Julio Cesar “Rey” Martinez vs McWilliams Arroyo fight preview
McWilliams vows to be magnifico against master blaster “Rey” Martinez
By James Blears
A Green and Gold festivity, or alternately a winter of discontent following a bleak fall, faces vintage Puerto Rican veteran McWilliams Arroyo, against Mexico`s “Mini Marciano” Julio Cesar “Rey” Martinez, on the same card as Canelo Vs Yildirim, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Florida.
Aged 35, McWilliams (20-4, 15 KO`s) is nine years older than the champion. This is his third try for a world title and time is running out to emulate his Twin brother McJoe who was a world champion. McWilliams couldn`t have picked a more daunting Macbeth of a challenge. Rey Martinez tends to be shorter than his opponents, but what he lacks in height, he invariably and intimidatingly makes up for in heavy handed punching power. In that department, he doesn`t fall short.
Good things sometimes come in smaller packages. A reporter once told Jack Dempsey that most of his opponents were taller than him. The “Manassa Mauler,” begged to differ, stressing they looked much smaller, once they were flat on their backs!
Not only can Rey dish it up, he can also dish it out, in the hallowed and furrowed tradition of the big punchers! As the late great boxing writer of the London Evening Standard and ITV commentator Reg Gutteridge wryly and drily observed about the less than huge Rocky Marciano: “He may have heaved his punches like cobble stones, but he made every one count!”
Fond of softening up his opponents with an eye watering body attack, before moving in to end the night`s fight, Rey is a ruthlessly efficient KO artist, who possesses the power and the unforgiving relentlessness of a crushing wrecking ball. In the vogue of Joe Frazier, he has that power to demolish the walls of cities and citadels.
Rey`s only defeat was in his career debut against Joaquin Cruz with a close split decision loss. Since then he`s never looked back. He graduated in his seventh fight by defeating Edgar Sosa by UD. Thirteen of his seventeen fights haven`t gone the distance.
Rey, from the world famous boxing cradle of Tepito, invariably does altitude training in the chilly climes of the Otomi Ceremonial Center to gain plenty of puff, to translate into oodles of plum mcduff.
He seems to have a penchant for battering Brits. He KO`d Andrew Selby from Wales, then he dropped WBC flyweight champion Charlie Edwards with an avalanche of blows, but couldn`t hold back his momentum, landing a punch while Charles was down and “Mcfuddled” on the canvas. So, it was declared a no contest and he had to regroup for his WBC title opportunity all over again.
At a WBC press conference in the Rail workers Union Headquarters in the heart of Mexico City, a reporter had asked Charlie, where he was doing his altitude training? Charlie was stumped. That led to chop and then…TIMBER. Charlie was felled.
After wearing down and stopping former champion Cristofer Rosales in nine blistering rounds for the title vacated by Charlie, Julio Cesar went to town on Welshman Jay Harris, who bravely stayed on his feet to lose a UD, after withstanding a fearsome onslaught.
Julio Cesar is as fearless as he is fearsome during the business at hand. He often signs off in press conferences with a carefree laugh promising: “With everything except fear.” It`s not a good omen for his opponents, who often become careworn and then shopworn!
Rey has said and he`s repeated that he wants to become a unified champion, before moving onwards and upwards to the super flyweight division. But he certainly won`t be overlooking McWilliams, who defeated Carlos Cuadras for the WBC Silver super Flyweight title.
Although McWilliams lost a UD to Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez for the WBC flyweight title, he put up a very good account of himself. He also lost to Kazuto Ioka for the WBC Silver super fly belt and Amnat Ruenroeng for the IBF flyweight title.
Carlos Buitrago twice dropped him, but McWilliams got up each time and won a UD, successfully defending his WBO Latino flyweight title. In his pro career McWilliams has yet to be stopped. He is a skilled boxer, and he`s durable. His ability to withstand punches will be sorely tested as never before this coming Saturday against a younger, fresher champion, who`s ruthless…aren`t they all?
McWilliams insists he retains the gnawing hunger plus ambition to go all the way, and has worked for this fight as never before. He has had plenty of time to do this, because he didn’t fight at all last year. By contrast last year Rey defeated Harris. He then made quick work of Moises Calleros.
Rey`s boxing sometimes displays a rough edge rudimentary lack of finesse, but he more than makes up for this with awesome chopping block power. McWilliams has the ability and the potential to outbox him, but for how long? Twelve rounds is an awfully long time!
