'Prince' Charles Martin loses on points to unbeaten Adam Kownacki in New York
Monday 10 September 2018 09:42, UK
'Prince' Charles Martin's return to the ring ended in disappointment as he lost a brutal 10-round war with Adam Kownacki on points.
The man who lost his IBF world title to Anthony Joshua had been away from the sport for over a year and ended up suffering the second defeat of his carrier at a packed Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, New York.
Martin made a slow start but came on strong in the second half of a hard-hitting heavyweight encounter, only for all three judges to score it 96-94 in Kownacki's favour.
The Pole was ranked 10 by the WBC and 12 by the IBF and will move up the ladders after making a confident start and setting a pace that looked too much for 'Prince' to handle.
Kownacki had the American in real trouble in the fourth, his straight right his main weapon, but with Martin wide open, his left hook came into play around the same time the Latvian national anthem was played between rounds.
Martin himself was rated ninth by the WBC and although he will always be remembered for being blown away by Joshua in two rounds in April 2016, he got into gear at the halfway mark and displayed the sort of courage he did not show against the British star.
His straight left landed flush in the sixth and a big left hook connected in the seventh, and although Kownacki hit back in the eighth, Martin's right and a nice left uppercut on the inside suggested the former world champion was not going out without a fight.
The 10th and final round proved that Martin does have a heart and a chin to go with it, while Kownacki showed his accuracy and power in abundance as they both stood their ground and traded heavy shots in a cracking close.
In the end, Kownacki (18-0-KO14) got the unanimous decision while Martin (25-2-1-KO23) promised he will be back, even if he can no longer walk the earth like a god.
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