Xavier Martinez went from problem child to junior lightweight boxing prospect

Junior lightweight boxer Xavier Martinez steps up in competition against the veteran Claudio Marrero on the undercard of Lipinets vs. Clayton. 

Every boxer has an origins story. Something had to happen that sparks their lives in the ring. Junior lightweight prospect Xavier Martinez entered the sweet science at a young age. The youngster was a loose cannon who was ready to fire his fists without any formal training.

“I always liked to fight, and I was little,” Martinez told FanSided. “I was always getting in trouble. I was never initiating the fights, but as soon as someone would try to pick on me or do something to me, it would just set me off.

“One time, I got real mad at this kid at lunchtime, and I cleared all the food off my lunch tray, and I ended up smacking him with it. So it was kind of after that, my parents had said, you know, we need to put this kid into something, and they put me in boxing. I’ve been doing it ever since I was seven years old.”

The 22-year-old from Sacramento, CA, has accrued five years as a professional boxer. Martinez (15-0, 11 KOs) is an undefeated power puncher on the rise. He’s gearing up for the toughest test of his career against former interim WBA featherweight titlist Claudio Marrero on Saturday, Oct. 24.

The hyperactive seven-year-old took an immediate liking to boxing, but the start of his amateur career didn’t foretell his bright future. He lost his first two bouts. The second loss was ugly, according to Martinez.

“I didn’t get discouraged, you know?” said Martinez reflectively. “I still remember because I got beat up pretty bad. But no, I never got discouraged. After that, I went on like a 15-20 fight win streak.”

Xavier Martinez is on the fast-track to a world title fight, but Claudio Marrero has the potential to mess up Martinez’s plans

As an amateur, Martinez compiled a record of 85-10. He turned professional at 17 years old. After his first televised fight, Martinez’s life changed. He learned through the grapevine that Floyd Mayweather Jr. had been watching a liked what he saw.

Not long after, Mayweather contacted Martinez and invited him to Florida for the weekend. That weekend turned into a week, and Martinez was captivated by Mayweather’s presence.

“Floyd flew me to Florida,” said Martinez. “It was supposed to only be for the weekend. I ended up being out there for a week. I was hanging out with Floyd and got to see what his lifestyle was. It was a real great experience. After that, you know, everything just kind of fell into place.”

The kid who lost his first two amateur fights was signed to Mayweather Promotions and has been on a tear ever since. Marrero is a tough draw, but if Martinez makes good against him, then a WBA title shot could follow.

Martinez isn’t taking Marrero lightly. Marrero (24-4, 17 KOs) has a powerful punch of his own and has a résumé that includes Kid Galahad and Tugstsogt Nyambayar. He hasn’t won against his most challenging opponents, but he has gone the distance with several of them.

“I know he’s very experienced,” said Martinez of Marrero. “He’s a two-time world champion at 126. It’s a big stepping up moment for me.”

If Martinez gets past Marrero, he would like interim WBA champion Chris Colbert next.

“Chris Colbert. That’s the one fight that has to be made, you know, either now or later down the line,” said Martinez. “I think that’ll be a great, fun fight for the both of us.”

Colbert (14-0, 5 KOs) is also undefeated and would male a compelling matchup for Martinez, but he needs to take care of Marrero first. If he does, then a grudge match and a belt could be next on Martinez’s list.

Watch Xavier Martinez fight Claudio Marrero on the undercard of Showtime’s main event between Sergey Lipinets and Custio Clayton on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 9 p.m. ET.