Everything you need to know about Martinez-Arroyo HERE
WBC STATS
Fun Fact: This will be the World Boxing Council's 2,099th championship title fight in their 58 year history
Tale of the Tape
JULIO CESAR MARTINEZ
(MEXICO)
WBC CHAMPION
Nationality: Mexico
Date of Birth: January 27, 1995
Birthplace: Mexico City
Residence: Mexico City
Alias: El Rey
Record: 17-1-0-1NC, 13KOs
KO’S %: 69%
Age: 26
Guard: Orthodox
Total rounds: 80
World title fights: 4 (3-0-0-1NC)
Trainer: Mauricio Aceves
Manager: Eddy Reynoso
Promoter: Clase y Talento Boxeo
McWILLIAMS ARROYO
(PUERTO RICO)
WBC #1 OFFICIAL CHALLENGER
Nationality: Puerto Rico
Date of Birth: December 5, 1985
Birthplace: Ceiba, P. Rico
Residence: Fajardo, P. Rico
Alias: The Twin
Record: 20-4-0, 15KOs
KO’S %: 62.5%
Age: 35
Guard: Orthodox
Total rounds: 135
World title fights: 2 (0-2-0)
Trainer: Anthony Otero
Manager: Orlando Piñero
Promoter: Puerto Rico Best Boxing
WBC´S FLYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS
- PONE KINGPETCH (THA) 1963
- HIROYUKI EBIHARA (JAP) 1963 – 1964
- PONE KINGPETCH (THA) * 1964 – 1965
- SALVATORE BURRUNI (ITALY) 1965 – 1966
- WALTER MCGOWAN (GB) 1966
- CHARTCHAI CHIONOI (THA) (+) 1966 – 1969
- EFREN TORRES (MEX) (+) 1969 – 1970
- CHARTCHAI CHIONOI (THA) * (+) 1970
- ERBITO SALAVARRIA (PHIL) 1970 – 1971
- BETULIO GONZALEZ (VEN) 1972
- VENICE BORKORSOR (THA) 1972 – 1973
- BETULIO GONZALEZ (VEN) * 1973 – 1974
- SHOJI OGUMA (JAP) 1974 – 1975
- MIGUEL CANTO (MEX) 1975 – 1979
- CHAN-HEE PARK (KOR) 1979 – 1980
- SHOJI OGUMA (JAPAN) * 1980 – 1981
- ANTONIO AVELAR (MEX) 1981 – 1982
- PRUDENCIO CARDONA (COL) 1982
- FREDDIE CASTILLO (MEX) 1982
- ELEONCIO MERCEDES (DOM R.) 1982 – 1983
- CHARLIE MAGRI (GB) 1983
- FRANK CEDEÑO (PHIL) 1983 – 1984
- KOJI KOBAYASHI (JAP) 1984
- GABRIEL BERNAL (MEX) 1984
- SOT CHITALADA (THA) 1984 – 1988
- YONG-KANG KIM (KOR) 1988 – 1989
- SOT CHITALADA (THAI) * 1989 – 1991
- MUANGCHAI KITTIKASEM (THA) 1991 – 1992
- YURI ARBACHAKOV (RUSSIA) 1992 – 1996
- CHATCHAI SASAKUL (THA) 1997 – 1998
- MANNY PACQUIAO (PHIL) 1998 – 1999
- MEDGOEN SINGSURAT (THA) 1999 – 2000
- MALCOLM TUNACAO (PHIL) 2000 – 2001
- PONGSAKLEK WONJONGKAM (THA) 2001 – 2007
- JORGE ARCE (MEXICO) INTERIM 2005 – 2006
- DAISUKE NAITO (JAPAN) 2007 – 2009
- PONGSAKLEK WONJONGKAM (THA) INTERIM 2009
- KOKI KAMEDA (JAPAN) 2009 – 2010
- PONGSAKLEK WONJONGKAM (THAI) * 2010 – 2012
- SONNY BOY JARO (PHIL) 2012
- TOSHIYUKI IGARASHI (JAPAN) 2012 – 2013
- AKIRA YAEGASHI (JAPAN) 2013 – 2014
- ROMAN GONZALEZ (NICARAGUA) 2014 – 2016
- JUAN HERNANDEZ (MEXICO) 2017
- DAIGO HIGA (JAPAN) 2017 – 2018
- CRISTOFER ROSALES (NICARAGUA) 2018
- CHARLIE EDWARDS (GB) 2018 – 2019
- JULIO CESAR MARTINEZ (MEXICO) 2019 –
*REGAINED
WBC´S FLYWEIGHT TOP TEN CHAMPIONS
- MIGUEL CANTO (MEXICO)
- PONGSAKLEK WONJONGKAM (THAILAND)
- CHARTCHAI CHIONOI (THAILAND)
- EFREN TORRES (MEXICO)
- YURI ARBACHAKOV (RUSSIA)
- ROMAN GONZALEZ (NICARAGUA)
- SOT CHITALADA (THAILAND)
- AKIRA YAEGASHI (JAPAN)
- BETULIO GONZALEZ (VENEZUELA)
- SHOJI OGUMA (JAPAN)
GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE WBC FLYWEIGHT DIVISION HISTORY
42 WORLD CHAMPIONS RECOGNIZED BY THE WBC OF WHICH ONLY 6 HAVE REGAINED THEIR TITLE:
1.PONE KINGPETCH (THAILAND)
2.CHARTCHAI CHIONOI (THAILAND)
3.BETULIO GONZALEZ (VENEZUELA)
4.SHOJI OGUMA (JAPAN)
5.SOT CHITALADA (THAI)
6.PONGSAKLEK WONJONGKAM (THAI)
WORLD FLYWEIGHT TITLE BOUTS BY COUNTRY IN WBC HISTORY:
JAPAN: 50
THAILAND: 48
MEXICO: 15
SOUTH KOREA: 12
USA: 10
VENEZUELA: 6
ENGLAND: 8
PHILIPPINES: 2
ITALY: 2
NORTH IRELAND: 1
KUWAIT: 1
JAMAICA: 1
FRANCE: 1
CHILE: 1
AUSTRALIA: 1
TOTAL: 159
PONGSAKLEK WONJONGKAM HOLDS THE TITLE DEFENSE RECORD WITH 25
33 BOUTS HAVE BEEN HELD IN THE FLORIDA STATE IN THE ENTIRE WBC HISTORY.
THIS WILL BE THE FIRST FIGHT IN THE FLYWEIGHT DIVISION IN FLORIDA STATE IN THE HISTORY OF THE WBC
THERE HAS BEEN 39 WBC TITLE FIGHTS BETWEEN MEXICO vs. PUERTO RICO
MEXICO HAS WON 22 WBC TITLE FIGHTS
PUERTO RICO HAS WON 17 WBC TITLE FIGHTS
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