Airing on Fox Sports 1 this past Monday, tough Journeyman Daniel Quevedo gave two-time world title challenger (Flyweight & Super Flyweight) and former North American Super Flyweight Champion Raul Martinez fair work to rebound from his highly unlikely loss from earlier this year to then listed 5-8 Omar Gonzalez. Martinez was apparently looking for confidence and/or redemption and may have found very little of either with this limited outing. Quevedo began the night looking very physically imposing, stalking after Martinez in round one. In round two, Martinez started to stand his ground and oblige Quevedo. This was very scrappy and much of it in a phone booth which most likely lead to a cut on Quevedo's eye, via headbutt.
Martinez has been trying to improve under the tutelage of the very fine former 130-pound titlist Jesse James Leija, it is mentioned. In round three, while Martinez was consistently showing the natural athlete between the two, it was still a fight, through and through. For all Martinez's advantage in hand and foot speed and overall class, there was Quevedo, 13-13-3 record, finding him, competing evenly enough. That signifies a ring generalship problem for Martinez. When you know the advantages are there, but they're not preventing the other man from scoring competitively, the ring generalship is just not there.
In round four, Martinez shows he's heating up and even staggers Quevedo a bit at the end. For most of the round, Martinez and Quevedo looked like you'd think they should look together, with their records. It was perhaps during that time which Quevedo injured himself, because Quevedo retired with an injury between this round and the next and did not answer the bell for the fifth round. He did so believably, as he was game and wanting more throughout the match, never seeming particularly discouraged or impressed with his opponent.
It's gone down in the books as an unsatisfying TKO5 outcome for Raul Martinez, though the action itself was good and showed a good choice for FS1. To me, as rocky as the rounds were for him, Raul is still looking a very cool prospect, as opposed to hot, when looking for the next man to be made champion. It was Quevedo who fought well for the role he plays in boxing and Martinez who simply got the job done and while I have to give respect to both, I'd be very hesitant betting on Martinez in his next match. I do not think he's in a comfortable place right now. All the best to both, however, as they suit television just fine for me. They made a good match together.
Work that bag,
Basement Gym Boxing
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