Via Craig Page: Kiko Martinez wants a title ahead of the next ‘regular’ WBA featherweight champion Leigh Wood rather than IBF champion Josh Warrington following a 4th round knockout win over Jordan Gill (27-2, 18 KOs) ) last Saturday night in London.
36-year-old Kiko’s win in the game but limited Gill put him in position for a rematch with Warrington, who stopped him in the seventh round last March.
Instead of focusing on the title shot against Warrington, Martinez (44-11-2, 31 KOs) wanted to beat Wood (26-2, 16 KOs).
In some respects, Kiko is looking to take on 34-year-old Wood as he looked so vulnerable against the very easy Michael Conlan last March in Nottingham. Without Conlan letting off steam, he would have defeated Wood.
Another positive for Martinez fighting Wood is that he won’t need to face headbutts all night like in his recent fight with Warrington. The Leeds-born player looks set to get rid of Martinez after headbutting him early.
“I want to fight Leigh Wood,” Kiko Martinez said following his brilliant knockout win in the fourth round over Jordan Gill last Saturday night at Wembley Arena.
“I want to beat Leigh Wood to become world champion. I want to beat him to become world champion.”
Wood likely won’t give Kiko a title for the WBA 126-lb middleweight belt because he wants a match against Leo Santa Cruz that will turn out well.
If Wood wins that fight, he’s talking about wanting to protect Mauricio Lara, a fighter he’s been planning to go up against recently. Wood withdrew from the fight, complaining of a biceps injury. The World Boxing Association mentioned wanting proof of injury.
Lara suspects that Wood is not injured and withdraws from the fight because he does not want to face him.
As for Wood, it would be admirable if he were to schedule a match against Lara, but obviously, that will depend on whether he wins over Santa Cruz or not. If Wood lost to Santa Cruz, it would be meaningless for Lara to fight him.
Martinez caught Gill from the start, nailing him to his will with powerful shots. By the second inning, it was clear Gill was overwhelmed and headed for an early knockout. He was cut in that loop, and he looked in a pitiful shape.
