Mexican boxer Julio Cesar “Rey” Martinez has successfully defended his World Boxing Council flyweight title. Martinez defeated Panamanian challenger Ronal “Gallito” Batista by technical knockout at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara. The fight was stopped by referee Celestino Ruiz in the first minute of the eleventh round due to the intense punishment Martinez was inflicting on Batista.
Martinez started the fight aggressively, looking for the knockout early, and landed some combinations on the body of the challenger in the first round. Batista tried to drill the champion’s defense in the third round, but Martinez managed to dodge the punishment and come up short. In the fourth round, Martinez began to dominate and dish out more punishment on Batista, who was showing physical stamina but received a one-point deduction for two late punches. Batista managed to get Martinez to the ropes in the fifth and sixth rounds, but the champion’s punches were more telling.
Batista’s resistance waned in the seventh round after he took a left jab to the face, which sent him to the canvas. Although the “Gallito” continued to resist the blows of the Mexican “Rey” in the following rounds, the fight came to an end in the eleventh round after Martinez inflicted intense punishment on the Panamanian. Batista’s corner complained about the referee’s decision to stop the fight, but Martinez was declared the winner.
After the fight, Martinez praised his opponent for his resilience and stated that it was a very strong fight. ‘Rey’ Martinez now has a record of 20 wins (15 by knockout) and two losses, while “Gallito” Batista has a record of 15 wins (9 by knockout) and three losses (two by knockout).