The fighting pride of Coatesville, Pennsylvania Gerardo Martinez (3-1, 1 KO) returns to the ring next Friday night on Raging Babe's "Philly Special" show at the 2300 Arena. He is scheduled to square off with Atlantic City veteran pugilist Osnel Charles (12-18-1, 2 KOs) in a four round, super lightweight bout.
Martinez's sole career blemish in his young career was a close split decision loss to Vinnie Denierio last March, a loss that in this writer's opinion, should have ended in favor of Martinez. Charles, on the other hand, has fought professionally since 2009, and has been in the ring with many promising prospects from the greater Philadelphia area. This fact has not been overlooked by Martinez, who is confident that his solid training will pay off against the 34-year-old who will fight for the 32nd time as a professional.
 |
| Gerardo Martinez |
Leading up to the training camp for this bout, Martinez was out of the gym for eight weeks due to injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. The 23-year-old lightweight bounced back from this setback and trained even harder to ensure that he was "110%" ready for his first career showdown with a veteran opponent. Trainer Jim Deoria, a former Pennsylvania Lightweight Champion, told TWI that Gerardo sparred 12 to 20 rounds a week during training camp, with several sparring partners in his Phoenixville Area PAL gym, Bethlehem, and Philadelphia.
When asked about Charles, Deoria said, "I am very familiar with Osnel Charles. I fought him with Ryan Carson in Atlantic City back in 2009! Osnel is a very solid boxer and he has the experience factor, but we feel that Gerardo is ready to step up for the challenge."
Deoria will be joined in Gerardo's corner by Joe Rowan, a long-time boxing trainer at the Phoenixville Area PAL.
Gerardo Martinez and Osnel Charles are just two of the many fighters who will appear on the February 8th Raging Babe "Philly Special" show. Michelle Rosado, CEO of Raging Babe, has put together a card full of popular local and undefeated pro fighters including, Christian Carto (17-0, 11 KOs), Marcel Rivers (6-0, 4 KOs), Darmani Rock (13-0, 8 KOs), and Alejandro Jimenez (4-0, 1 KO). Sonny Conto, a highly successful amateur fighter who recently signed with Top Rank, will also make his professional debut on the card.
When asked about fighting on Raging Babe's "Philly Special" show, Martinez said, "I’m excited to fight on this card. I have had all my fights in Philadelphia. The communication she (Michelle Rosado) has with fighters is great, and in any business that's important. Her (Rosado) promotional skills are great and I’m excited for Feb 8th."
Tickets for Raging Babe's "Philly Special" show can be purchased on the 2300 Arena website, and start at just $50.
Support The Weigh-In: Your Home for Combat Sports by Shopping World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Products!
No comments:
Post a Comment