YUBERJEN MARTINEZ

AGE 26 FROM Colombia STANCE Orthodox TITLES Olympic silver and World bronze

WITH Eleider Alvarez stunning Sergey Kovalev in the professional ranks, it’s worth turning the spotlight on Colombian boxing. Yuberjen Martinez is the star of their amateur team. He recently won the Central American and Caribbean Games in his home country at the Salón Jumbo Country Club in Barranquilla on August 1. In the final the light-flyweight beat Dominica’s Mario Lavegal unanimously to win gold. He can add that medal to a collection that includes an Olympic silver and a World bronze. His team-mates Ceiber Avila and Ingrid Valencia both also won gold medals at flyweight in the men’s and women’s events. Cuba of course dominated the men’s event, Jose Larduet, Erislandy Savon, Roniel Iglesias, Andy Cruz and Lazaro Alvarez all won gold. Interestingly though Olympic champion Arlen Lopez lost to Lester Martinez of Guatamala on a split decision in the middleweight final.