LOS ANGELES — Lester Martinez did what he needed to do Saturday night at the USC Galen Center. Now comes the more difficult part — getting one of boxing’s biggest names to fight him.
Martinez stopped Luka Plantic in the 10th round to retain his interim WBC super middleweight championship, then immediately turned his attention toward the winner of Canelo Alvarez vs. Christian Mbilli.
For the unbeaten Guatemalan contender, either matchup would make sense. Canelo represents the biggest opportunity financially and professionally. Mbilli represents unfinished business.
But while Martinez’s interim WBC championship gives him leverage in the conversation, it doesn’t guarantee he’ll get either fight. What Martinez did Saturday was strengthen his argument.
Plantic Gives Martinez Problems Early
The final result doesn’t completely tell the story of the fight. Plantic, a Croatian Olympian, presented legitimate problems during the opening rounds with his speed, combinations and willingness to exchange.
Instead of allowing Martinez to dictate the pace, Plantic attacked. His hand speed repeatedly allowed him to get his offense off before Martinez could respond, and by the third and fourth rounds, the blood on Martinez’s face provided evidence that Plantic’s punches were getting through.
This wasn’t going to be an easy title defense. But Martinez remained patient. Rather than allowing Plantic’s early success to pull him away from his approach, Martinez continued applying pressure and forcing the challenger to work. Eventually, that pressure began collecting interest.
Martinez Breaks Plantic Down
By the fifth and sixth rounds, the fight began changing. Plantic wasn’t attacking with the same frequency. The combinations became less consistent. He began holding more, looking for opportunities to slow Martinez’s pressure and create additional recovery time.
Martinez recognized it. The interim champion continued landing the cleaner, heavier punches while making Plantic defend for increasingly longer stretches.
Plantic’s speed had made him dangerous early. But speed becomes considerably less effective when fatigue prevents a fighter from using it consistently.
Holding gave Plantic temporary relief. It didn’t change the direction of the fight. Martinez kept coming. A heavy hook eventually staggered Plantic, and from there the physical difference between the two fighters became increasingly apparent.
Martinez Finishes It in the 10th
By the championship rounds, Martinez had taken control. The accumulated punishment finally produced a knockdown in the 10th. Plantic beat the count and attempted to continue, but the referee stepped in shortly afterward and stopped the fight.
Plantic immediately protested the decision, believing he should’ve been given more time to recover. The result, however, was official. Martinez improved to 21-0-1 with 17 knockouts, successfully defending his interim WBC championship and keeping himself directly involved in the conversation at 168 pounds. Then he made it clear where he wants to go next.
Canelo or Mbilli?
Following the victory, Martinez described defending his championship as an obligation that had been placed in front of him. He handled it.
Now he wants the reward. Martinez called for the winner of Canelo Alvarez and Christian Mbilli, putting himself forward for what would easily become the biggest fight of his career.
Canelo is obviously the prize. A fight against Alvarez would provide Martinez with a level of money, attention and exposure that few opponents in boxing can offer. But possessing an interim championship doesn’t necessarily mean Martinez will be Canelo’s next opponent.
Boxing’s biggest stars rarely operate according to rankings alone, and Alvarez’s ability to choose among numerous lucrative options means Martinez could do everything required by the sanctioning body and still find himself waiting. That’s what makes Mbilli particularly interesting.
Martinez and Mbilli Have Unfinished Business
Martinez doesn’t need a manufactured storyline to sell a second fight with Mbilli. They already have one. The two fought to a draw in their previous meeting, leaving both men without the definitive victory necessary to settle the argument over who is better.
A rematch would answer it. Depending on what happens when Mbilli faces Canelo, it could also become significantly more important to the championship picture.
If Mbilli wins, Martinez would have an obvious argument: he already fought the new champion to a draw. If Canelo wins, Martinez could still pursue Alvarez while keeping a Mbilli rematch available as one of the strongest alternatives in the division. Either way, Martinez has positioned himself exactly where a contender wants to be.
A’Mir Sears Stars on Both Sides as Columbus Stuns No. 1 Bishop Gorman, 33-28
Welcome to Dice City Sports — where we provide premium, exclusive, up-to-date news and analysis surrounding the Las Vegas sports scene. Follow along on social media, and check back for new articles daily!
Robert LaMar is a Deputy Editor for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
