WBC Special Preview: #MartinezBatista

WBC STATISTICS

WBC Flyweight World Championship

May 6, 2023 / Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico / Estadio Akron

CANELO PROMOTIONS & CLASE Y TALENTO, PRESENT:

JULIO CESAR “Rey” MARTINEZ (Mexico)

WBC Flyweight World Champion / 6th Title Defense

Age: 28 / Date of birth: January 17, 1995

Residence, birthplace: Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico

Record: 19-2, 2 NC, 14 KOs / Total rounds: 112 / World championship fights: 5-0, 2 NC, 3 KOs

Height: 5’2″ – 157cm / Reach: 64″ – 163cm / Stance: Right-handed

Manager, trainer: Eddy Reynoso

RONAL “El Gallito” BATISTA (Panama)

Age: 26 / Date of birth: December 22, 1996

Residence: Chiriqui, Panama / Birthplace: Veraguas, Panama

Record: 15-2, 9 KOs / Total rounds: 96

Height: 5’4” – 163cm / Stance: Right-handed

Manager: Rigoberto Garibaldi

WBC FLYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS

1. Pone Kingpetch (Thai)           1963
2. Hiroyuki Ebihara (Jap)           1963 – 1964
3. Pone Kingpetch (Thai) *         1964 – 1965
4. Salvatore Burruni (Italy)         1965 – 1966
5. Walter McGowan (GB)           1966
6. Chartchai Chionoi (Thai)        1966 – 1969
7. Efren Torres (Mex)                 1969 – 1970
8. Chartchai Chionoi (Thai) *      1970
9. Erbito Salavarria (Phil)           1970 – 1971
10. Betulio Gonzalez (Ven)        1972
11. Venice Borkorsor (Thai)       1972 – 1973
12. Betulio Gonzalez (Ven) *      1973 – 1974
13. Shoji Oguma (Jap)              1974 – 1975
14. Miguel Canto (Mex)              1975 – 1979
15. Chan-Hee Park (Kor)           1979 – 1980
16. Shoji Oguma (Japan) *        1980 – 1981
17. Antonio Avelar (Mex)            1981 – 1982
18. Prudencio Cardona (Col)     1982
19. Freddie Castillo (Mex)          1982
20. Eleoncio Mercedes (DR)      1982 – 1983
21. Charlie Magri (GB)               1983
22. Frank Cedeño (Phil)            1983 – 1984
23. Koji Kobayashi (Jap)           1984
24. Gabriel Bernal (Mex)           1984
25. Sot Chitalada (Thai)            1984 – 1988
26. Yong-Kang Kim (Kor)           1988 – 1989
27. Sot Chitalada (Thai) *           1989 – 1991
28. Muangchai Kittikasem (Thai) 1991 – 1992
29. Yuri Arbachakov (Russia)     1992 – 1996
30. Chatchai Sasakul (Thai)       1997 – 1998
31. Manny Pacquiao (Phil)         1998 – 1999
32. Medgoen Singsurat (Thai)    1999 – 2000
33. Malcolm Tunacao (Phil)        2000 – 2001
34. Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (Thai) 2001 – 2007
35. Jorge Arce (Mexico) (Interim) 2005 – 2006
36. Daisuke Naito (Japan)         2007 – 2009
37. P. Wonjongkam (Thai) (Interim) * 2009
38. Koki Kameda (Japan)          2009 – 2010
39. Pong. Wonjongkam (Thai) * 2010 – 2012
40. Sonny Boy Jaro (Phil)          2012
41. Toshiyuki Igarashi (Japan)   2012 – 2013
42. Akira Yaegashi (Japan)        2013 – 2014
43. Roman Gonzalez (Nic)         2014 – 2016
44. Juan Hernandez (Mexico)    2017
45. Daigo Higa (Japan)              2017 – 2018
46. Cristofer Rosales (Nic)         2018
47. Charlie Edwards (GB)          2018 – 2019
48. Julio Cesar Martinez (Mexico) 2019 –

*Regained

WBC TOP 10 FLYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS

1. Miguel Canto (Mexico)
2. Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (Thailand)
3. Chartchai Chionoi (Thailand)
4. Efren Torres (Mexico)
5. Yuri Arbachakov (Russia)
6. Roman Gonzalez (Nicaragua)
7. Sot Chitalada (Thailand)
8. Akira Yaegashi (Japan)
9. Betulio Gonzalez (Venezuela)
10. Shoji Oguma (Japan)

GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE FLYWEIGHT DIVISION IN WBC HISTORY

42 world champions have been recognized by the WBC, of whom only six have regained the title: Pone Kingpetch (Thailand), Chartchai Chionoi (Thailand), Betulio Gonzalez (Venezuela), Shoji Oguma (Japan), Sot Chitalada (Thailand), Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (Thailand).

