A Tribute To Tony Martin, A Pound For Pound Welterweight
By Robert Brizel, Real Combat Media Correspondent
On March 10, 2013, retired Philadelphia welterweight boxer turned landlord Tony ‘Pound For Pound’ Martin, 52, was fatally shot during an argument while attempting to collect rent from a tenant at one of his rental properties. The long list of boxing tragedies and passing of boxing greats from Hector Camacho to Emmanuel Steward will continue. It’s just that it’s sad to keep reading about boxing tragedies.
Tony turned pro on September 10, 1985, with a second round stoppage of Ulysses Bennefield at the Blue Horizon in Philadelphia. Tony would go on to beat the likes in Micky Ward, Livingston Bramble, Anthony Stephens, Oscar Lopez, Donald Allison, Ricky Meyers, Willie Taylor, Rodney Wilson, and Clarence Coleman. In 1996, Tony won the USBA Welterweight title with a tenth round stoppage of Kip Diggs, and retained it with a 12 round decision over Skipper Kelp. He won a 12 round decision over Diggs in a rematch to win the NABF Welterweight title.
Born in Saint Louis, Missouri, but making Philadelphia, Pennsylvania his home, Tony fought between 139 and 151 rounds, and remained consistent throughout his career, winning 34, losing six, and drawing once, with 12 knockouts, and only one loss by stoppage.
Tony lost a ten round decision in Las Vegas, Nevada, to Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. in March 1997, his last ring appearance. Friends had argued with Tony not to take the fight, but Tony insisted, telling everyone he could beat Chavez. Maybe he really did, in an era marked by bad decisions often favoring the promoter.
Tony Martin is just another Philadelphia Rocky Balboa, doomed to be forgotten in the winds of time. But while he was alive, Tony Martin made his statement. Tony was a great boxer, and this tribute is written so the great boxers who were never champion are always remembered. The late boxing journalist Hank Kaplan, till his dying day, spilled out the names of the many forgotten boxers he knew, great in his time who not world champions, the boxers Kaplan knew who were his friends, and more importantly, made the sport great, the forgotten names.
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