Stung and Stunned
By James Blears
Julio Cesar Martinez vs McWilliams Arroyo 2 fight preview, tale of the tape and stats
The first fight between World Boxing Council flyweight champion Julio Cesar Martinez (18-2, 14KO) and McWilliams Arroyo (21-4, 16KO) was short, sweet, explosive, but ulitmately inconclusive as a clash of heads ended proceedings prematurely after just two rounds.
It was just getting interesting, so this one on Saturday, June 25th at the Tech Point Arena, San Antonio, will settle matters once and for all.
A handful of problems arose prior to fight one, especially after Julio Cesar suffered a small but significant fracture to his right hand in sparring and the swelling then worsened. Julio, who's favourite saying is: “With everything except fear,” pleaded to receive a pain-numbing injection, so he could fight on with everything through pain, but with so much at stake, it had to be postponed.
When it did happen, there were fireworks from the outset. Puerto Rican McWilliams, who has very respectable power, having stopped 16 opponents, decided to fight fire with fire and enthusiastically strode into the blast furnace, in all-out attack mode. Straight left jabs and big following rights. Then one of those rights put down the defending WBC World flyweight champion Julio. Surprised and abashed, 'El Rey' indignantly got straight back up, but from the look on his face, he'd been shocked as well as stung.
Mightily annoyed at himself at being caught cold, the Mexican launched a callously characteristic onslaught. A thunderous left hook cracked the Puerto Rican challenger on the side of his face and he went down even harder. He got up, looked all at sea but without his sea legs, and all of sudden… the bell rang. Phew! One of McWilliams' cornermen rushed to him and literally dragged him back to the stool.
Aged 36, McWilliams who won the WBC Interim title in Julio's absence prior to all of this, is always in great physical shape. Initially stunned and befuddled, he was given a dressing down, a sprucing up and was ready to resume when the bell rang, after 60 crucial seconds of invaluable recovery time.
The late, great boxing scribe and natural broadcaster Reg Gutteridge wrote in praise of Rocky Marciano's power, saying: “He heaved punches like cobblestones, but he made them count.” At five-feet-four, McWilliams towers two inches over pocket-sized powerhouse Julio Cesar, but almost every punch the tiny Mexican throws is unleashed with the express intention of knocking out his opponent. Pure, undistilled venom.
An unfortunate, accidental clash of heads then left McWilliams with a gash on his right eyelid and another just above it on his eyebrow. He valiantly fought on, with seeping blood flecking his now ashen pale face, but the eye was rapidly swelling shut. When the bell rang, he went back to his corner, and visibly shook his head. The Ring Doctor advised the Referee that McWilliams couldn't continue with his vision severely impaired and the fight was declared a no contest. A thrilling encounter and hopefully their second will live up to it and be cranium clash free.
Martinez vs Gonzalez
Juan Francisco Estrada had to pull out of the super flyweight thriller with Roman Chocolatito Gonzalez due to contracting covid 19, and on less than six weeks of notice, so Julio Cesar, enterprisingly seized the opportunity with both hands, with the WBC Diamond Belt at stake. With 52 fight notches on his belt compared to Julio Cesar's lowly 19, the Nicaraguan maestro gave the younger man a comprehensive boxing lesson.
A steady stream of jolting jabs, heavy accurate right hands plus uppercuts which often found their mark, garnished with a bevy of crunching body shots, all delivered at short range. On that night Chocolatito was a supreme unstoppable force and he was not to be denied, winning a convincing UD.
Julio Cesar fought back magnificently, landing his vaunted left hook and combinations, but sustaining and weathering a non-stop attack, he couldn`t sit down on his punches. Not only was he outfought, he was uncharacteristically driven on to the back foot time and again, where he's not very comfortable. He was constantly punished without respite, but his willpower and resistance were stubbornly terrific. He simply wouldn't give in!
The question being… has this stood him in good stead and seasoned him, or has it taken something out of him? This was a setback, but he's still only 27 and is again fighting at his natural weight.
Analysis
McWilliams' twin brother McJoe has won the super flyweight IBF belt. McWilliams is himself a boxer of quality. He defeated Carlos Cuadras by a majority decision. He lost a UD to WBA champion Kazuto Ioka. Aged 36, this is most probably his last chance at glory and it's for the glittering prize of the prestigous Green and Gold Belt.
