Trusted boxing promoter dies at age 38
Española native went out of his way to take care of local fighters throughout career
Eric Martinez became a boxing promoter for the sole purpose of helping his longtime friend and fellow Norteño, junior bantamweight Tony Valdez.
He quickly came to realize that many other New Mexico boxers could use his help as well.
In the past two years, Martinez’s company, Legacy Promotions, has staged seven cards consisting of 40 bouts. Of those 40 fights, 38 involved at least one New Mexico fighter.
Martinez, of Española, died unexpectedly on Thursday. He was 38.
“Eric had a big heart,” said Albuquerque welterweight Josh Torres, who fought on two of Martinez’s cards. “He really cared for the local boxing scene, and he really went out of his way to make sure his fighters were taken care of.
“The way he treated us was awesome. He made us feel like we were world-class pay-per-view fighters, and he never expected anything back.”
Legacy’s first card was at Camel Rock Casino, north of Santa Fe, in May 2015. Martinez went back to Camel Rock twice more and has promoted shows at four different venues in Albuquerque.
Martinez’s partners in the company are Aaron Perez and his brother, Jordan. The venture actually had six partners initially, Jordan Perez said, but three quickly dropped out.
“The interest that we all had,” Perez said, “was that nobody was doing fights here to take care of our local fighters. Most of our fighters weren’t fighting at all, and if they were, they were fighting to get used as stepping stones.”
Martinez had met Andy Rivera, an amateur boxer, trainer and a boxing writer, when Rivera and trainer Sergio Chavez were working with Valdez.
After he began promoting, Rivera said, Martinez would call him regularly to seek his advice.
“He’d ask, ‘Can you trust people in the fight game, what to look for, how much is too much to pay a fighter,’” Rivera said. “Then he’d call me about opponents and say, ‘Hey, do you think this would be a good matchup?’
“He just wanted to do things the right way.”
When it came to paying fighters, Martinez preferred to err on the high side.
“Tony (Valdez) probably got his four best paydays fighting for (Legacy),” Rivera said.
Martinez also tended to match New Mexico fighters generously. In bouts on his cards between an in-state boxer and one from out of state, the New Mexicans went 24-4 with four draws.
“He paid his fighters well and took care of the fighters and gave us fights to build our records and give us opportunities for bigger fights in the future,” Torres said. “That’s what he was all about, and it was awesome to be part of it.”
Martinez’s stewardship was especially helpful, Rivera said, to Albuquerque brothers Jason and José Luís Sanchez.
The Sanchezes are 11-0 on Legacy Cards. Jason, a featherweight with a 10-0 record, is beginning to catch the eye of national promoters.
Their generosity notwithstanding, Jordan Perez said, he, his brother and Martinez wanted to see Legacy Promotions become profitable. After the first six cards, he said, that wasn’t the case.
“Like in a relationship, when finances are down, there’s arguments,” Perez said. “When finances are up, everybody’s happy.”
Finally, on April 1 at the Manuel Lujan Building at Expo New Mexico, Legacy card No. 7 turned a profit.
“At this moment, I’m remembering that we were so darn happy,” Perez said. “We were excited that we had a great turnout and that finally we were out of the red.”
Torres said Martinez had called him regarding plans to put him in the main event of a show in late July. Perez said that probably won’t happen now, though he and his brother plan to continue the business.
“We’re just going to take a pause right now,” he said. “Eric was Legacy Promotions, will be Legacy Promotions.”
Martinez is survived by his wife, Vivica, and their daughters, Gabriella and Serenity.