Xavier Augustine "The Red X" Martínez

Born and raised in Sacramento (with over a quarter of its population being Hispanic...which by the standards of SoCal wouldn't be considered high but for the northern part of the state makes the capital of California practically one giant bodega) with a mixture of Mexican, Nicaraguan and Guatemalan heritage, the now 21 year old fighter took up the sport when he was six and spent the next few years idolizing local hero Diego Corrales (who died in a motorcycle accident in 2007). It shows in his style..not least of which because Martínez has been trained since childhood by Ray Woods, the coach and surrogate father of Corrales (he saved Chico's mother from a destructive marriage to his lowlife biological father, and raised Chico as his own).

Martínez lost his first two amateur contests, but soon dedicated himself (despite a few rocky patches along the way) and finished with an 85-10 record, most of his losses coming before the age of ten, when he turned pro at 17. He is a puncher and fights like it, but is willing to take constructive criticism (at least from Woods) about attacking more efficiently and getting himself hit less in the bargain. He will never be the next Willie Pep, that much is for sure...but I'm sure he'd much rather be the next Corrales. He's probably the most exciting prospect in the Mayweather Promotions stable.

Of the four men to go the distance with him, three have never been stopped as of today...and the outlier he fought in his pro debut. His other ten victims have been savagely broken down and kayoed...including men that had never previously been stopped or had lasted much longer against some bigger names. Watch out for the Red X...he's knocking the graphical content outta suckas' cortical directories left & right, leaving a trail of dead links.

 

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Xavier Augustine "The Red X" Martínez vs. Rashanique Idris "Prince Tiger" Smalls in a battle of unbeaten prospects two years ago:

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His style is this weird amalgamation of his two biggest influences: Corrales' and Mayweather's ...which on paper sounds like it could be disastrous but he makes it work somehow.

 

I didn't make up the nickname BTW...he uses it as part of his Instagram handle and TMT also uses it (stylized with through actual red x icon) when promoting him on social media.

 

I was wondering last night where he might fit in..

In the computerized rankings on BoxRec that savaging of Moralde saw him jump, literally overnight, from #29 all the way up to #15 in the US at super feather. Being that Americans have a pretty dominant showing in the division - not a stranglehold exactly, as the clear #1 is going to be whichever Mexican (either Berchelt or Vargas after their rematch) ends up holding aloft the green strap ...but they do have Davis (WBA Super), Cancio (WBA regular), and Farmer (IBF)...with the possibility of Herring lifting the WBO from Itō. So being near the apex of the USA ratings means you're only a stone's throw from being among the best super feathers in the world.

I don't see too many names of those fourteen left ahead of him that X with some more seasoning couldn't thrash. A lot of "good but not great" chaff at 130lbs at present.

Put it this way, if a relative (by world elite standards) mediocrity like Cancio is able to wear a belt ...then for damn sure XAM can.

(and I like Cancio)

 

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"¡No toques mis dos equis! "

 

X is taking on Jessie Cris Morales "Jimdomar" Rosales, the formerly world-rated Filipino, in the main event of next week's ShoBox: The New Generation.