Fernando Martinez Defeats The Odds And Jerwin Ancajas!
IBF super flyweight champion Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas (33-2-2, 22 KO’s) took on #13 ranked challenger Fernando “Pumita” Martinez (14-0, 8 KO’s). As Ancajas was robbed of the opportunity to face WBO champion Kazuto Ioka in a major unification for the traditional end of the year fight in Japan in 2021, this effectively replaces that fight. This marked the tenth title defense for the longest reigning super flyweight champion.
For Martinez, this was the Argentine’s United States fighting debut. Moreover, his resume has lacked any noteworthy names. Still, fighters have raised their game when presented with opportunities such as this.
This is exactly what Martinez did in what has become an early candidate for 2022 Upset of the Year!
FIREWORKS STARTED EARLY
Being managed by former two-divisional champion Marcos Maidana, the 2016 Olympian came to fight and got right up in the chest of the champion. Martinez found a home for those short compact left hooks to the body and head-snapping uppercuts at close range.
Ancajas refusing to use his reach advantage decided to fight fire with fire and invested in body shots early with thudding right hooks, followed by left uppercuts. At the end of the third round, Pretty Boy stunned Martinez with a hard overhand left on the temple.
FIGHTING IN THE TRENCHES
Going into the middle rounds boxing fans watching this fight had to wonder what these two men are made of. Both men were landing nothing but power shots! Martinez was not letting up, landing double and triple left hooks upstairs and painful hooks to the body.
Ancajas tried to box by using the jab to create distance, but he quickly abandoned the idea and started digging back at the body hoping it would slow down the output of the challenger. Moreover, the IBF champion’s lack of head moment made him an easy target for those left hooks that were scoring repeatedly.
Referee Jack Reis approached the corner of the champion at the end of the ninth round to issue a warning that Ancajas can not continue to take punches to the head.
In the tenth round, the champion fought like a man possessed. A straight left hand followed by a left hook wobble the Martinez. However, Pumita came roaring back, fighting at an incredible pace. He continued to throw a barrage of punches that were beginning to damage the face of the champion.
A WAR TO THE END
In the last two rounds, both fighters kept up a fierce pace. Martinez turned it up, fighting like a man prepared for war to the bitter end. He attacked, attacked, and attacked like a video game character on unlimited energy.
The challenger landed that patented left hook until the end of the fight. Although Ancajas would land the occasional straight left hand and hooks to the body, he never took his head off the center-line which had him continuously eating shots like they were M&M’s.
When the final bell sounded all the fans cheered in appreciation. Two judges scored it 118-110, and one had it 117-111 for Martinez, whose first trip to America saw him leave as a champion!
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By: Garrisson Bland
