Written by Luis Sandoval for Boxing Scene
Ryan “Blue Chip” Martin is only beginning his quest in the sport of boxing but already he is getting exposure and great opportunities. Martin is fresh off his fourth career victory just a couple weeks back and already he’s set to be part of Mike Tyson’s promotional debut on Showtime this Friday night.
Martin is already signed to his own promoter SMS Promotions which is headed by rap star and businessman 50 Cent but being part of Iron Mike Promotions inaugural event is something special for him.
“It’s a humbling moment to be part of Mike Tyson’s promotion. Hopefully I get to meet him there. That would be very huge for me. I’m pretty excited about this event and I’m going to go in there and do my thing” Martin would tell BoxingScene.
The young Lightweight from Chattanooga, TN is a promising star and is also being treated as such. He already has a strong team behind him as manager Tim VanNewhouse made it a point from the beginning to have Martin’s full focus on boxing and nothing else.
While some young prospects still hold down jobs or have other financial distractions, Martin was told from the get go that would not be his situation.
“That was my priority for Ryan since the beginning. When I called Ryan with 50 Cent, Ryan was mowing grass for $20 or something. And that was one of the things me and 50 sold Ryan on and that he’s not going to have to worry or have any of those financial problems when he turns professional. His number one priority would be developing into a pro and that’s exactly what he’s doing” informed VanNewhouse.
Martin is training under the tutelage of Joseph Delguyd but has also recently added strength and conditioning coach Robert Kaleal to his team and he’s already noticed a difference since beginning to work with him.
“I noticed a difference in my power. As an amateur I never had power, I just always had speed. Since I came to Cleveland that changed like day and night. [Our] relationship has grown a lot. He’s helped me a lot”.
There are high expectations for Martin as you don’t have to look further than his nickname to see he’s predicted to excel in the sport. He’s being groomed and afforded every advantage possible in order to properly prepare and succeed in the sport.
From a marketing standpoint, being signed with 50 Cent already gives him a level of exposure other fighters at his stage simply don’t have.
“The cool thing about being with 50 is you already get exposure worldwide. Like the way I told Ryan is that you’re not just being marketed to a specific boxing demographic, you’re being marketed to all walks of life and that’s obviously through 50 cent. He’s already getting a lot of exposure that the other guys aren’t but the development is the main concern for us right now. He’s constantly learning in each individual fight, we’re keeping him active and he’s applying everything that he’s learning in training camp” Van Newhouse would tell BoxingScene.
As talented and promising as Martin is, he and his team understand there’s a learning curve and they’re in no rush. Instead, they feel within the next 3 years he’ll graduate to top level like most of the other recently turned professional Lightweights like Jamel Herring, Robert Easter Jr and even Felix Verdejo.
“I think all those guys within the next 3 years are going to rise out of all those 135 pounders and I think Ryan is going to be right there with all of them. He has over 200 amateur wins and he’s very seasoned”.
Martin will also have his first nationally televised fight in the summer as a July 2nd date on ESPN has been set aside for him. For those who still have not been able to get a look at this young prospect, that will be their chance to see him in action.
“I’m excited to showcase my talents. I’m always a little nervous before every fight but getting used to the spotlight, that’s never been a problem for me” said Martin.
The spotlight will be on him this Friday night and an even bigger one in July.
You can follow Luis Sandoval on Twitter & Instagram @Truewest007.
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