Category Archives: David Martinez

Primo Carnera – REVISTED

David Martinez, Heavyweights, History, Movies

By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com

I have had several inquiries regarding Primo Carnera, with people asking if I have any untold stories from the old timers that lived in his era. Well, there have been three that have told me various stories of interest that I can share. The three men were Emil De Loreto, Joe Campos and Tim Cobos, all respected friends that have passed away (R.I.P.) that knew boxing at its best.

Emil DeLoreto / Acknowledged from his sources that Primo had many fixed fights with most of them leading up to his title fight, when he won the heavyweight championship on June 29, 1933, defeating Jack Sharkey by 6th round knockout. DeLoreto also elaborated that some of his closest friends witnessed Primo losing the title to Max Baer on June 14,1934, taking eleven brutal knock downs in their fight which ended by 11th round knockout. On June 25, 1935 at Yankee Stadium, New York, DeLoreto witnessed a young, upcoming Joe Louis defeat Primo by 6th round knockout.

Joe Campos / Acknowledged seeing Primo as a young kid himself in several wrestling matches at the old Mission Arena in Santa Barbara, California in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. Campos said his father, a boxing trainer at the venue, took him to the matches and they actually met Primo in the dressing room area; he said his handlers used the name “Satchel Feet” referring to his huge feet – a quote that I never forgot.

Tim Cobos / Acknowledged knowing Babe McCoy, who was instrumental in starting Primo’s wrestling career, after he retired from boxing. Cobos also saw Primo wrestle several times at the historic Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, and met him at a local show in Santa Barbara, California. An amazing fact is that Primo engaged in over 3,000 bouts in his sixteen-year wrestling career.

Continue reading Primo Carnera – REVISTED →

Year in Review / The Best in Boxing 2024

David Martinez, Year in Review / The Best in Boxing

Annually, at the end of the year, I assemble the top awards in boxing. Here are my “personal” choices for the year 2024. Also listed are (in order) the runner up’s and a look back at the top winners in each category from the previous four years.

I sincerely respect and openly welcome all opinions of others – thank you!

Respectfully, David Martinez / Boxing Historian

2024 / FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

Oleksandr Usyk (23-0 / 14 by KO)

vs. Tyson Fury (5-18-24) SD-12

vs. Tyson Fury (12-21-24) UD-12

WBA (Super) Heavyweight Champion

WBC Heavyweight Champion

WBO Heavyweight Champion

IBF Heavyweight Champion 

RUNNER UP’S

Naoya Inoue

Vergil Ortiz Jr.

Artur Beterbiev

Jesse Rodriguez  

PAST WINNERS

Naoya Inoue (2023)

Dmitry Bivol (2022)

Canelo Alvarez (2021)

Teofimo Lopez (2020)

2024 / FIGHT OF THE YEAR

Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Serhii Bohachuk (8-10-24) MD-12

RUNNER UP’S

Liam Paro vs. Subriel Matias (6-15-24) UD-12

Raymond Ford vs. Otabek Kholmatov (3-2-24) KO-12

Ekow Essuman vs. Owen Cooper (7-24-24) KO-10

Kenshiro Teraji vs. Carlos Canizales (1-23-24) MD-12

PAST WINNERS

Rafael Espinoza vs. Robeisy Ramirez (2023)

Jermell Charlo vs. Brian Castano (2022)

Stephen Fulton Jr. vs. Brando Figueroa (2021)

Jose Zepeda vs. Ivan Baranchyk (2020)

Continue reading Year in Review / The Best in Boxing 2024 →

RING TRIVIA for December 2024 – ANSWERS

David Martinez, Trivia

I have always been intrigued with boxing trivia. This actually began back when I was a kid in 1961. I would pick the minds of the older generation and ask questions about their era to educate myself. It’s now my pleasure to bring the boxing trivia format to my website www.dmboxing.com for everyone to enjoy. On a quarterly basis I post five (5) multiple choice questions – in March, June, September, and December – with the correct answers to follow by end of each posting month for your viewing.

David Martinez / Boxing Historian

1 – When Oscar De La Hoya suffered the first knock down of his professional career, who was his opponent?

a) Troy Dorsey

b) Narcisco Valenzuela – CORRECT ANSWER

c) Jimmy Bredahl

d) Jorge Paez 

2 – Who was the first heavyweight to win the championship three times?

a) Floyd Patterson

b) George Foreman

c) Joe Frazier

d) Muhammad Ali – CORRECT ANSWER

Continue reading RING TRIVIA for December 2024 – ANSWERS →

FROM THE DESK OF: David Martinez

David Martinez, FROM THE DESK OF:, hats

(Winter 2024 Edition)

The Winter holiday season is officially here and, as I respectfully do on a quarterly basis, I want to say thank you to a small group of people that truly help make dmboxing the success that is has been since the first publication on July 15, 2007.

I take great pleasure in acknowledging these people who are:  Bob Quackenbush (Proof Reader); Tom Donelson (Member Boxing Writers Association of America); Kathy Kraft (Proof Reader); and Steve Corbo (Boxing Writer).

There were three other people who are no longer with us (R.I.P.) that were so instrumental with their contributing to this website. They are: Rusty Rubin (In Rusty’s Corner / Glove2Glove), Harold Lederman (HBO World Championship Boxing / Hey! Harold podcast videos); and Jim Amato (Senior Boxing Writer / Boxing Historian).