155 flyweight world championship bouts have been held in WBC history.

MEMORABLE WBC FLYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS:

Dec. 3, 2022    Julio Cesar Martinez W12 Samuel Carmona – Glendale, Arizona

June 26, 2021  Julio Cesar Martinez TKO6 Joel Cordova – Guadalajara, Jalisco

Oct. 23, 2020   Julio Cesar Martinez TKO2 Moises Calleros – Mexico City, Distrito Federal

Dec. 20, 2019   Julio Cesar Martinez TKO9 Cristofer Rosales – Phoenix, Arizona

Dec. 22, 2018   Charlie Edwards W12 Cristofer Rosales – London, England

Apr. 15, 2018   Cristofer Rosales TKO9 Daigo Higa – Kanagawa, Japan

May 20, 2017   Daigo Higa TKO6 Juan Hernandez – Tokyo, Japan

Apr. 23, 2016   Roman Gonzalez W12 McWilliams Arroyo – Inglewood, California

Sep. 5, 2014    Roman Gonzalez TKO9 Akira Yaegashi – Tokyo, Japan

Apr. 8, 2013     Akira Yaegashi W12 Toshiyuki Igarashi – Tokyo, Japan

Mar. 27, 2010   Pongsaklek Wonjongkam W12 Koki Kameda – Tokyo, Japan

Nov. 29, 2009   Koki Kameda W12 Daisuke Naito – Saitama, Japan

July 18, 2007    Daisuke Naito W12 Pongsaklek Wonjongkam – Tokyo, Japan

July 30, 2005    Jorge Arce TKO3 Angel Priolo – La Paz, Baja California

Mar. 2, 2001     Pongsaklek Wonjongkam TKO1 Malcolm Tunacao – Phichit, Thailand

Sep. 17, 1999   Boonsai Sansurat TKO3 Manny Pacquiao – Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand

Dec. 4, 1998    Manny Pacquiao KO8 Chatchai Sasakul – Phuttamonthon, Thailand

May 9, 1997     Chatchai Sasakul W12 Ysaias Zamudio – Bangkok, Thailand

June 23, 1992  Yuri Arbachakov KO8 Muangchai Kittikasem – Tokyo, Japan

Feb. 15, 1991   Muangchai Kittikasem TKO6 Sot Chitalada – Ayutthaya, Thailand

Oct. 8, 1984     Sot Chitalada W12 Gabriel Bernal – Bangkok, Thailand

Mar. 15, 1983   Charlie Magri TKO7 Eleoncio Mercedes – London, England

May 18, 1980   Shoji Oguma KO9 Chan-Hee Park – Seoul, Korea

Jan. 8, 1975     Miguel Canto W15 Shoji Oguma – Sendai, Japan

Aug. 4, 1973    Betulio Gonzalez W15 Miguel Canto – Maracaibo, Venezuela

Feb. 23, 1969   Efren Torres TKO8 Chartchai Chionoi – Mexico City, Distrito Federal

Dec. 30, 1966   Chartchai Chionoi TKO9 Walter McGowan – Bangkok, Thailand

Sep. 18, 1963   Pone Kingpetch KO1 Hiroyuki Ebihara – Tokyo, Japan

Rey Vs Ronal

By James Blears

World Boxing Council flyweight champion Julio Cesar “Rey” Martinez defends his Green and Gold Belt for the fifth time, on this occasion against Panama`s Ronal “Gallito” Batista, on the Homecoming Bill of Undisputed super-middleweight champion Saul Canelo Alvarez at the Akron Stadium, Guadalajara on May 6^th.

Julio Cesar was to have fought a rematch with Puerto Rico`s McWilliams Arroyo. But Interim champion McWilliams didn`t recover as quickly as expected from a neck injury which cricked him in November.

