another legitimate challenger for the title. Ryan Garcia has told everyone he can’t make 140 pounds, but… Then maybe it’s just his crazy idea and he’s playing tricks again. Maybe he can make that weight. The most important thing for me right now is the managers Salvatore Cerchi and Christian. Cherki, and a conversation with Mauricio Sulaiman. In this case, they need to come up with a solution. I am waiting for the opportunity and I am ready to win the belt.
“Of course I want to fight for the title and that’s what I want. It’s my goal in boxing to win the belt and become world champion. For me, for the team and for the country. , It is very important for my family as well. Becoming a world champion will help me get a better future for a boxer. To achieve this, I will fight my best at 140 pounds. I’ll fight Sabriel Matias, I’ll fight Devin Haney, I’ll fight Ryan Garcia, I’ll fight Isaac Cruz, and I’ll fight Teofimo Lopez again. I want to prove that I’m the best fighter in this division. All I need is a chance to shock the world again. I shocked the world against Mikey Garcia and I want to prove to Teofimo that I’m the best fighter in the division. It made an impact. Now I need another chance to win the belt. I’ll do the rest.”
Martin, who has a record of 42-3 (15 fights) as a professional, returned to the ring in December by stopping Mohamed El Markusi in three rounds in Turin, Italy, and said he felt even better. he says. He has also been in the gym ever since that fight and knows that in an ideal world the chance to challenge for the WBC title, an opportunity he has wanted for a long time, would be right around the corner. Already knew.
“After my last fight, I continued training because I understand the situation and my position in boxing,” he said. “I’m waiting for the world title.
“For me, it’s a mistake to say that you need a fight to train. You need to stay focused all the time, so that’s what I do. I spend all the days of my life in the gym. . I went to the gym to become a better fighter and improve my boxing skills.
“I was very happy because I got my feeling and momentum back (in my last fight). There wasn’t a good atmosphere when I fought before. I want to be in better shape in the ring and in December I felt very motivated and ready to fight the next world champion.”
Sander Martin appears to be outboxing Teofimo Lopez (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Now 30, Martin finds himself in a difficult position. By all accounts, he’s at his peak physically and combat-wise, so there’s no doubt he’s wasting a lot of his days waiting for other people to make decisions. But by the same token, he knows that when it’s this close, fighting another fight in the meantime risks blowing away everything he’s worked so hard to gain.
“I’m not thinking about another type of fight at the moment,” Martin admitted. “I want to fight for a world title next, so the WBC needs to give me that chance. I have no problem fighting anyone from any part of the world, but I need to take the first step.” The first step is to seize the opportunity and become WBC champion.
“In four or five years, maybe I will be a different type of boxer. The most important thing is to achieve my dream, which started here in Spain. It is very difficult. People don’t realize how difficult it is to have that dream in Spain. Maybe if I had been born in another country, my path to the world title would have been easier. There are more connections and more chances to become a world champion and have a good career. Here in Spain it’s much more difficult. That’s why I’m so proud of myself in the sport of boxing. I’m proud of my work. Many of these world champions wouldn’t have been world champions if they had been born in Spain and lived here.”