As viewed in this edition, my official website hat is displayed. It is blue in color with embroidered logo on front, and website address on back. It has an adjustable Velcro strap to fit all sizes. Purchasing this attractive product can be done by sending $22.00 to: David Martinez Boxing, 810 Coronel Street, Santa Barbara, California 93109 – AND – the price includes FREE shipping to all USA mailing zones.

As for the many who have texted or contacted me with certain questions and offered their personal opinions, I’m sharing three (3) questions of concern which recently have drawn my attention, with my answers in response.

1 – You have mentioned boxing historian Al Nelson who lived in the Jim Jeffries, Jack Johnson, and Bob Fitzsimmons era. How was it and when was it that you actually met him?

*** ANSWER: It was November 1968. I had just returned from my second tour of duty in Vietnam. My friend, Gary Ballin, invited me to go to Jeffries’ Barn located at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. Al Nelson was curator there and a living icon in boxing. He had more knowledge of the fighters of that time than anybody I have ever met. My mind was like a sponge absorbing his expertise, and the education he gave me from his life experiences was incredible. He was a treasure in my life. 

Continue reading FROM THE DESK OF: David Martinez →

P4P Rankings / dmboxing.com

David Martinez, P4P Rankings - Current

Top Dozen / December 17, 2024

* NOTE: Last “Previous Ranking” were based on October 7, 2024 *

1 – Terence Crawford (41-0 / 31 by KO) / Previous Ranking #1

2 – Naoya Inoue (28-0 / 25 by KO) / Previous Ranking #2

3 – Oleksandr Usyk (22-0 / 14 by KO) / Previous Ranking #3

4 – Artur Beterbiev (21-0 / 20 by KO) / Previous Ranking #5

5 – Canelo Alvarez (62-2-2 / 39 by KO / Previous Ranking #6

6 – Dimitry Bivol (23-1 / 12 by KO) / Previous Ranking #4

7 – Jesse Rodriguez (21-0 / 14 by KO) / Previous Ranking #8

8 – Junto Nakatani (29-0 / 22 by KO) / Previous Ranking #9

9 – Gervonta Davis (30-0 / 28 by KO) / Previous Ranking #7

10 – Vasiliy Lomachencko (18-3 / 12 by KO) / Previous Ranking #10

11 – Teofimo Lopez (21-1 / 13 by KO) / Previous Ranking #11

12 – Shakur Stevenson (22-0 / 10 by KO) / Previous Ranking #12

Continue reading P4P Rankings / dmboxing.com →

Jeff Smith – Not To Be Forgotten

David Martinez, History, Middleweights

By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com

My friend, the late Boxing Historian Al Nelson, who was much older than I and who lived at the turn of the 20th Century, told me back in 1969 about a fighter named Jeff Smith, saying “This guy was as tough as nails” … this was a quote in which I took great interest. So, I did some research of my own on this middleweight boxer.

I was amazed at the crop of high level fighters that he faced in his career which included Harry Greb, Gene Tunney, Mike Gibbons, Georges Carpentier, Les Darcy, Tommy Loughran, and George Chip.

Smith began his boxing career in 1910, and engaged in 183 bouts, until his retirement in 1927. In that 17 year span he compiled 141 wins, 34 losses, and 5 draws, with 3 no-contests.

In retirement, he became a physical education instructor with the Bayonne Board of Education and the Fort Dix (New Jersey) Army Base, and also taught boxing lessons at a local YMCA.

Continue reading Jeff Smith – Not To Be Forgotten →

RING TRIVIA for December 2024

David Martinez, Trivia

I have always been intrigued with boxing trivia. This actually began back when I was a kid in 1961. I would pick the minds of the older generation and ask questions about their era to educate myself. It’s now my pleasure to bring the boxing trivia format to my website www.dmboxing.com for everyone to enjoy. On a quarterly basis I post five (5) multiple choice questions – in March, June, September, and December – with the correct answers to follow by end of each posting month for your viewing.

David Martinez / Boxing Historian

1 – When Oscar De La Hoya suffered the first knock down of his professional career, who was his opponent?

a) Troy Dorsey

b) Narcisco Valenzuela 

c) Jimmy Bredahl

d) Jorge Paez 

2 – Who was the first heavyweight to win the championship three times?

a) Floyd Patterson

b) George Foreman

c) Joe Frazier

d) Muhammad Ali 

Continue reading RING TRIVIA for December 2024 →

Tommy Ryan

David Martinez, FLASHBACK, History, Middleweights

*** FLASHBACK ***

This article was originally published on www.dmboxing.com (June 16, 2021) for viewing

By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com

One of the greatest boxers at the turn of the 20th century was certainly Tommy Ryan. Born on March 31, 1870 in Redwood, New York by the name Joseph Youngs, he later changed his name after running away from home at a young age.

He worked in lumber yard camps, where he learned his boxing skills. On January 1, 1887, at the age of 17, he turned professional and scored knockout wins in seventeen of his first eighteen fights.

In his career he would engage in a five fight series with the tough Mysterious Billy Smith, and after two draws, Ryan would win a 20-round decision in their third fight to capture Smith’s welterweight title on July 26, 1894.

On January 18, 1895, Ryan defeated top contender Jack Dempsey (The Nonpareil) by a third round stoppage to retain his title.

Ryan would fight Smith again in their fourth encounter on May 27, 1895, but the police interfered in the eighteenth round and the result was ruled a draw.

The following year on March 2, 1896, Ryan suffered his first career loss to Kid McCoy by a 15 round stoppage.

Continue reading Tommy Ryan →