Ryan Martin (boxer)

Amateur career

Anson Wainwright of BoxingScene wrote, "From a young age Martin was highly touted." He was dubbed "Kid London" by famed Jermain Taylor as a promising favorite for the 2012 Olympic team. Martin had a reported record of 202 wins with 22 losses, winning numerous American National Championships. His most notable accomplishment was his lightweight gold medal performance at the men's 2010 Under-19 National Championship, earning a berth to represent Team USA.

He was to represent Team USA at the 2010 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships in Azerbaijan. However, the entire team wasn't able to compete due to a volcanic eruption in Iceland. This was the lone qualifier for the 2010 Summer Youth Olympic games held in Singapore.

At the 2012 Olympic qualifying tournament, Martin failed to advance to the Summer Games by losing to the Olympic alternate, Robert Easter, on points 14-8.

Professional career

After various meetings with promotional companies to sign professionally, the media announced in August 2013 that Martin had signed an exclusive, multi-year, undisclosed deal with rap mogul Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson.

On September 16, 2013, Martin made his professional debut defeating Darus Somieari by way of TKO in round two. He finished 2013 with a KO victory stopping Eric Goodall in just one round. Reports showed HBO's VP of Programming, Peter Nelson, watching the bout ringside with 50 Cent.

Martin was very active in 2014, being put on a fast track by his promoter 50 Cent and manager Tim VanNewhouse. He compiled a total of eight fights while fighting on the undercards of major events televised by Showtime Boxing, ESPN and HBO Sports.

On January 22, 2014 Showtime Sports Shobox analyst Steve Farhood labeled Ryan Martin as a top prospect.

Martin vs. Villaraga

Originally, Martin was to face veteran Fermin De Los Santos. However, De Los Santos was stopped at customs three days before the fight and was prevented from entering the country. An announcement was made that Martin would face former Olympian César Villaraga for the vacant WBC Continental Americas lightweight title.

Martin had a four-inch height advantage and a longer reach than the former Olympian. He was able to stay on the outside as he landed clean punches on Villaraga. Villaraga attempted to initiate exchanges, but Martin effectively countered with three- and four-punch combinations to the head, while digging big left hooks to the body. Slowly but surely, he began to break Villaraga down as the fight went on. In round 4 Martin landed a big overhand right, scoring a knockdown. He continued to dominate throughout the second half of the fight by fast counter punch combinations. All three judges scored the bout in favor of Martin: 79-72, 79-72, and 78-73.

Personal life

Martin embarked for the Dominican Republic after winning a silver medal at the 2009 National Junior Olympics. He and other USA team members boxed in four cities throughout the nation, carrying with them their Christian faith and spreading the word of Jesus Christ. The week-long trip was organized by USA Boxing's 2008 Olympic Games team manager Joe Smith.

In 2010 Martin received a proclamation from the Mayor of Chattanooga that anointed him an Ambassador of Goodwill "in recognition of his outstanding athletic abilities and service to his community". Mayor Littlefield signed the proclamation.

On February 12, 2014 RevolutionWear's FRIGO underwear company announced a two-year undisclosed sponsorship deal with the boxer. "We're delighted to be working with Ryan Martin," says RevolutionWear's founder and CEO Mathias Ingvarsson. "It's a thrill to see athletes and everyday Americans incorporate FRIGO® into their active lifestyles." The deal mentioned Everlast Worldwide being a part of the design process for Martin's ring attire.

On May 13, 2014, rapper 50 Cent released the music video for "Winners Circle", featuring Guordan Banks, from his fifth studio album, Animal Ambition: An Untamed Desire to Win. The video, directed by Eif Rivera, shows 50 Cent jogging and Martin training for a fight. They meet up in the ring for a victory, joining each other in the winner's circle.