It was the kind of fight fans say they want more of.

It was the kind of performance boxing can never get enough of.

Placed in a high pressure, high attention situation, lightweight Frank Martin kept cool and delivered a statement. Perceived by some as a 50-50 fight going in, Martin arguably pitched a shutout against Michel Rivera. A clash of young undefeated talents on the rise gave us a genuine contender in a loaded field.

There were a couple close rounds in the first four or five frames but even then it was clear who was in control. Martin was faster of hand and befuddled Rivera with his foot movement. Working at enough angles to be a geometry lesson, Martin slowly turned up the heat as his confidence grew. 

A knockdown of Rivera in the seventh round was in many ways the story of the fight. Rivera wasn’t visibly hurt. Martin didn’t land a bomb. Instead, Martin landed the right punch in the right position while Rivera was out of balance and out of ideas. 

In the last third of the fight, Martin would occasionally load up with a right hand to try to change his fate. It was few and far between. Rivera’s frustration and confusion were evident in his body language. Rivera was a beaten man. 

And Martin had risen to the occasion in the biggest way possible.

Futures: Rivera may yet prove to be a real force at lightweight. The sort of footwork, hand speed, punch placement, and defense Martin displayed was of the sort that can be a problem no matter how experienced a fighter is. Rivera has tape to review now and space to improve. What he does with this loss will tell us his story. Losing is part of sports. At 24, Rivera has plenty of time to be more.

Martin is ready now. He’s a bona-fide contender with real skill and poise. He isn’t likely to be next for a Devin Haney or Tank Davis, the top of the lightweight division in terms of title positioning right now, but he’s now officially in line. Martin said the name Rolly Romero after the fight. It would be a smart move, allowing comparison with Davis’s win over Romero in 2022. Romero is limited, but he talks a good game and could increase the spotlight for Martin in a fight where Martin would have to be heavily favored. From a competitive standpoint, a fight with another Davis foe in Isaac Cruz would be a stiffer test and a great television fight. 

2023 will be a chance for Martin to stay active, continue to improve, and get ready for when his moment arrives. Opportunity knocked on Saturday and Martin answered the door. He’ll have more opportunities sooner than later.

Cliff’s Notes…

Vincent Astrolabio followed up his upset of Guillermo Rigondeaux earlier this year with another solid win over Nikolai Potapov. He’s a solid contender at bantamweight and could find himself in the belt hunt if and when Naoya Inoue vacates straps to head to Jr. featherweight…Chris Billam-Smith and Christian Mbilli were both impressive this weekend. Cruiserweight and super middleweight, respectively, need fresh faces and they’re adding them…Errol Spence’s latest automotive accident will further push back his return to the ring. Welterweight’s title picture looks like it will have another low volume year in 2023. 

Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, a member of the International Boxing Research Organization, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com