By Dan Ambrose: Julio Cesar Martinez doesn’t want to let promoter Eddie Hearn down this Saturday night when he defends his WBC flyweight title against McWilliams Arroyo on the Canelo Alvarez vs. Avni Yildirim card on DAZN.
This is another great opportunity for Martinez to build his fan base with an impressive victory over the highly talented McWilliams.
It was a great idea by Hearn to package Julio Cesar Martinez’s fight against Arroyo on the Canelo-Yildirim card, as it will give Martinez a chance to be seen by casual boxing fans that otherwise wouldn’t be seeing him.
After hearing that he’s Hearn’s favorite fighter, Martinez (17-1, 13 KOs) said he wouldn’t fail him.
Martinez, 26, is facing a tough opponent in Arroyo (20-4, 15 KOs), who has a lot of experience is going to be coming to take his WBC title to bring back to Puerto Rico with him.
Martinez has won over many boxing fans in the last two years with his fights against Jay Harris, Andrew Selby, Charlie Edwards, and Cristofer Rosales.
If ‘El Rey’ Martinez can keep his momentum going with an impressive win over the 35-year-old McWilliams, he says he plans on defeating 112-lb world champions to become the undisputed champ in 2021:
- Moruti Mthalane
- Artem Dalakian
- Junto Nakatani
Martinez looking for a KO
“We’re going to see who has the better chin, who wants to win, and it’s coming back to Mexico,” said Julio Cesar Martinez to iFL TV about his WBC title that he’ll be defending against McWilliams.
“We’re prepared for 12 rounds, but we’re coming to look for the knockout, and we’re ready for anything he brings.
“I’m very happy to hear that, and I’m not going to fail you at making weight, Eddie Hearn,” said Martinez when told that Hearn said that he’s his favorite fighter.
2008 Olympian McWilliams is one of the more talented fighters in the 112-pound division, and it’s not going to be a walk in the park for Martinez. This is a fighter that can box as well as slug, and he’s not going to roll over on Martinez.
McWilliams has won his last three fights since coming up short in a 10-round decision loss to Kazuto Ioka in 2018.
Before that defeat, McWilliams had beaten former WBC super flyweight champion Carlos Cuadras by a 10-round majority decision in February 2018.
Martinez will need to go to war with Arroyo if he plans on knocking him out because he’s got a good chin, and he can punch.
More importantly, Arroyo has never been knocked out during his 11-year professional career.
El Rey wants to steal the show
“I’m going to give it my all to show that I’m great. That’s it, we’re looking to steal the show, but we’re looking for help from McWilliams Arroyo. I’m looking to steal the show from Canelo Alvarez.
“That’s what we want to do. We want to unify, and I want all the titles. After that, I want to move up in weight and fight Chocolatito.
“That’s what I want to do. I want to unify all the titles this year and then move up and fight those guys for all the titles. I want all. I’m coming with everything except fear.
“I admire him a lot, he’s always spectacular in camp, and he always is, and he’s going to look great like he always does,” Julio Cesar Martinez said about Canelo.
Martinez is in a good position to easily steal the show from fellow team member Canelo Alvarez, who is defending his WBA/WBC 168-lb titles in the mani event against Avni Yildirim.
That fight is expected to be non-competitive, with Alvarez getting an early knockout. If that turns out to be the case, Martinez will be the one that boxing fans will be talking about afterward when they reflect on the action on the DAZN card.