Julio Cesar must temper his natural aggression just a tad and channel it. The title was his for the taking and almost within his grasp when he felled Champion Charlie Edwards with a cluster bomb combination in the third, but he then followed through hitting the felled and stricken Brit with a heavy body shot, so it was declared a no contest. He needs to display and employ the grim determination he wrought, stopping former champion Cristofer Rosales in the ninth to win the vacant championship, after Charlie decided to move up a division.
McWilliams has proved to himself that Julio can be put down and is not invincible. McWilliams is the more accomplished craftsman and the better boxer. Yet, he`s now felt that extraordinary shuddering power the Mexican carries in both stunning fists. Julio must return to winning ways, proving he`s “El Rey” and this is his opportunity, if he can focus and curb his enthusiasm. For McWilliams with nerve…it`s now or never!
Predictions
Tim Rickson, BBN Editor: "The first fight was pure fire while it lasted, it's a shame it ended the way it did, but we were treated to so much action in such little time. I expect the rematch to be just as explosive. I believe Arroyo will come out gunning again, as he probaby sees this as his best shot at winning. That first konckdown was suprising, because Martinez was the one who landed heavily just seconds before, but he wilted under the power of Arroyo so quickly, I think it was a temple shot, which explains the effect it had, but then Martinez fired back bravely to turn the tide with his own knockdown. When Julio went down, he was straight back up and didn't even want the count, but Arroyo looked lost and needed guiding back to his corner. I think Martinez would have stopped Arroyo within the next round anyway, without the cut.
"Both these fighters will throw power punches again, but I believe Martinez, who is so vicious, has the stronger power to stop Arroyo."
Stats
This will be the WBC's 2,145 championship fight in their 59 year history
43 World flyweight champions recognised by the WBC, of which only six have regained their title: Pone Kingpethc / Chartchai Chionoi /Betulio Gonzalez / Shoji Oguma / Sot Chitalada / Pongsaklek Wonjongkam
Thailand's Pongsaklek Wonjongkam holds the record for title defences with 25
162 World flyweight bouts have been held over 64 different cities – this will be the first in New Hampshire
Mexico vs Puerto Rico
There has been 41 WBC World flyweight fights between Mexico and Puerto Rico
Mexico has won 22, Puerto Rico has won 18 – one ended in a No Contest
Tale of the Tape
Martinez
WBC Super-flyweight Champion
Nationality: Mexico
Date of Birth: January 27, 1995
Birthplace: Mexico City
Residence: Mexico City
Alias: El Rey
Record: 18-2-0-1NC, 14KO
KO Ratio: 70%
Guard: Orthodox
Age: 27
Rounds: 101
World title fights: 6 (5-0-0-1NC)
Manager: Eddy Reynoso
Promoter: Matchroom Boxing
Arroyo
WBC Interim Super-flyweight Champion
Nationality: Puerto Rico
Date of Birth: December 5, 1985
Birthplace: Ceiba, P. Rico
Residence: Fajardo, P. Rico
Alias: The Twin
Record: 21-4-0-1NC, 16KO
KO Ratio: 61.6%
Age: 36
Guard: Orthodox
Total rounds: 143
World title fights: 4 (1-2-0-1NC)
Manager: Orlando Piñero
Promoter: Puerto Rico Best Boxing
WBC 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 –
MCWILLIAMS ARROYO (P. RICO) INTERIM 2021 –
*Regained
WBC Flyweight Top 10 Champions
1. MIGUEL CANTO (MEXICO)
2. PONGSAKLEK WONJONGKAM (THAILAND)
3. CHARTCHAI CHIONOI (THAILAND)
4. EFREN TORRES (MEXICO)
5. YURI ARBACHAKOV (RUSSIA)
6. ROMAN GONZALEZ (NICARAGUA)
7. SOT CHITALADA (THAILAND)
8. AKIRA YAEGASHI (JAPAN)
9. BETULIO GONZALEZ (VENEZUELA)
10. SHOJI OGUMA (JAPAN)
World Flyweight Title Fights by Country
JAPAN: 50
THAILAND: 48
MEXICO: 16
USA: 12
SOUTH KOREA: 12
VENEZUELA: 6
ENGLAND: 8
PHILIPPINES: 2
ITALY: 2
NORTH IRELAND: 1
KUWAIT: 1
JAMAICA: 1
FRANCE: 1
CHILE: 1
AUSTRALIA: 1
TOTAL: 162
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