Carl Jammes Martin (left) and Oscar Duge (right). | Facebook and Instagram photos
CEBU CITY, Philippines — World-rated Carl Jammes “Wonder Boy” Martin returns in the ring after an eight-month hiatus on August 19, 2023, in Mandaluyong City.
The 24-year-old Ifugao boxing sensation will face Tanzanian Oscar Duge in a 10-rounder non-title bout.
It will serve as the main event of a fight card promoted by former two-division world champion Gerry Peñalosa.
READ: Martin, promising Pinoy boxer, to face Japanese Ikeda in non-title fight in Manila
Martin injured rib
It can be recalled that Martin’s huge fight was scrapped after he suffered a rib injury during his training last April. He was supposedly scheduled to fight Jun Ikegawa of Japan last April in the undercard of John Riel Casimero and Filipus Nghitumbwa in Manila.
After months of recovery, Martin is ready to step in the ring anew. Martin is ranked No. 4 in the International Boxing Federation (IBF) world super bantamweight rankings with its current champion fellow Filipino Marlon Tapales.
READ: Tapales to Inoue: Let’s fight, unify our world boxing titles
IBF Pan Pacific super bantam champ
Martin is also ranked No. 9 in the World Boxing Organization (WBO) with its newest champion Naoya Inoue.
Martin, the reigning IBF Pan Pacific super bantamweight champion is one of the country’s brightest prospects with an unbeaten record of 21 wins with 17 knockouts.
His most previous bout was against Thai Komgrich Nantapech in La Trinidad, Benguet where he won via a second round knockout to wrest the IBF regional title.
READ: Carl Jammes Martin eyes ‘dream fight’ vs Sam Goodman
Duge’s record
Meanwhile, the 26-year-old Duge sports an 11-5-2 (win-loss-draw) record with four knockouts. His most previous bout was held in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania versus Adam Mbega which ended in a split draw for the Tanzania Pro Boxing Commission super bantamweight title.
Before that setback, Duge was on a four-fight winning streak where he won Pugilistic Syndicate of Tanzania super bantamweight title.
This will be Duge’s third time to fight abroad as he already fought in South Africa and in Moscow, Russia.