It’s easy for young athletes to become cocky and arrogant, especially as successful as Reading’s Eric Martinez was during his amateur boxing career.
But the 20-year-old boxer is the complete opposite, thanks to the way he was raised and the people around him.
advertise
“In boxing, they come and they go,” Martinez said. “One day you could be at your highest and the next day you could be at your lowest. I stay humble because you never know what’s going to happen. That’s something my mom has always instilled in me, stay humble and let the work speak for itself.”
Martinez, a longtime member of Star City Boxing on Center Avenue in Reading, has remained humble throughout his 14-year amateur boxing career, never looking too high or too low.
He holds a 100-21 record that includes 21 knockouts, but those accomplishments will quickly take a back seat as Martinez takes the next step in his career, making his professional debut on April 3 in Allentown.
“It’s a mixture of everything. It’s excitement, anxiety and nerves, but I think I’m more excited than anything right now,” Martinez said a few months after the fight. “I’m just embracing the moment. Because it’s my first time competing, it’s new to me. I’m excited. My team has always been by my side.”
advertise
Martinez has a strong support system in Star City, a team he considers family.
“It’s not just boxing, it’s family,” Martinez said. “I talk to my mom about it, too. I see them every day, so they’re basically a family. We all push each other. Max (Baez) and I have been training together since we were kids. Everybody comes in here and tries to make each other better. No one has an ego. No one feels like they’re higher than the other guy. We just push each other to be the best that we can be.”
Owner Alex Betances and coach Lindsay Bates have created an environment in Star City in the hope that all of their young boxers will adopt Martinez’s mentality and attitude, not just in boxing, but in life.
“Man, I’m super proud. He’s a good kid with a great mother and family,” Bates said of Martinez. “It actually starts with his mom, who is very polite, respectful and humble. He can be very arrogant because that’s who he is. But he’s humble, well-spoken and a team player.”
advertise
Martinez’s mother, Erica Ocasio, echoed those sentiments as she prepares to watch her son turn pro.
“I’m very proud of him because he’s really pushing himself,” Ocasio said. “He surprised me sometimes because sometimes he got tired of it, but his love for boxing and his discipline kept him going. That’s when I realized, ‘There’s nothing I can do to bring him back,’ and all I could do was support him.”
Jose Espada, Martinez’s uncle and coach, added, “He comes from a boxing family, but no one has made it to the amateur level like him. He has the talent, the work ethic and the support of a great team to be a world champion.”
Martinez has long dreamed of this moment, and now the realization of that dream has finally begun.
advertise
He has stepped up his training over the past month as the fight has progressed. He currently trains twice a day in the gym, with Tuesdays and Thursdays dedicated to strength and conditioning training.
While Martinez and his team in Star City have been slowly getting back on their feet ahead of his debut, he still doesn’t know who he’ll be facing in the ring in Allentown.
However, Martinez and Coach Bates are not worried because whoever is in the opposite corner will be ready to go.
“That’s what the amateurs have built for me. Going into the national championships, you really don’t know who’s going to be in front of you,” Martinez said. “The amateur experience definitely helped prepare me for this moment, so whoever it is, we’ll be ready.”
advertise
A state and national champion at the amateur level, Martinez is ready for the future and hopes to have a long and successful career.
“His IQ is very high because any time you go 100-20, you’re going to see a lot of different styles, and that’s what Eric is good at: He adjusts,” Bates said. “No matter who the opponent is, we have to be in this gym. Rain, sleet or snow, our mentality is to be in the trenches.”