Kiko Martinez has called it a career.
A heartfelt video released by the globetrotting former two-division titlist confirmed his decision to retire after 19 years in the pro ranks. The 37-year-old Spaniard enjoyed a title reign in his prime and several highs and lows but has reached a point where there was nothing left to accomplish in the ring.
“The time has come,” Martinez stated Sunday in a social media post accompanied by a video in his native Spanish language. “I want to announce that it is time to say goodbye to boxing.”
The 13-month IBF junior featherweight title reign came during the best years of Martinez’s wild career but hardly defined the mark he left behind. More befitting his legacy was his run of notable upsets on U.K. soil, particularly his come-from-behind sixth-round knockout of Kid Galahad in his opponent’s Sheffield hometown to lift the IBF featherweight title.
Martinez first gained global acclaim in 2007, three years after his pro debut when he scored a stunning first-round knockout of then-unbeaten Bernard Dunne on the road in Dublin, Ireland. He undefeated but unheralded at the time. He was without proper career representation and was unable to capture lightning in a bottle.
His next fight came seven months later—once again on the road where he suffered his first defeat in a twelve-round majority decision to Rendall Munroe. The aftermath saw Martinez traditionally fall just short at the contender level, with defeats to Takalani Ndlovu and Carl Frampton—both of whom went on to win major titles.
Martinez would eventually have his moment as well, with a career revival that included the services of lineal middleweight champion Sergio Martinez whose Maravilla Promotions took in the veteran boxer. He rewarded his handlers with an upset sixth-round knockout of unbeaten Jonathan Romero in their August 2013 IBF title fight. The feat was accomplished in Atlantic City, which marked his U.S. debut and served as one of nine countries where he would fight over the course of his 19-year, 58-fight pro career. The 13-month reign ended in a repeat defeat to Frampton in their September 2014 rematch in Belfast, though not before he posted successful defenses over former titlists Jeffrey Mathebula and Hozumi Hasegawa.
Lopsided knockout defeats in three subsequent title bids over the next five years suggested a permanent stay as a gatekeeper.
Strangely, a defeat at the contender level boosted his career as Martinez landed on the wrong end of a controversial twelve-round decision to Zelfa Barrett in their February 2021 meeting. The fight took place on a show promoted by Matchroom Boxing, whose team long admired Martinez and promoted his next four bouts. Among them was the aforementioned win over Galahad, a stoppage defeat to Josh Warrington to end his featherweight title reign in their rematch last March 26 and a fourth-round knockout win over Jordan Gill last October 29 at OVO Arena Wembley.
The EBU title win over Gill set up one final title eliminator for Martinez. He came up well short, however, in a twelve-round, unanimous decision defeat to Reiya Abe in their April 8 IBF 122-pound title eliminator in Tokyo, Japan.
The lopsided defeat saw an aged version of Martinez who simply didn’t have any more tricks left in his arsenal. The next few months were spent in relaxation with his loved ones in Spain before he officially decided to walk away after “all of the incredible memories the sport has given me.
“I just want to say thank you to everyone, especially my family… who supported me the entire time.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox