02-14-2016, 11:21 AM
Charles Martin: Every punch I throw is supposed to hurt you
By Przemek Garczarczyk
“I find it funny when people describe me as slow. Funny, because I know how many gears I have – enough to be different when I want to be. Ask fighters who’ve fought me. Ask what they think about my hand speed, and the power that this speed generates. Every punch hurts,” said IBF heavyweight champion “Prince” Charles Martin (23-0, 21 KOs) in an exclusive Fightnews.com interview. Martin can’t wait to once again prove his words in the ring…
Charles, you correctly predicted the Denver Broncos as a Super Bowl winner, saying that defense wins championships. Do you think the same when you step between the ropes?
This is the hardest part of boxing. Find the best way to combine both world class defense, because were talking heavyweights here, and offense to prove that you can hit and finish the other guy. I believe that you don’t have some specialized defense and concentrate only on this part. Like Deontay Wilder, whose offense makes so much trouble for the other guy who can never truly implement what he wants to do on the offensive part, and Deontay has an easier task defending himself. Fighters know what can happen when they forget about Wilder’s power. Lennox Lewis was the same. Talking about Deontay, I have to say that “The Pin” Szpilka was doing a tremendous job. Wilder was confused, Szpilka was winning the fight. And then he forgot…
You only have 24 bouts, but you fight like an old school veteran. No wasted punches, controlling pace. Watching you fight, it’s hard to not think that when you throw a punch you know it’ll connect.
This is exactly what I want to do. My everyday training looks exactly the same. In my 10 years of boxing, I always wanted be a patient fighter. Why should I throw “empty” punches – just to show that I can? What’s the point? We all know the saying that we are in the “hurt business.” I take that literally. Every punch I throw is supposed to hurt you. Every one of them. I want you to suffer. I love clean punches – chin, direct hit to the temple. When I fought Glazkov, I was in the driver’s seat from the moment he hit me for the first time. “What’s that? Is he hitting me with pillows?” That was my first thought, seriously. Glazkov got injured but I hurt him with every punch I threw. Imagine what would happen, when – like it was planned – I would have started hitting Glazkov with combinations.
What’s the most underestimated part of your skills?
My hand speed. I find it funny when people describe me as slow. Funny, because I know how many gears I have – enough to be different when I want to be. Ask fighters who fought me what they think about my hand speed, and the power that this speed generates. Every punch hurts. But in the end, I don’t care. People were always naysayers when it comes to me. Look, where I come from they saying, ‘No, he can’t do this or that.’ I just win.
Just after winning the IBF heavyweight title, you said that you’re not interested in easy title defenses. You want big guns in front of you. Looks like you can get what you wish very quickly…
Other fights are just waste of time. What’s the point of facing guys I know I would beat or knock out? Just for payday? Days after the Glazkov fight, I spoke with my manager Mike Borao and promoter Leon Margules, telling them exactly that. I want champions or big names. Guys that are reigning now or who are perceived as future of boxing. I expect Tyson Fury to repeat his performance in the Wladimir Klitschko rematch. Could be even more one-sided, because Klitschko is just an average fighter when he’s afraid to throw his right hand. And he clearly was versus a target as big and moving well as Tyson. I also think that Wilder will beat Povetkin. No matter who is next for me – I just want to prove my words in the ring. I want them all!
By Przemek Garczarczyk
“I find it funny when people describe me as slow. Funny, because I know how many gears I have – enough to be different when I want to be. Ask fighters who’ve fought me. Ask what they think about my hand speed, and the power that this speed generates. Every punch hurts,” said IBF heavyweight champion “Prince” Charles Martin (23-0, 21 KOs) in an exclusive Fightnews.com interview. Martin can’t wait to once again prove his words in the ring…
Charles, you correctly predicted the Denver Broncos as a Super Bowl winner, saying that defense wins championships. Do you think the same when you step between the ropes?
This is the hardest part of boxing. Find the best way to combine both world class defense, because were talking heavyweights here, and offense to prove that you can hit and finish the other guy. I believe that you don’t have some specialized defense and concentrate only on this part. Like Deontay Wilder, whose offense makes so much trouble for the other guy who can never truly implement what he wants to do on the offensive part, and Deontay has an easier task defending himself. Fighters know what can happen when they forget about Wilder’s power. Lennox Lewis was the same. Talking about Deontay, I have to say that “The Pin” Szpilka was doing a tremendous job. Wilder was confused, Szpilka was winning the fight. And then he forgot…
You only have 24 bouts, but you fight like an old school veteran. No wasted punches, controlling pace. Watching you fight, it’s hard to not think that when you throw a punch you know it’ll connect.
This is exactly what I want to do. My everyday training looks exactly the same. In my 10 years of boxing, I always wanted be a patient fighter. Why should I throw “empty” punches – just to show that I can? What’s the point? We all know the saying that we are in the “hurt business.” I take that literally. Every punch I throw is supposed to hurt you. Every one of them. I want you to suffer. I love clean punches – chin, direct hit to the temple. When I fought Glazkov, I was in the driver’s seat from the moment he hit me for the first time. “What’s that? Is he hitting me with pillows?” That was my first thought, seriously. Glazkov got injured but I hurt him with every punch I threw. Imagine what would happen, when – like it was planned – I would have started hitting Glazkov with combinations.
What’s the most underestimated part of your skills?
My hand speed. I find it funny when people describe me as slow. Funny, because I know how many gears I have – enough to be different when I want to be. Ask fighters who fought me what they think about my hand speed, and the power that this speed generates. Every punch hurts. But in the end, I don’t care. People were always naysayers when it comes to me. Look, where I come from they saying, ‘No, he can’t do this or that.’ I just win.
Just after winning the IBF heavyweight title, you said that you’re not interested in easy title defenses. You want big guns in front of you. Looks like you can get what you wish very quickly…
Other fights are just waste of time. What’s the point of facing guys I know I would beat or knock out? Just for payday? Days after the Glazkov fight, I spoke with my manager Mike Borao and promoter Leon Margules, telling them exactly that. I want champions or big names. Guys that are reigning now or who are perceived as future of boxing. I expect Tyson Fury to repeat his performance in the Wladimir Klitschko rematch. Could be even more one-sided, because Klitschko is just an average fighter when he’s afraid to throw his right hand. And he clearly was versus a target as big and moving well as Tyson. I also think that Wilder will beat Povetkin. No matter who is next for me – I just want to prove my words in the ring. I want them all!