Martin: I came to win
UNBEATEN Filipino fighter Carl Jammes Martin insists he didn’t come to Riyadh only to lose to Mexican Alan David Picasso.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF Carl Jammes Martin
Undefeated Filipino puncher Carl Jammes Martin swears that he didn’t travel all the way to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to lose to one-time world title challenger Alan David Picasso of Mexico in their featherweight clash on Saturday night (early Sunday morning in Manila).
“I came to win,” the southpaw Martin, 27, said during a press conference.
The pride and joy of Ifugao enters the ring with a 28-0-0 win-loss-draw card with 21 knockouts.
Picasso, 26, who totes a 31-1-1 with 18 knockouts, is heavily favored to deal Martin his first defeat given his vast experience.
His only loss was a 12-round unanimous decision to Naoya “Monster” Inoue in December last year also in Riyadh.
Picasso also told the same media assemblage that his target is not just to win but “win convincingly.”
“By knockout,” he said with the help of a translator.
Picasso has a two-inch height advantage at 5-8 and the longer reach 70 inches (Martin’s 65 inches).
Martin’s Riyadh appearance was arranged by American dealmaker Sean Gibbons.