Julio Cesar Martinez vs Cristofer Rosales: Tough Man Chess!
Good gravy, what a fight! In the co-main event to Daniel Jacobs v Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, Julio Cesar “El Rey” Martinez (15-1n 12 KO’s) takes home the WBC flyweight title in war with Cristofer “El Latigo” Rosales (29-4, 20 KO’s). They very likely stole the show!
From the very first round, both boxers set a great pace and established all their major tools. Martinez continuously switched from orthodox to southpaw, landed the heavier shots and found a menacing home for his left hook, long range jab and sneaky, hurtful uppercuts.
The longer, rangier Rosales excelled on the outside with his thudding jab, crisp straight right and impressive body attack.
The bout was fast paced and neck and neck until the fourth. For the first portion of the period, Rosales controlled the action with a sniper jab and light feet. When the other shoe dropped, Martinez took over big.
El Rey continued landing the same punches but now they were taking visible toll on El Latigo. The stanza concluded with each man bleeding profusely; Martinez from his eye, and Rosales from his nose and mouth. The bout continues in well contested fashion for the next three rounds, but it’s clear that El Rey was in control.
In the seventh round, however, the former Martinez redirected his powerful hooks and uppercuts from his opponent’s head to his body. The tactic paid lucrative dividends. The torso trauma began to sap Rosales considerable surplus of energy.
While it would have been too soon to stop, the final blows of the period began writing the beginning of the end on the wall.
That inevitable end arrived in the ninth. After a fairly slow beginning, El Rey forced El Latigo to the ropes and unloaded a destructive volley of power shots to the cranium and rib cage.
Provided the opportunity he’d probably been waiting for, referee Raul Caiz Jr slid in and halted the action. Rosales did not, nor did anyone in his corner, object to the stoppage.
In his post-fight interview an ecstatic Martinez said he wanted to go for all the belts. A fight with WBO flyweight champion Kosei Tanaka (14-0, 8 KO’s) would be a fight fans dream.
By: Bakari Simpson
