Undefeated lightweight contender Frank Martin dug deep and showcased his prowess in the ring against Artem Harutyunyan on Saturday night. The showdown at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas saw Martin battling his way to a narrow unanimous victory, but it wasn’t without self-critique. Martin, not entirely satisfied with his performance, admitted to excessive hesitancy during the first nine rounds. However, a dramatic turnaround saw Martin turning up the heat in the 10th round, seizing control of the match and managing to compel Harutyunyan to take a knee in the 12th round.
The Armenian underdog faced increasing difficulty as the bout wore on, with a severely swollen left eye impeding his ability to maintain an offensive stance against Martin. Judges Tim Cheatham, Max De Luca, and Steve Weisfeld scored Martin the victor in this gripping “Showtime Championship Boxing” main event. Despite the hard-earned win, Martin, who stands at 18 professional career wins, couldn't shake off his disappointment over his initially sluggish performance.
The stakes for Martin rise higher as he now stands as the No. 2 lightweight contender by the WBA, and among the top seven contenders across the WBC, IBF, and WBO. In a post-fight interview, Martin oozed confidence and spoke candidly about his desire to take on the undefeated, undisputed champion in his division, Devin Haney. A bold prediction followed, “I’ll beat him. Knockout, probably in like the eighth round.”
The future remains uncertain, with Haney yet to decide whether he’ll step up to the 140-pound division or defend his four lightweight titles. Despite this, Martin’s determination remains unflinching. His eagerness to challenge elite-level lightweights, whether it be Haney, Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson or Vasiliy Lomachenko, has sent waves of anticipation through the boxing community. As Martin states, “I want all the top guys at 135, all the top guys everybody know.” The boxing world awaits, hoping to see an electrifying clash of lightweight titans in the near future.
Image Credit: Premier Boxing Champions