Xavier Martinez didn’t even break stride upon learning of a last-minute opponent switch for his next fight.

A late change of plans now has the 23-year-old facing Tijuana’s Juan Carlos Burgos (33-4-2, 21KOs), a former three-time title challenger who replaces countryman Abraham Montoya. The stakes—a junior lightweight title eliminator—remain the same, which is ultimately what matters most at least to the unbeaten rising contender.

“It’s pretty much the same to me,” Martinez told BoxingScene.com. “It kind of works out in a way. One of my sparring partners for my last fight is the same height and kind of fights the same way as Burgos.”

The fight marks a rare occasion at the weight where the 5’8” Martinez (16-0, 10KOs) is at a height disadvantage at this weight. He gives away more than an inch to the 5’9 ½” Burgos in addition to a wealth of experience.

Of course, overcoming such adversity is expected at this crucial stage of his development. Martinez was faced with such challenges in his last fight, having to twice climb off the canvas in order to prevail versus Claudio Marrero, a crafty southpaw and former secondary featherweight titlist who was game in their title eliminator last October.

“My last fight, I could have done better,” acknowledges Martinez. “It wasn’t the best performance. I came off of a year-long layoff against a former champion. That was a big steppingstone for me.

For this fight, once I go in there and do my job, I truly believe I deserve a title shot.”

With that came his embracing the opponent switch.

Mexicali’s Montoya would have come in with thin credentials other than an upset win over previously unbeaten Alejandro Guerrero on a ShoBox card this past February. Burgos has only fallen short at the top level, be it in title fights or versus rising talents Devin Haney and Hector Tanajara. Both were in similar stages of their respective careers as is Martinez when they faced the veteran contender.  

“The end goal is the same—a win gets me a title shot, or at least it should,” notes Martinez. “But I do like the part that it comes against a better-known name and someone respected like Burgos who has never been stopped.”

The title eliminator serves as the opener of a Showtime-televised tripleheader. The main event features a junior featherweight title unification bout between two-division and reigning WBC titlist Luis Nery (31-0, 24KOs) and secondary WBA titlist Brandon Figueroa (21-0-1, 16KOs).

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox