MANILA, Philippines—Like every other athlete, Filipino boxing prospect Carl Jammes Martin aims to reach the pinnacle of his sport.
Becoming a world champion takes time and a win by Martin on August 19 in his return from a rib injury against Tanzania’s Oscar Duge would bring him closer to his goal.
Martin flaunts an impressive 21-0 record with 17 knockouts but he has a lot more to prove with the lack of stiff competition he’s faced so far.
The pride of Lagawe, Ifugao will have his chance to show what he’s made of against caliber opposition in front of a bigger audience.
The 24-year-old Martin hasn’t fought outside the country but it’s only a matter of time before he gets the exposure he needs.
If everything falls into place, Martin, with the backing of former world champion Gerry Peñalosa and MP Promotions’ Sean Gibbons, believes he could be headed to the United States soon for further training.
Then, if things continue to go as planned, his US debut follows. And as the wins pile up, his most-awaited title shot comes.
Martin, however, can’t afford look too far ahead with a fight coming up.
“This fight is very important to me. We’ve been working really hard in training,” he said.