In boxing, the big fights aren’t always quickly made. Instead, fans are often forced to sit back and wait until the time is supposedly right.
While that’s simply the way things have always been handled, Frank Martin is looking to break the mold.
This past weekend, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, the highly ranked contender turned on his television set and became a fan. Fighting in one of three publicly televised cards on the night, was Keyshawn Davis.
As expected, the former Olympic silver medalist easily took care of business against Anthony Yigit. Instead of taking the time to bask in his triumphant glory, Davis (8-0, 6 KOs) looked directly into one of the cameras and presumably, into the eyes of Martin. From there, Martin became the topic of discussion as Davis finished his rant by stating, “I want to fight you.”
Seemingly annoyed by his need to publicly call him out again, Martin (17-0, 12 KOs) made a complete 180 from his previous stance. In the past, the Detroit native pointed to Davis’ age, 24, along with the fact that their rivalry is still fairly new, as a reason why their showdown should be built up a bit more. Now, having heard Davis’ audacious words, Martin is in no mood to wait.
“We can bang out,” said Martin on his social media account. “F— letting it marinate.”
Davis, a highly touted prospect from the very beginning, has always been in the limelight. As for Martin, he was forced to work his way from the ground up. In 2022, his relentless drive finally paid off.
During the calendar year, Martin squeezed out a perfect 3-0 record against stellar competition. The crowning achievement of his banner year came in the form of a lopsided victory over Michel Rivera.
Thanks to that aforementioned win, Martin finds himself on the cusp of challenging for a world title. But while he would love nothing more than to hoist a golden trinket, Martin is ostensibly willing to put his title chase on hold as he makes a beeline toward Davis.
“I’m feening.”