Fibroso
02-11-2015, 12:34 PM
Salido-Martinez set for April 11Junior lightweight titlist Orlando Salido, who has had great success in world title bouts in Puerto Rico, is headed back to hostile turf to make his first defense against former two-time titleholder Roman "Rocky" Martinez on April 11 at the Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot in San Juan.
Sean Gibbons, Salido's manager, told ESPN.com on Monday that the deal is done and that he and Salido will travel to San Juan for a news conference to announce the bout on Thursday afternoon.
Mexico's Salido, a three-time featherweight titleholder, scored his two biggest career victories in Puerto Rico, both by knockout against Juan Manuel Lopez, Martinez's stablemate.
In April 2011, Salido won a featherweight belt for the second time when he pulled a major upset by knocking out Lopez in the eighth round in Bayamon. Salido retained the title in a defense 11 months later by knocking out Lopez again, this time in the 10th round, in San Juan.
When Salido won a featherweight belt for the third time he also did so in knockout fashion against another Puerto Rican fighter, stopping Orlando Cruz in the seventh round in October 2013 in Las Vegas.
Salido (42-12-2, 29 KOs), 34, had other options but Gibbons said they went with the offer from Martinez promoter Peter Rivera because it was the best combination of money and style.
"Salido had two offers on the table," Gibbons said. "He had a fair offer to go to Russia to fight Andrey Klimov, which style-wise is a horrible fight. And then he was offered a fight with Diego Magdaleno. At Salido's age we're not looking to be chasing anyone down all night and that's what he'd have to do with Magdaleno.
"We want a guy right there, who will be there to get it on and that's what we find in Rocky Martinez. On paper, going in to this fight, you couldn't ask for anything better than a dude like Rocky Martinez. He will be there mixing it up with Orlando. They can both crack."
In September, Salido moved up to junior lightweight and knocked out longtime contender Terdsak Kokietgym, of Thailand, in the 11th round in Tijuana, Mexico, in a hellacious fight of the year contender -- they combined for seven knockdowns -- to win a vacant interim belt. Salido was later elevated to a full titleholder and will be making his first defense.
The 32-year-old Martinez (28-2-2, 17 KOs) saw his second title reign come to an abrupt end when Mikey Garcia knocked him out in the eighth round in November 2013 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Martinez has fought just once since, knocking out journeyman Herbert Quartey in the second round on Dec. 20.
Rivera is trying to finalize a deal for the fight to be on a small pay-per-view card in the United States, according to Gibbons.
Sean Gibbons, Salido's manager, told ESPN.com on Monday that the deal is done and that he and Salido will travel to San Juan for a news conference to announce the bout on Thursday afternoon.
Mexico's Salido, a three-time featherweight titleholder, scored his two biggest career victories in Puerto Rico, both by knockout against Juan Manuel Lopez, Martinez's stablemate.
In April 2011, Salido won a featherweight belt for the second time when he pulled a major upset by knocking out Lopez in the eighth round in Bayamon. Salido retained the title in a defense 11 months later by knocking out Lopez again, this time in the 10th round, in San Juan.
When Salido won a featherweight belt for the third time he also did so in knockout fashion against another Puerto Rican fighter, stopping Orlando Cruz in the seventh round in October 2013 in Las Vegas.
Salido (42-12-2, 29 KOs), 34, had other options but Gibbons said they went with the offer from Martinez promoter Peter Rivera because it was the best combination of money and style.
"Salido had two offers on the table," Gibbons said. "He had a fair offer to go to Russia to fight Andrey Klimov, which style-wise is a horrible fight. And then he was offered a fight with Diego Magdaleno. At Salido's age we're not looking to be chasing anyone down all night and that's what he'd have to do with Magdaleno.
"We want a guy right there, who will be there to get it on and that's what we find in Rocky Martinez. On paper, going in to this fight, you couldn't ask for anything better than a dude like Rocky Martinez. He will be there mixing it up with Orlando. They can both crack."
In September, Salido moved up to junior lightweight and knocked out longtime contender Terdsak Kokietgym, of Thailand, in the 11th round in Tijuana, Mexico, in a hellacious fight of the year contender -- they combined for seven knockdowns -- to win a vacant interim belt. Salido was later elevated to a full titleholder and will be making his first defense.
The 32-year-old Martinez (28-2-2, 17 KOs) saw his second title reign come to an abrupt end when Mikey Garcia knocked him out in the eighth round in November 2013 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Martinez has fought just once since, knocking out journeyman Herbert Quartey in the second round on Dec. 20.
Rivera is trying to finalize a deal for the fight to be on a small pay-per-view card in the United States, according to Gibbons.