Maravilla Martínez won in the United States with a powerful knockout after ten months of inactivity

Sergio “Maravilla” Martínez scored a resounding victory on Sunday night in a fight he starred in Orlando, USA, just over ten months after his last fight. The 47-year-old former super welterweight and middleweight world champion defeated decent local boxer Noah Kidd with a precise left foot to the body in the second round.

The fight took place at the Caribe Royale Hotel in the state of Florida as part of the “Ko a las Drogas” festival, which itself was part of the World Boxing Association (WBA) Annual Convention.

In this scenario, the expert boxer from Quilmeño he returned to fight in the United States after eight years. His last fight in that country was on June 7, 2014, when he lost the World Boxing Council (WBC) middleweight title to Puerto Rican Miguel Ángel Cotto, at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Martínez, who despite his age still aspires to have a chance at the World Cup again, spent six years away from professional boxing and returned in 2020. Since then, he has had four fights in Spain, all victories against more youngsters: the Spanish José Miguel Fandiño , the Finnish Jussi Koivula and the English Brian Rose and Mcauley McGowan, their last meeting on January 27 in Madrid.

On this occasion he measured himself with “Maravilla”, who alternates his residence between Madrid and Buenos Aires an adversary whose background was not entirely exceptional.

The Argentine, a former WBC super welterweight and WBC middleweight and World Boxing Organization (WBO) world champion, came into this contest with a record of 55 wins (30 before the limit), 3 losses and 2 draws .

For his part, the man born in Kansas City and residing in Jefferson City, Missouri, had just lost his last three fights, thus accumulating 6 falls in total, with 6 wins (5 KOs) and 2 draws, since his debut between the professionals. in 2016.

The fight definition came in the second round, after a tough first round. The man from Buenos Aires waited for his rival with his guard down and, after a combination of punches, he fired a left to the body that knocked Kidd down for good.

Three more Argentines entered the ring in Orlando

“Wonder” Martinez He wasn’t the only Argentine to fight in Orlando. So did Francisco Daniel Verón and Emiliano Martín García from Buenos Aires, and Guillermo Leonel Crocco from La Rioja.

Verón, 24 and a Tokyo 2020 Olympian, won the WBA continental middleweight title after winning by TKO against Spaniard Leonado Di Stefano Ruiz and extended his record to 11 wins (9 by fast track) in as many presentations.

Garcia, for his part, lost by TKO to Cuban Idalberto Umara in a contest where the Fedecaribe lightweight title was at stake, while Crocco fell to another Cuban, Orestes Velázquez.

The WBA Convention was attended by special guests such as world champion Dimitry Bivol and former monarchs such as Evander Holyfield, Miguel Cotto and Jackie Nava.

IS