Thursday, March 28, 2024  |

News

Aficianado

Jose Martinez-Alexandro Santiago rematch part of ESPN telecast on Saturday

Jose Martinez
Fighters Network
24
Mar

Junior bantamweights Jose Martinez and Alexandro Santiago fought to a majority decision draw back in November 2016. On Saturday, they both hope for a decisive victory in a rematch at the Complejo Ferial in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

The 10-round bout will follow the match-up between junior bantamweight prospects Joshua Franco and Lucas Fernandez. The show will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (8:30 p.m. ET/ 5:30 p.m. PT).

Martinez (20-0-1, 13 knockouts) has risen to prominence by defeating mainly modest opposition. In his most recent bout, on Nov. 16, the 25-year-old boxer-puncher knocked out Colombia’s Jesus Martinez in the fourth round. One of Miguel Cotto Promotions top prospects, the Las Marias resident is ranked No. 5 by the WBO.

The 22-year-old Santiago (15-2-3, 7 KOs) has won three consecutive bouts by knockout since the first Martinez fight and is unbeaten in his last nine. The Tijuana, Mexico resident’s most notable bout was a 10-round split decision draw against former world title challenger Antonio Nieves in August 2016.



The 22-year-old Franco, one of Golden Boy Promotions’ top unbeaten prospects, hopes to continue his path toward contender status with a victory over Fernandez.

Franco (13-0, 6 KOs) claimed a one-sided decision victory over Carlos Maldonado in his last bout on Dec. 14. The San Antonio resident, who is trained and managed by Robert Garcia, has won his last three bouts by decision.

Fernandez (11-1-1, 8 KOs), who hails from Rosario, Argentina, fought to a 10-round split decision draw against Juan Jose Jurado on Nov. 18 in Buenos Aires. He is unbeaten in his last six bouts.

Opening the ‘Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN’ telecast will be a six-round bout between junior bantamweights Josean Serra (11-1, 7 KOs) of Ponce against Marco Antonio Sanchez (12-6-3, 7 KOs).

In preliminary action, welterweight Rashidi Ellis (18-0, 12 KOs) faces Fidel Monterrosa Munoz (38-16-1, 30 KOs) in an eight-round bout.

RingTV.com will stream the undercard, beginning at 5:50 p.m. ET/ 2:50 p.m. PT.

 

Francisco A. Salazar can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @FSalazarBoxing

 

Struggling to locate a copy of THE RING Magazine? Try here or
Subscribe

You can order the current issue, which is on newsstands, or back issues from our subscribe page.

SIGN UP TO GET RING NEWS ALERTS