Chasity Martin wins rematch in hometown of Pompano Beach

Chasity Martin wins rematch in hometown of Pompano Beach
By: Ron Scarfone

Boxing fans filled Club Cinema in Pompano Beach, Florida to see Chasity Martin fight in her hometown for the first time as a pro. Martin is known as “The Queen of Pompano” and has gained a large local fan base. Martin is also popular throughout the United States due to her success as an amateur boxer.

However, Martin did not qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Martin believes that her fighting style is better suited for professional boxing and she has been correct in her assessment.

Martin’s trainer is Stacey McKinley who has become like a father figure to her. McKinley was Mike Tyson’s trainer for a decade and has also trained other world champions. Martin is the first female boxer that McKinley has trained and she has obviously improved under McKinley’s guidance. McKinley began training Martin when she was 14 years old.

Martin is now 20 years of age and she is still learning the ropes, but it is anticipated that she will be a world champion in the future. Martin’s previous fight was in Kissimmee, Florida against Ivana Coleman. Martin won that fight by unanimous decision, but Coleman is a tenacious boxer who never gives up. Coleman lost by unanimous decision to Shelly Vincent and Heather Hardy in 2012. Vincent and Hardy are both featherweight contenders now. Coleman is from New Orleans, Louisiana and she returned to Florida to face Martin in a rematch which was the main event of this fight card titled Night of the Rising Stars which was presented by Warriors Boxing Promotions.

Martin weighed a pound and a half over the 130-pound super featherweight limit. Coleman weighed about 127 pounds which was within the weight class. Martin performed even better in this rematch and connected many times to the head, but Coleman showed that she can take a punch. Coleman has never been knocked out in her career. Coleman is shorter than Martin, but she is like a bull that is always charging forward. It was a shutout on all three judges’ scorecards with Martin winning by unanimous decision. The scores were 40-36 in this four-round bout. Martin remains undefeated and is now 4-0, 1 KO. Martin is currently rated No. 39 by BoxRec in the super featherweight division. Coleman drops to 1-8, 0 KO. Coleman is 41 years of age, but she is a good litmus test for up and coming boxers even though she has a losing record.

The co-main event featured “Dangerous” Dyah Davis of Coconut Creek, Florida and Victor “The Spartan” Darocha of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Dyah Davis is the son of Howard Davis Jr. Davis Jr. won a gold medal in boxing at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Canada. Davis Jr. became a MMA trainer that specialized in teaching striking. A few years ago, Davis Jr. formed his own MMA promotional company. Davis Jr. died of lung cancer in 2015, although he did not smoke. Coconut Creek is a city near Pompano Beach, so many of the spectators were rooting for Davis to win. The 35-year-old Davis is rated No. 91 by the IBO in the super middleweight division. Davis is also rated No. 98 by BoxRec.com. Davis won the vacant NABF super middleweight title in 2012. This bout was scheduled to be in the super middleweight division, although both Davis and Darocha were both a tad over the weight limit. Darocha’s gloves touched the canvas in round two after a straight right by Davis. This was counted as a knockdown. Darocha was undeterred and fought valiantly for the rest of the round. However, Darocha was backpedaling in round five as Davis used his height and reach advantage to land more often. Davis punctuated the fight with a right uppercut to the head. The judges’ scores were 59-54, 59-54, and 57-56. Davis won by unanimous decision in this six-round bout. Davis improves his record to 25-4-1, 11 KOs. Darocha’s record falls to 7-2-1. 6 KOs.

Daniele Scardina of Miami Beach, Florida remains unbeaten at 8-0, 8 KOs after defeating Rashad Jones of Selma, Alabama. Scardina weighed about 172 pounds which was within the light heavyweight limit. Jones weighed about 180 pounds which was five pounds over the weight limit, but Scardina was still stronger. Scardina knocked down Jones in one of the ring corners in the first round. In round two, Scardina knocked down Jones again, but it was in another corner of the ring. Jones got up, but the referee stopped the fight at 2:26. Scardina won by TKO in the second round. Jones’ record falls to 4-11-3, 2 KOs.

