Exclusive interview Chris Martin prior to Friday showdown with Huerta
Just two days before his bout with Charles Huerta at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, CA, Christopher “the San Diego Kid” Martin sat down with us to discuss his boxing career?
SportofBoxing.com: By the way, I’ve always wondered where that aka, the San Diego Kid came from?
Chris Martin: Jorge (Jorge Marron, the well known boxing promoter) used to come by my locker and always call me the San Diego Kid and it kind of stuck.
SportofBoxing: After impressing boxing fans in 2009, especially with your victory over the previously unbeaten Eduardo Arcos, you had another banner year in 2010 and made your way onto the WBC and IBF top 10 rankings. Your win over Chris Avalos sort of woke everyone up. Are you receiving more attention from the media?
Chris Martin: Not really, offers come and go. After being mentioned for a title shot in Tokyo (Japan) with Toshiaki Nishioka fell through, things have gotten quiet again.
SportofBoxing: With the success of HBO’s 24/7 and now Fight Camp 360, how far do you feel these networks should go to allow people to know the fighters better and see all the drama that goes on behind the scenes?
Chris Martin: With me there’s not much drama. Between my wife and I, we’ve gotten ourselves into a regular routine. After an early morning run, I look forward to taking my son to school. The rest of the day I’m either at work. I work for Corrections Corporation of America. Or, I’m working out.”
SportofBoxing: Any travel quirks, have you ever been stranded anywhere?
Chris Martin: Oh yeah, for my very first fight, we missed our afternoon flight from Phoenix and another time we were late for a weigh-in in Tucson. We ended up paying a cab driver an exorbitant amount of cash to get us there.
SportofBoxing: If we take a moment to discuss Charles Huerta; he did beat the tough Gregorio Torres, a fellow that you fought to a draw. Then after his third round TKO victory of Noe Lopez Jr., he may have been a bit overconfident. In his next bout he had that first round KO loss to Derrick Wilson. Then, we have his last fight with Raul Hirales Jr. (13-0-1) a fellow who took him to school. Did you see that fight and what are your impressions of Huerta’s career thus far?
Chris Martin: That was a good win over Lopez and his KO loss to Wilson was just one of those fluke things, a flash knockdown. He was still cold and didn’t have a chance to warm up. The Hirales fight, that’s an entirely different matter. He didn’t look good in that one. Now he wants to use me to get back some respectability, use me as a stepping stone. I can’t allow that.
SportofBoxing: Speaking of people who have given other boxers trouble, which boxer or boxers gave you the most trouble? Did any of your matches get personal?
Chris Martin: The guy who gave me the most trouble was Paulino Villalobos in a fight at the Casino Del Sol in Tucson. Early in the second round I knocked him down and figured the fight was over. He got up and came back with a vengeance. He hurt me bad. It was a dogfight the rest of the way.
As far as things getting personal; they did with Avalos. I’ve never met anyone so full of himself. You have to show respect for the other boxer and he didn’t.
SportofBoxing: How does your workout regimen differ from other boxers?
Chris Martin: I don’t know what other boxers do but what I believe is my strong point is the consistency of my training, my sleep and food intake.
SportofBoxing: The fact that you’re more of a boxer and not a knockout artist, will this prevent you from going all the way to the top?
Chris Martin: I’ve been working hard on getting more power. It’s what the boxing fans come to see, the knockouts. The reason you often see me standing in front of my opponent is to entertain the fans. They come to see nonstop action, not to see a guy who’s on his bicycle, running.
SportofBoxing: Over the past five years, you’ve had many sparring partners. Which one has helped you the most and what did you learn from him?
Chris Martin: That would be Cristian Favela. Like you said, he can make any boxer look bad. I like it when someone is continually in my face, mixing it up. He’s also taught me a couple new punches. He’s a brilliant tactician.
SportofBoxing: The drug issue and masking agents used by professional boxers have once again reared their ugly head. What are your concerns about competing on a level playing field?
Chris Martin: I can’t believe these guys would want to take drugs. They shouldn’t be in the sport because boxing is all about staying healthy.
SportofBoxing: Of the present boxers within you weight division which are the boxers that you’ve been following, the ones you would like to fight?
Chris Martin: In past fights when I weighed as much as 126 pounds, I felt heavy and didn’t perform at my best. Since I’m now back at my ideal fighting weight of 122 pounds, I’d like to fight guys like Jorge Arce and Nonito Donaire. Those are the guys I enjoy watching.
SportofBoxing: Do you have a favorite when it comes to the music you’d like to hear on your ring entrance?
Chris Martin: “I really like this song, Amazing by Kanye West.”
“"Nothing is more important than family," so says Christopher Martin after one of his many victories. Martin's son Diego joins him to celebrate his victory.
SportofBoxing: “What’s your ultimate goal in boxing?
Chris Martin: It’s not the winning of the actual crown. What I’d like is to be considered one of the best.
SportofBoxing: Your ultimate goal in life and for your family?
Chris Martin: Eventually, I’d like to buy a house but for now, I just want my family to be healthy and be together.
