Antonio Martinez, better known throughout the area as “Tone,” tried on a pair of brand new, white-and-gold boxing shoes, Jan. 20, before a training session at the Holmes Boxing Gym in Santa Fe.
The Española boxer wanted to put his new shoes through the rounds and break them in, before his next fight on Saturday.
Martinez is hoping that a fresh pair of shoes could go along with a fresh start, after he lost his nine-fight undefeated streak, Sept. 30, against El Paso’s Gabriel Gutierrez.
He caught one of Gutierrez’s elbows in the first round, a hit that made his eye swell shut and required stitches.
“It was 20 seconds into the first round, so by the end of the second, it was already swollen shut,” Martinez said. “It’s not an experience that I ever want to go through again. But, it’s good to have that under my belt, in case it does happen.”
Gutierrez took advantage of Martinez’s lack of vision, staying at a distance and throwing blows from afar.
Nonetheless, Martinez lasted the full fight and lost via split decision from the judges.
The cut beneath his eye is fully healed at this point, although he has had to deal with the annoyance of floaters in his vision. He feels that his vision is 95 percent back to normal.
Now, he will fight a boxer he knows fairly well, Gene Perez from Belen, who has fought two other boxers from the Holmes Boxing Gym.
The fight is part of Holmes Boxing’s “Cold War 4” card, Saturday, at Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino.
The Holmes Boxing Gym team is undefeated against Perez. Patrick Holmes Jr. defeated him by unanimous decision in 2015, and Brandon Holmes won by unanimous decision twice, first in 2016, then again in 2017.
From what Martinez has seen of Perez, he will face a scrappy fighter that has the ability to switch into a more technical style.
He is expecting a “fan-friendly fight” with Perez’s aggressiveness.
Perez has asked Martinez’s trainer, Pat Holmes, for this fight for about a year. Holmes put off the fight at first, but decided this would be a good time for the two to compete.
In fact, Martinez fought Perez’s brother, Derek Perez, in 2016, and won by a technical knockout in the second round.
The cards are stacked in Martinez’s favor for this fight and all of the signs point to him being a heavy favorite to win.
A victory is vital for Martinez to continue his career on an upward trajectory.
“This is a big test for him because it is how you come back from a loss like that,” Pat Holmes said.
The fight is set to take place at 139 pounds, one pound under what he last fought.
The weight is in Martinez’s normal range.
“I believe every fight is a must-win,” Martinez said. “But after taking a loss, I feel like there is no ifs, ands or buts, I need to win this fight.”
Leanna Martinez
Riding the wave of her professional debut and first professional win, Sept. 30, against Belen’s Brittney Horton, Cordova’s Leanna Martinez is looking to snag her second win as a professional boxer.
The 26-year-old had a dominant first professional fight.
She took Horton down in the first round, winning by technical knockout.
“I’m just constantly trying to build on that,and do better for this fight — get in better shape,” she said.
Leanna Martinez stepped up her regular training and added interval training to the mix.
The increase in endurance and physical ability will come in handy, as she already knows it will be the key to victory.
“She’s the smallest boxer and the smallest person in the gym,” Pat Holmes said. “But she probably is the biggest example with the biggest work ethic.”
Leanna Martinez is slated to fight Kristen Montaño, of Albuquerque, a boxer she fought in an exhibition match in June.
She won that fight by technical knockout in the second round.
“She comes out very aggressive and fast,” she said of Montaño. “She throws a lot of punches at first. In that fight, she kind of died out after her first little burst. She lost a lot of wind. But, I’m sure she’s training hard now, especially because she wants revenge.”
Leanna Martinez’s game plan relies on her increased endurance, hoping that she can outlast Montaño in the first couple of rounds, before going on the offensive.
She will also have the weight advantage, as Montaño will have to drop about eight pounds to reach the 112-pound mark, at which the fight is to take place.