Martin climbs to No. 2 in WBO super bantamweight rankings

Carl Jammes Martin. | Facebook photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines— The rise of Carl Jammes “Wonder Boy” Martin is nothing short of meteoric.

The undefeated Filipino prodigy from Lagawe, Ifugao, has officially ascended to No. 2 in the World Boxing Organization’s (WBO) latest super bantamweight rankings.

The 25-year-old Martin is knocking on the door of a potential showdown with the division’s reigning king, Japanese sensation Naoya Inoue.

READ: Wonder Boy Martin scores TKO win in Mexico

Fighting under the banner of MP Promotions, led by the legendary Manny Pacquiao, Martin is now positioned to earn a world title eliminator or even an interim world title bout.

The fighter standing in his way is Australia’s Sam Goodman, the current WBO No. 1 contender.

READ: Martin ends hiatus, faces Tanzanian boxer in non-title bout

But the shadow looming largest over the division is, without question, Inoue, who is the undisputed champion as he holds all four major titles across the WBO, WBC, IBF, and WBA.

Global stage

Martin’s rise through the ranks has been nothing but spectacular.

READ: Martin makes good comeback, pummels Tanzanian boxer to get unanimous decision win

His recent performances have cemented his status as a serious threat on the global stage.

In December, he captured the WBO Global super bantamweight title with a punishing technical knockout of Thailand’s Chaiwat Buatkrathok in Manila.

Prior to that, Martin dispatched former world title challenger Komgrich Nantapech with a brutal knockout, following up that victory with a dominant unanimous decision win over African contender Oscar Duge.

The “Wonder Boy” now boasts a flawless 24-0 record, with a staggering 19 knockouts—a testament to his power and precision inside the ring.

Future world champion

Just recently, Martin debuted in his first international fight, knocking out hometown boxer Anthony Jimenez Sala in Culiacan, Mexico.

After establishing his dominance in the regional circuit, Martin relocated to the United States to sharpen his skills, further refining the tools that make him a potential future world champion.

While Martin’s immediate focus may be on a title eliminator, his fellow countryman and former two-division world champion, Marlon Tapales, is also circling the top of the super bantamweight ranks.

Tapales, highly ranked across the WBC, IBF, and WBA, remains a prime contender for a rematch with Inoue.