Martin joins Pinoy invasion

IBF No. 4 and WBO No. 5 superbantamweight Carl Jammes Martin is now in Las Vegas with father/trainer Abel, joining a slew of Filipino fighters under MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons’ care looking to follow in eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao’s footsteps by advancing their careers in the US.

Martin, 24, arrived in Las Vegas last Friday and is staying in Gibbons’ Knuckleheads quarters with his father, coach Joven Jimenez and fighters Jhack Tepora, Daniel Lim and Weljon Mindoro. Gibbons said Martin, who’s never fought overseas, will make his US debut sometime in August. The Ifugao bomber has a record of 23-0, with 18 KOs and is coming off a sixth-round stoppage of Thailand’s Chaiwat Buatkrathok for the WBO Global superbantamweight crown last December. “When (Naoya) Inoue moves up to 126, Martin will be ripe for a world title shot at 122 early next year,” said Gibbons. “I think the US exposure will get him to the next level.”

Tepora, 29, is fresh from a 27-second disposal of Mexican trialhorse David Leal in Tijuana last month. In 2019, he was stopped by Oscar Escandon on a body shot in the first round in Ontario, California, took a two-year rest and returned a superlightweight after moving up from flyweight to featherweight. His record is 25-1, with 19 KOs.

Lim, 24, lost to Emiliano Moreno via a second-round stoppage in Florida last November then came back to halt JR Magboo in the first frame two months ago. Lim has an 11-1 record, with three KOs and campaigns in the welterweight division. Mindoro, 24, is a 5-11 superwelterweight with an 11-0-1 record, all his wins by KO. His draw was with Japanese Takeshi Inoue, no relation to Naoya, last year.