The stakes are high for unbeaten prospect Carl Jammes Martin when he faces Oscar Duge of Tanzania in a 10-round bantamweight clash at the Mandaluyong Sports Complex on Aug. 19.
The 24-year-old boxer from Lagawe, Ifugao will come off an eight-month hiatus and is fully aware the fight will weigh heavily on his future and his dream of becoming a world champion.
“Napaka-importante po ng next fight ko,” said Martin during Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
The young southpaw, who has an impressive ring record of 21-0 with 17 knockouts (10 of them inside three rounds), was accompanied by his father, Abel, and brother, Japeth, who are also his trainers.
“Pinag-sisikapan po namin sa training. Pinag-iingatan din namin ang kalaban. Pinag-aaralan namin pati ang mga adjustments na pwede gawin sa ring,“ said Martin, now fully recovered from a rib injury.
Martin is counting on the support of former world champion Gerry Penalosa and Sean Gibbons of the MP Promotions. He said if things go as planned, Gibbons might bring him to the US for further training.
Duge hails from Dar-Es-Salaam in Tanzania and will carry an 11-5-2 record onto the ring. He is 26 years old and at 5’3” is almost three inches shorter than the Filipino, who fought 56 times as an amateur.
The Tanzanian has tasted defeat five times, the last in August 2020, but has never been knocked out.
“Wala pang KO ang kalaban. ‘Yun ang target — kami ang unang maka-knockout sa kanya,“ said Japeth, who was into boxing himself. “Pero handa din naman kami sa mahabang fight.”
“Ready na po kami. Pero hindi po namin masasabi. Kung ma-knockout mas maganda po talaga,“ said Abel during the forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, MILO, Philippine Olympic Committee, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).