FORMER IBF heavyweight champion Charles Martin has returned to action.
Martin is the man Anthony Joshua beat a year ago to become a world champion. The American talked up his chances before the fight but conceded his world title tamely in two rounds. Judging by a bizarre sequence of social media posts he appeared to have gone off the rails but now, over a year later, he got back to boxing. On Tuesday he halted Byron Polley in two rounds at Fitzgerald’s Hotel & Casino in Tunica, Missippi.
“I’m just back to finish what I started,” Martin told FS1’s Brian Custer during a post-fight interview at ringside. “It was a long journey [to win the title]. I didn’t want it to end like that, but it did. Now I’m back and I’m ready to be undisputed, like my plans were originally, undisputed champ.”
Also on the bill, Oscar Molina lost a 10 round decision to Levan Ghvamichava and Yordenis Ugas stopped Nelson Lara.
“I want any of the world class fighters in the welterweight division,” said Ugas. “I’m ready to fight anyone and prove that I’m as good as any fighter out there.”
