Saturday night at the brand new state-of-the-art, Tech Port Arena in San Antonio was a special night, to say the least. WBC Bam Rodriguez acknowledged this the next day on social media, saying it was a special night. The crowd was electric, and they knew they weren't just watching good fighters. They were watching generational talent, the future of Texas boxing, and the future of the sport. It wasn't just Rodriguez, who was absolutely flawless and electric in stopping Sor Rungvisai over eight, absolutely one-sided rounds, even though he was. In the opening bout of the night 17-year-old, 14x-time, US national champ and international champion "Panterita" Jesus Martinez of Del Rio. The highly touted blue-chip prospect put on another strong performance.
The teenager has a beyond his years, type of ring IQ and patience in the ring, and that is matched by his humble, low-key personality outside the ring. After scoring a knockdown in the first round of his pro-debut Panterita stayed calm and patient, and didn't sell-put or bum rush his wounded opponent. He stayed calm and outboxed his out-matched opponent, and took the UD victory. In his second pro fight, he was well in control. When a glancing blow brushed off his shoulder in the third round an off-balanced and slipping Martinez ended up on the canvas. On what appeared to be a slip but was ruled a knockdown. The 17-year-old got to his feet and brushed it off. he went to his corner and was told to stay calm, shake it off, and reminded him he was very much in control of the fight. He did just that and finished the fourth round like he started the first two working behind a jab and a stiff right hand and wobbling his opponent with a crisp left hook to pick up his second decision victory in two weeks.
Martinez's talent is noticed by some of the biggest and best in the boxing world. Given his immense talent and beyond-his-years- maturity, it's not really a question of if he gets to a world title. It's when and how many. The 118-pounder is already really big for his weight class and carries quite a bit of power. He scored posterizing knockouts in the amateurs. What weight does he grow into? 126, 130, maybe 135? It stands to reason he can win titles all the way up through those weight classes. He has the right team behind him. He is managed by two former world champions in Darren Barker, who held the IBF middleweight title, and Hall of Famer Joe Calzaghe who held titles at 168 pounds for a decade and was the lineal Ring Magazine champ at 175. He is trained by the best stable at the RBGA he is working and growing under the tutelage of Robert Garcia. Where he trains alongside a pair of world champions in Bam and Josh Franco, each of the two speaks very highly of Panterita. Mentioning just how good he looks in the gym. After his pro debut, President of Matchroom Boxing Eddie Hearn took to social media to see where the 17-year-old would be allowed to fight. Hearn got him immediately back in the ring in Texas, just two weeks after his successful pro debut. The Del Rio phenome will likely be back in the ring in August in Mexico on his next stop to potentially like his stable mate, becoming the youngest world champion in the sport.