Kid Galahad will look to rematch Kiko Martinez “as soon as possible”
after the shock sixth round knockout world title defeat to Kiko
Martinez in his homecoming fight in Sheffield even if it means a
second meeting in the veteran Spaniard’s homeland.
Up until one of the biggest upsets of the year in boxing, Barry Awad –
ring sobriquet Kid Galahad – had looked on course to make a successful
defence of his IBF featherweight crown as he picked the 35-year-old
apart until a dramatic shift in the contest with Martinez flooring
Galahad in the fifth round and then knocking the Ingle Gym fighter
down and out with the first punch of the sixth round with a winging
right hand.
Awad told The Daily Telegraph yesterday: “This is what happens in
boxing, and one punch can change everything. Don’t get me wrong, I’m
absolutely devastated. I just took my eye off the ball for one second.
I want the rematch as soon as possible – even if it means that I have
to go to Spain to get my world title back. I spoke with my trainers
Dom Ingle and John Ingle after the fight and I will come stronger and
learn from this. I’ll be back in the gym on Monday morning. No
excuses, I have to look myself in the mirror.”
Galahad pointed out that there is no “open sparring” at the Ingle Gym
and that he will be no-contact training. The British Boxing Board of
Control mandate no sparring for 28 days or more after a standing count
and 45 days for a knockout.
Eddie Hearn may opt to take the world title rematch back to Spain,
with a burgeoning stable of elite fighters there, including Martinez,
Sandor Martin – fresh from victory over three-weight world champion
Mikey Garcia – and Kerman Lejarraga as the UK promoter continues
growth into Europe with broadcast partner DAZN.
On a dramatic night in Sheffield, Hearn described the knockout of
Galahad by Martinez as “the most stunning thing he has ever seen in a
boxing ring”. Hearn explained: “I can’t believe what I’ve just seen.
It was the most stunning thing I’ve ever seen in a boxing ring. It was
such a one-sided fight. It was a beatdown, a masterclass,” reasoned
Hearn, adding: “One punch changes everything. Kiko Martinez has been
fighting at the top for 15 years. I knew he would not stop trying. He
was being completely outclassed by Galahad.”
Earlier on the Sheffield card, a injury-stricken year for Yorkshire’s
Terri Harper ended in disaster when she lost her World Boxing Council
super featherweight title, after she was knocked out on her feet with
a brutal right hand in the fourth round by American Alycia
Baumgardner. Harper, making a third defence of the title, was
returning to the ring for the first time in twelve months having
broken her hand in her previous performance, which required two
surgeries. Harper is expected to take some time to make her next move,
but it is understood that Hearn has options for the Doncaster fighter
to rematch Baumgardner.
Also, according to Hearn, the heavyweight world title rematch between
Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua for three of the four world title
belts will take place by early April 2022 at the latest. Hearn’s plan
is to bring the fight back to the UK but Alexander Krassyuk, Usyk’s
promoter, revealed that there are three options: “The United Kingdom,
Ukraine and the Middle East. We plan to meet with Eddie Hearn within
the next couple of weeks to initiate the rematch activities.”
“I think the rematch will be realistically end of March, early April,”
added Hearn. “We will start talking to Team Usyk over the next couple
of weeks and pin down the venue. I would like it back in the UK. There
are other options. We have had approaches to stage that fight around
the world. But last time out was a massive spectacle and, obviously,
this time is a much bigger fight.”
Elsewhere, it was announced yesterday that Katie Taylor will defend
her WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine lightweight titles against
WBA mandatory Challenger Firuza Sharipova on the same night that
rising welterweight star Conor Benn steps up against former world
champion Chris Algieri at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool on December
11.