There were two fights which resulted in controversial decisions by the judges. David Rodriguez of Miami Gardens, Florida was making his pro debut against winless boxer Devin “Bad Ass” Laney who is from Miami, Florida. This was a four-round bout scheduled in the middleweight division. Rodriguez weighed within the weight limit, but Laney was three pounds over at 163 pounds. Rodriguez landed more punches in round three, but the other rounds should have been won by Laney. Laney was effective with a right uppercut to the head and landed that punch more than once. One judge scored it 39-37 for Laney. The other two judges scored it 39-37 both in favor of Rodriguez. Rodriguez won by a split decision and got his first victory as a pro with a record of 1-0, 0 KO. Laney remains winless at 0-4, 0 KO.

An even more egregious decision was made in the fight with Tobias “Da Truth” Green of West Palm Beach, Florida and Yasmani Calzadilla of Miami, Florida. “Da Truth” is that Green should have lost. This four-round bout was in the super lightweight division. Both boxers were within the weight limit of 140 pounds. Calzadilla is a southpaw and is a little taller than Green. Green was being pummeled by Calzadilla in the fourth and final round and Calzadilla deserved to win every round. However, the judges scored it 39-37, 39-37, and 38-38. Green won by majority decision and remains undefeated at 6-0, 2 KOs. Calzadilla’s record falls to 1-3, 1 KO. This event could have been called Night of the Falling Stars if these two fights would have been scored correctly.

Ivan Jimenez of Miami, Florida remains unbeaten and improves his record to 7-0-1, 4 KOs after defeating Angel Albelo of Kissimmee, Florida. This fight was in the super featherweight division, but Jimenez weighed a half pound over the 130-pound weight limit. Albelo is a southpaw. There was not much action in this fight. Jimenez was only throwing sporadically. The three judges scored the fight 40-36 and Jimenez won by unanimous decision. Albelo’s record falls to 4-9-3, 1 KO.

Robert Daniels Jr. of Miami, Florida won his professional debut over Yendris Rodriguez Valdez who is also from Miami. This fight was in the light heavyweight division and both boxers weighed about 171 pounds. Daniels Jr. is the son of former world cruiserweight champion Robert Daniels who walked to the ring with his son. Daniels Jr. seems to have inherited the knockout power of his father. Daniels Jr. landed two left jabs to the head of Valdez and Valdez was subsequently knocked out. The fight was stopped at 1:21 of round one. Daniels Jr. won by KO and is now 1-0, 1 KO as a pro. Valdez’s record falls to 1-2, 1 KO.

Two boxers who have the same last name won their bouts. John David Martinez of Miami, Florida won by TKO in the first round against Harrison Melendez of Miami, Florida who was a late substitute for the original opponent. This fight was in the middleweight division, but Melendez weighed a pound over the 160-pound weight limit. Martinez knocked Melendez down twice in the first round. Melendez got up after the second knockdown, but the referee stopped the fight at 2:34 of round one. Martinez is now 2-0, 1 KO. Melendez is winless at 0-2, 0 KO.

Anthony Martinez Jr. of Miami, Florida won by split decision over Bruce Lutchmedial of Sunrise, Florida in a four-round bout. This fight was scheduled to be in the super welterweight division. Martinez Jr. weighed two pounds over the 154-pound weight limit. Lutchmedial was within the weight class. Two judges scored the fight 40-36 in favor of Martinez Jr. whereas the other judge scored it 39-37 in favor of Lutchmedial. Martinez Jr. is now 2-0, 1 KO. Lutchmedial is still winless at 0-3, 0 KO.

During the intermission, Claressa “T-Rex” Shields entered the ring and was holding her two gold medals that she won in the middleweight division for women’s boxing in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. Shields is originally from Flint, Michigan, but is currently living in Florida. Shields said that she will be making her pro debut on the undercard of the event which has Sergey Kovalev defending his world light heavyweight titles against Andre Ward. Shields’ opponent is also making her pro debut. Her name is Franchon Crews and she was also an accomplished amateur, but was an alternate in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics for the United States. Crews is known as “The Heavy Hitting Diva.” The date of this fight is November 19, 2016.