Newly crowned IBF champion “Prince” Charles Martin (23-0-1, 21 KOs) isn’t satisfied with just one piece of the heavyweight crown. After an anti-climactic victory over Vyacheslav Glazkov (21-1-1, 13 KOs) on Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, Martin wasted no time calling out WBA/WBO champion Tyson Fury. The Manchester, England native was in attendance to watch Martin-Glazkov and WBC champion Deontay Wilder defend his title against Artur Szpilka.
Fury made his presence felt after Wilder’s KO victory. He stormed the ring after the fight and created a WWE-like scene as he engaged with Wilder in a nose-to-nose verbal exchange. Many fans would love to see Fury and Wilder fight to unify three-fourths of the heavyweight championship, but Martin doesn’t want to be left out of the equation.
“I want to fight Tyson Fury. I want to Deontay Wilder. I want everything,” Martin said at the post-fight press conference after his win over Glazkov.
Martin’s victory came via TKO in the third round when Glazkov injured his knee and was unable to continue. Martin and Glazkov were battling for the IBF title that was previously held by Fury after he defeated Wladimir Klitschko in October. The IBF stripped Fury of the title when he refused to face Glazkov, the mandatory challenger, and instead elected to accept an offer for a rematch against Klitschko.
While Martin was happy to win, it seemed to be a bittersweet situation because his crowning moment felt rather inconclusive.
After the fight, still sensing he has something to prove, Martin said, “I’m going to show the world I got that fighter’s heart. I just can’t wait to get back in the ring.”
By targeting Fury and Wilder, Martin is trying to put himself on the fast track to validation. Many will wonder if he’s biting off more than he can chew. The 29-year-old from St. Louis, Missouri had a sparkling record heading into the bout with Glazkov, but he’d never faced a significant opponent in his career. Because of his weak résumé, some fans could question whether he was even deserving of his shot at the title.
Nonetheless, he holds a quarter of the world championship in boxing’s glamour division. If he faces Wilder or Fury, he’ll get a chance to prove to the boxing world that he’s fit to be called a champion.
This article was penned by the author who is not related to the WBA and the statements, expressions or opinions referenced herein are that of the author alone and not the WBA.
