By: Sean Cross
Up-and-coming lightweights Michelle Rivera and Frank Martin square off Saturday night at the Las Vegas Cosmopolitan as the main event of Showtime’s final fight broadcast of 2022. The winner of the scheduled twelve-round affair will enter 2023 as a rising star in one of the sport’s hottest divisions.
Rivera employed his long reach and sharp jab first. But Martin threw an amazing combination. For the record, Rivera not only imitated Ali, but also wore Ali’s name on his trunks and sometimes tried to use the “great” liquid defense. Martin stepped in within seconds and was able to land the man firmly. The third was tight, with each fighter having outstanding moments.
His flight slowed significantly in the fourth minute of the final as Martin began to survive and land on Rivera. Things continued in the fifth chess match. Martin was able to get past Martin in the sixth and had some strong moments of his own.
Martin Combo pitched Rivera in the seventh. Rivera got up before the ten count and the round ended quickly. Martin was able to continue landing on Rivera in the eighth. As the ninth showed, Rivera had no answer for Martin’s relentless onslaught. Martin is relaxed and in good control of the fight in the tenth. Rivera, on the other hand, looked sluggish in the eleventh.
Martin appeared to have injured his left hand – albeit to a lesser degree – in the twelfth and final round. As for the fight, nothing happened. The southpaw dominated the frustrated Rivera for the final three minutes. Unsurprisingly, Martin left the ring after the fight.
