_1624559124.jpg)
Julio Cesar Martinez couldn’t pass up the opportunity of a lifetime even with unfinished business at flyweight.
The goal of becoming undisputed champion in the 112-pound division is momentarily on hold for Mexico City’s Martinez (18-1, 14KOs), whose next fight comes against one of the best little big men in boxing history. The reigning WBC flyweight titlist moves up in weight to face former four-division titlist Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez (50-3, 41KOs) atop the March 5 DAZN show from Pechanga Arena in San Diego.
“It’s a big opportunity,” Martinez acknowledged to BoxingScene.com. “I was so happy that [manager] Eddy Reynoso called me and told me that Eddie Hearn was offering this fight.
“My goal has always been to become undisputed champion at flyweight and then move up to super flyweight. The same goal applies here. This opportunity came when it did so I grabbed it because I don’t fear any challenge.”
Martinez accepted the fight on less than six weeks’ notice, replacing countryman lineal/WBA junior bantamweight champ Juan Francisco Estrada (42-3, 28KOs) who tested positive for Covid and had to shut down training camp. The development killed plans for a rubber match between Mexico’s Estrada and Nicaragua’s Gonzalez, which was to come 51 weeks after Estrada claimed a disputed twelve-round, split decision last March in Dallas.
The opportunity to face Gonzalez came as Martinez was also considering a possible unification bout with IBF flyweight titlist Sunny Edwards (17-0, 4KOs), who has been vocal about facing the Mexican knockout artist. Such a fight carries family ties, as Martinez faced Edwards’ older brother Charlie for the very WBC title he currently holds. He originally won the August 2019 fight by third round knockout, only for it to be correctly overturned when it was deemed that Martinez struck Edwards while he was on the canvas and the referee failed to separate them in time.
Martinez went on to claim the vacant WBC title in his next fight, having since made four successful defenses. The latest ended in anti-climactic fashion, trading knockdowns with Puerto Rico’s McWilliams Arroyo and on the verge of a knockout win until Arroyo quit on his stool due to a cut from an accidental headbutt.
The only good news from the early ending was that Martinez was ready to return to the ring as soon as possible. The move three pounds north provides the flexibility to either campaign at junior bantamweight moving forward or revisit old business.
“After I beat Chocolatito, I can move back down and face Sunny Edwards,” notes Martinez. “After I beat Sunny Edwards, I’ll look for the other champions in unification fights.
“If I can’t get those fights, we always have the option of returning to super flyweight and look for the best fights there.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox