Profile compiled by Eric Armit
Title: Leotis Martin
Born: 10 March 1939 Helena, Arkansas, USA
Died: 20 November 1995
Profession: 1962 to 1969
Report: 36 fights, 31 wins (19 by KO/TKO), 5 losses (2 by KO/TKO).
Division: Heavyweight
Stance: Orthodox
Titles: NABF heavyweight champion
Main Contests
Scored wins over: Allan Harmon, Sonny Banks, Von Clay, Amos Johnson, Roberto Davila, Mariano Echevarria, Billy Daniels, Karl Mildenberger*, Thad Spencer, Alvin Lewis (twice), Roger Russell, Sonny Liston **
Misplaced towards : Floyd McCoy, Jimmy Ellis**, Roger Russell, Henry Clark, Oscar Bonavena*
**Previous/ future holder of a model of a world title
* Unsuccessful challenger for a model of a world title
Leotis Martin’s Boxing Story
Martin had an excellent report as an newbie. In March 1960, on the Golden Gloves Match of Champions, he beat future foe Jimmy Ellis within the 160 lbs remaining and a month later. On the Intercity Golden Gloves (the forerunner to the Nationwide Golden Gloves), he received the title at 160 lbs. He additionally received the US Nationwide title in April 1960 once more at 160 lbs (a younger Cassius Clay was 178 lbs champion that yr) however in Could misplaced within the semi-finals of the US Olympic trials. In 1961, he repeated his victory within the Intercity Golden Gloves however misplaced on the semi-final stage within the 1961 Nationwide finals.
He had relocated to Philadelphia and was being skilled by Yank Durham, who was additionally coaching Joe Frazier. Martin had his first skilled struggle in Canada on 26 January 1962 towards fellow American Bobby Warthen, who he had overwhelmed within the Intercity Golden Gloves remaining in 1960. He then crossed the border and scored three wins in Pennsylvania in 1962. In 1963, he went 9-1 in ten fights with the lack of an upset KO by 14-14-1 Floyd McCoy.
He received 5 in a row, however one win was over Sonny Banks. A tough puncher, Banks had floored Cassius Clay within the first spherical of their struggle in 1962, solely to be stopped within the fourth. On 10 Could 1965, Banks was successful towards Martin, who was badly shaken within the ninth however launched a proper counter that despatched Banks down along with his head banging on the canvas. Banks was taken from the ring on a stretcher. He by no means recovered and died three days later.
Martin returned to the ring with a win in October 1965 and scored wins over Von Clay, Amos Johnson, Roberto Davila and Spaniard Mariano Echevarria. Wins over a couple of lesser lights noticed his report attain 23-1 by June 1967. When Muhammad Ali refused induction into the US Military the WBA stripped him of their title and held a event to discover a new champion. Martin was chosen to take part within the eliminators and, within the quarter-finals, was drawn towards Jimmy Ellis, his rival from his newbie days after they had gone 1-1 of their two fights. It could not be thought-about a heavyweight struggle now.
Each had climbed by means of the weights. Martin had weighed 160 lbs in his first struggle and was 192 lbs for this struggle. Ellis had weighed as little as 157 lbs and was 194 ¼. Ellis received simply. From the beginning, he was too fast for Martin and had Martin reeling on quite a few events earlier than the struggle was stopped within the ninth as blood was pouring from a lower inside Martin’s mouth. Ellis beat Oscar Bonavena within the semi-final and received the vacant WBA title with a majority resolution over Jerry Quarry.
Martin was on the verge of disappearing from the heavyweight image when he misplaced a break up resolution towards Roger Russell in November 1967. The yr 1968 was a rollercoaster trip for Martin. In April he travelled to Germany the place he floored Karl Mildenberger thrice and knocked him out within the seventh spherical.
The rollercoaster dipped as simply twenty-two days after the Mildenberger struggle, he misplaced a majority resolution to Henry Clark, then soared once more in Could when he stopped Thad Spencer in 9 rounds in one of many best heavyweight fights ever seen in a British ring. It was puzzling to see two People topping a present on the Albert Corridor, however the struggle will stay endlessly within the reminiscence of those that noticed it. Down dipped the rollercoaster once more as in September Martin was simply overwhelmed on factors by Oscar Bonavena in Buenos Aires.
Martin was being dismissed as unpredictable and once more getting ready to being simply an also-ran within the heavyweight stakes. Nevertheless, one other uptick on the 1968 rollercoaster trip as in November, he took on 19-1 Alvin “ Blue” Lewis in Detroit and in entrance of Lewis’ residence followers, he stopped Lewis within the ninth spherical. Lewis demanded a return and in February 1969, once more in Detroit, Martin received a break up resolution. Martin stopped Wendell Newton in October and, in November, reversed the 1967 loss to Roger Russell.
Martin’s luck was about to vary. Since shedding the second struggle towards Ali in 1965, Sonny Liston had received 14 fights in a row, 13 by KO/TKO, and Martin was chosen to be win No 15. They have been to satisfy in Las Vegas on December 6, 1969, over twelve rounds with the inaugural North American Boxing Federation title on the road. Liston had a 20 lbs benefit in weight over Martin and was 3” taller. On the down aspect for Liston is that he was one week away from his thirty-ninth birthday.
Regardless of that Liston was nonetheless very a lot a feared fighter. Martin had helped Liston put together for his fights towards Floyd Patterson and Muhammad Ali so knew Liston properly. He determined that if he may survive the early rounds he would face a weakening Liston and would have an opportunity of successful. It didn’t look as if Martin’s sport plan was going to work when Liston dropped him with a left hook late within the fourth spherical.
Martin survived the remaining 30 seconds and boxed on the retreat, partly as a part of his plan but additionally due to Liston’s jack-hammer jab. Even on the retreat Martin was discovering the goal along with his personal jab and utilizing his youthful legs to set a sooner tempo than Liston wished. After eight rounds of chasing down the retreating Martin, Liston was in entrance by three factors on two playing cards and two factors on the third, however Liston was tiring.
Within the eighth, Martin shook off an enormous left hook and started to power Liston again, piling on the punches. Within the ninth, Martin was out jabbing Liston and adopted a jab with a booming proper cross to the top that surprised Liston. Martin banged residence a left and a proper, and Liston fell face down on the canvas, not transferring for the ten seconds of the rely. That rollercoaster had hit the heights with Martin’s career-best win and a world title struggle a risk.
However that is Leotis Martin and the rollercoaster had one final merciless roll. Martin was recognized with a indifferent retina and compelled to retire. The harm was mentioned to have been a results of the Liston fights, however there was some point out that he had been preventing with the harm from earlier than the Liston struggle. Eye surgical procedure has progressed, and a indifferent retina wouldn’t mechanically be a motive to retire at present, however for Martin, in 1969, it spelt the tip of his profession.
While boxing from 1964, Martin had a full-time job as a machinist at a producing firm, and he continued that work till retiring in 1995. In November of that yr, he had a stroke introduced on by hypertension and issues from diabetes and died aged simply 56.
