Martin upsets Picasso to wrest WBC silver featherweight belt
MANILA, Philippines — Rising Filipino boxing star Carl Jammes Martin scored the biggest win of his promising career after stunning former world title challenger David Picasso of Mexico on points to annex the WBC silver featherweight title early Sunday (Manila time) at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Martin, the 27-year-old pride of Lagawe, Ifugao, finished strong in the last two rounds to make up for an eighth-round flash knockdown and edge the favored Picasso by split decision.
The unbeaten Filipino won the 10-round bout with scores of 94-95, 95-94 and 96-93 for his 29th victory in as many fights.
And it came against the biggest name in Martin’s resume in Picasso, a one-time world championship challenger who tried his luck against pound-for-pound Japanese star Naoya Inoue in 2025.
After losing to Inoue on points in a failed bid to become the unified WBC, IBF and WBO super bantamweight champion, Picasso moved up in weight and stopped countryman Maicol Rincon in August this year to win the same minor belt he lost Sunday to Martin.
It was a close, chess match-type of a fight Sunday as both fighters measured each other out and traded shots. But Picasso made significant headway in the eighth round when he dropped Martin with a short jab to the face.
The Filipino quickly beat the count and was visibly in no danger, even protesting that he instead tripped.
Martin proceeded to land solid blows to Picasso’s head and body to make a strong case in winning the last two rounds.
“Just patience,” Martin said on the ring after the fight when asked how he adjusted after the crucial knockdown.
The victory put the power-punching Martin, who has 21 knockouts under his name, in a position for a world title shot.
Picasso, for his part, fell to 33-2-1 (with 18 KOs).
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