HAVING worked his way up the tree of prospects and contenders to earn a money-spinning shot at Gervonta Davis later tonight, Frank Martin is a legitimate “best available option” kind of foe to headline a pay-per-view.
Unbeaten in 18, with 12 KOs (“he can punch,” admitted Gervonta between insults), sparring session footage has been dug up just in time for requisite beef purposes, as well as the Derrick James-Errol Spence Jr dynamic, there are storylines aplenty for Frank to play off.
Had things transpired differently, Spain’s Jon Fernandez (below) could’ve found himself throwing bombs under the Las Vegas lights this evening.
Circle back to July 2021 and Michel Rivera stared up at a counting referee having been deposited to the California canvas by the heavy-handed Spaniard. Unable to fully capitalise on that brief moment, Fernandez ended up in a firefight and Rivera stopped him two rounds later.
“It was a very good opportunity that I had. I was very young at the time as well,” recalls Fernandez. “I went to the Rivera fight slightly injured, but no excuses.”
Speaking exclusively to Boxing News, Fernandez believes the opportunities against Rivera, as well as his previous loss to a then-unknown O’Shaquie Foster in 2018, came too soon.
“I think that with this third opportunity to put me on the world map again, those two fights [against Rivera and Foster] in the past are going to make a big difference.”
Jon aims to display those big differences the next time he enters the ring against a stern test. Not that his most recent victim, Jezzrel Corrales, wasn’t a difficult operator to navigate past. However, a September clash in Sheffield against Dalton Smith for the European super-lightweight is close to being announced. That is where the Bilbao native hopes the differences will be there for all to see.
Utilising his big fight experience and upsetting the odds against Dalton is just the kind of springboard Fernandez needs to get back to the level of fighters like Rivera, Martin or even the main man, Gervonta Davis, who will be out to make a statement in the MGM Grand tonight.
“I think he [Davis] is the main guy,” says Jon, speaking from Palma de Mallorca, where his wider team had been promoting a show the night before.
“I think he’s the creme de la creme of that division, the most dangerous man there is and obviously the best one.”
The best one for some, but not entirely relevant for Jon who has Dalton Smith on his mind right now, five pounds north. While the 135-pound battle with Rivera gave him confidence and a profile, moving up to 140 suits Fernandez’s 28-year-old frame better.
“Yeah, I feel a lot more comfortable now at super-lightweight,” he agrees.
“When I was a very young kid, [lightweight] wasn’t a problem, but then it was a massive struggle as the years went on. I have a very big frame and now being at super-lightweight, I feel strong, fast and ready for the big fights.”