Fate dealt a fickle blow to these two, denying them their final hurrah, encore and parting bow.  Four times their clashes have been postponed. Illness forced out JC twice and then the mishap of a fractured right hand from a final sparring session. He wanted to go ahead, but the swelling, flared and significantly worsened. When they did finally and literally clash, both swopped knock downs. McWilliams felled JC with a left hook in the first, Julio then returned the compliment, but much harder.

It badly stunned McWilliams, but a couple of seconds after he got up, the bell rang, which was sweet music to his ringing ears and an oasis vision of balm to his glassy eyes.  Then in the second, an accidental clash of heads resulted in a double cut over McWilliams` right eye, his vision was blurred and a no contest was declared.

Now it`s Ronal`s turn and it`s going to be a significant step up in class for him. His record is 15-2, 9KO`s. He`s fought most of his fights as a super-flyweight. He lost by TKO in his fourth fight in the fourth round, at the hands of Leosdan Nunez, but that was way back in 2016. More recently he lost a UD to Mikhail Aloyan in Russia in 2019. He was knocked down in round one, but got up to fight on until the final bell. So far, Ronal`s has fought seventeen bouts involving ninety six rounds. He comes to this fight following a victory over Jose Cordero, who couldn`t come out for round four.

Ronal who debuted as a pro in 2016, is a nicely proportioned fighter, who can throw snappy combinations and heavy body shots. He stays calm and collected under pressure and can box as well as fight. He does tend to get caught with counter left hooks to the head. That`s Julio Cesar`s favorite and ominously his most formidable blunderbuss. Ronal sometimes squats to avoid incoming punches. This would be a really serious technical error against short and stocky JC, who is only five feet two inches tall. Ronal is two inches taller. Aged twenty six, Ronal is two years younger than Julio Cesar, but the older man, has amassed considerably more experience. He`s fought one hundred and twelve rounds, as most of his fights haven`t gone the distance.

Julio Cesar lost by a SD in his 2015 pro debut to Joaquin Cruz. But then a surge of fourteen victories including a rematch victory over Cruz via a MD.

Over enthusiasm and punch momentum in challenging Charlie Edwards for the WBC flyweight title, resulted in a no contest. In round three Charlie went down on to his haunches, following a barrage of body punches from Julio Cesar, who then threw and landed another while he was down. It was subsequently declared a NC. Charlie vacated the title to move up in weight and JC TKO`d former champion Cristofer “The Whip” Rosales of Managua, Nicaragua, for the vacant title. Referee Raul Caiz stopped the fight in the ninth.

Julio Cesar`s stock in trade punchline is: “With everything but fear.” He certainly backed this up by audaciously taking on legendary Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, by stepping up a division to super-flyweight, at less than six weeks of notice, after its champion Juan Francisco “Gallo” Estrada had to pull out and temporarily postpone, following a positive Covid test.

Chocolatito, who has won world titles in four weight divisions, gave Julio Cesar a comprehensive UD victory boxing lesson. His chestnut colored gloves seemed glued to JC, like slabs of sticky hot toffee. But despite the Nicaraguan Maestro`s manifestation of machination, the Mexican fighting spirit shone through the icing and glazing. Julio Cesar stubbornly refused to buckle and even though he was outfought, outfoxed and outboxed on that night, he showed splendid and remarkable defiance. He took the stick, stuck to the task and learned from it.

JC`s most recent fight was a MD win over Spain`s Samuel Carmona, who didn`t want to engage, coyly and nimbly evading for most of the evening. His dance card remained largely unmarked. The champion is not at his best while chasing and charging after a slick boxer. He prefers to slug opponents to a standstill, unloading and inflicting his power. Divorced from that, was like watching a horse and a deer together pulling a carriage. In harness, but NOT in unison, as Svetlana Stalin ruefully reflected about the disastrous marriage of her ill matched parents.

Ronal will never have felt power anything like this. Julio Cesar (19-2, 14 KO`s 2 NC`s) punches way above his weight category. As previously mentioned, he heaves cobblestones, but makes them count. A concrete fact, which constitutes Boulder-dash NOT balderdash!

The secret for success would lie in trying to outbox the champion. Outmaneuver him with ring smarts. Julio Cesar is aiming to unify the flyweight titles, but first and foremost, here and now, he must focus and concentrate on this fight, on this Big Night. Hats off to Ronal for stepping into the championship limelight, trying to emulate compatriot heroes Roberto “Hands of Stone” Duran, and of course…”Panama” Al Brown.