The WBC on Thursday sanctioned Lester Martinez to fight for its vacant interim super middleweight belt versus Immanuwel Aleem in a bout that ProBoxTV will stage March 21 in San Bernardino, California.
Guatemala’s Martinez, 19-0-1 (16 KOs), visited with WBC officials in Mexico City this week, collecting his Fight of the Year trophy following his entertaining September draw versus new WBC full titleholder Christian Mbilli on the Terence Crawford-Saul ”Canelo” Alvarez card in Las Vegas.
“As president of the WBC, I am thrilled to know such an amazing young man as Lester,” Mauricio Sulaiman said in a release. “We are committed to supporting boxing and its development, worldwide.”
Ensuring that Martinez, 30, maintains an active schedule of ideally fighting every six months, ProBox founder and Martinez promoter Garry Jonas established the availability of Aleem, 22-3-3 (14 KOs), who most recently fought in July.
“I’d like to thank the WBC for granting Lester this opportunity,” said Jonas (who also owns BoxingScene). “I know it’s not easy doing their job with all the twists and turns that can take place at this level of the sport. This is a fair and reasonable outcome that Lester gets a chance to fight for the same belt he competed with Mbilli for. This is a big deal for Lester and his country. Guatemala has never had a world champion, and we’re very hopeful he can bring the belt home on March 21.”
The bout will be staged at the Orange Show Events Center, where Martinez knocked out Joeshon James in the fourth round in March.
Martinez was in a holding pattern following the December retirement of five-division and undisputed super middleweight champion Crawford, opening title vacancies among all four sanctioning bodies.
“I really thought I won the fight on September 13, and it’s been frustrating to not get a rematch with Mbilli,” Martinez said of the draw. “I very much appreciate Mauricio and the WBC Board of Governors for giving me this opportunity. It’s been my dream to be the first Guatemalan champion ever. I can’t wait for March 21.”
The WBC elevated Canada’s Mbilli, previously its interim belt holder, to full titlist, and the intention is to make his first title defense against four-division champion Alvarez in September atop a Mexican Independence Day weekend card in Saudi Arabia.
Alvarez underwent left elbow surgery in October and is skipping his traditional Cinco de Mayo weekend card.
On Wednesday, Martinez appeared on ProBoxTV’s “BoxingScene Today,” displaying his new WBC trophy and discussing his future.
He called the Fight of the Year acknowledgement “great recognition,” and proof that his career is becoming “more serious. … To get an entire nation on its feet – so euphoric – feels great. We still have a long way to go.”
Martinez said his all-action showing against the unbeaten Mbilli “left me wanting more,” and with the approval to fight for the WBC interim belt, “we’re going to have it.
“We’re at that level, and I know my next fight will be for a world title,” he said.
Analyst and former 140lbs titleholder Chris Algieri asked Martinez if he would rather fight Alvarez or a victorious Mbilli for the full belt should he defeat Aleem, whom fellow analyst Paulie Malignaggi referred to as a tricky, potential “banana peel” opponent.
“I want to beat a truly great boxer and I want to be a world champion. … Of course, I’m interested in both,” Martinez answered.
Lance Pugmire is BoxingScene’s senior U.S. writer and an assistant producer for ProBox TV. Pugmire has covered boxing since the early 2000s, first at the Los Angeles Times and then at The Athletic and USA Today. He won the Boxing Writers’ Association of America’s Nat Fleischer Award in 2022 for career excellence.
