(SEPT 22) A few questions were answered Friday night at Santa Anan Star Casino Friday night. Is Holm still New Mexico's top draw? The answer is yes;  2560 paid fans showed up to support Holm and other New Mexico fighters on the card. Is more than just a fighter who gets on her bicycle and outpoints opponents? No, Holm showed she could stand flat footed and punch toe-to-toe. Does Holm have a solid chin? Yes, Martinez hit Holm harder then any of her previous title fights and not with pitter pat shots, she threw shots with intentions, but Holm took them like nothing hit her. Lastly, would the be "No Excuses" when the fourth installment between Holm and Angel Martinez?  The fight was dubbed "No Excuse" and  this time around Holm left little doubt that she was the winner.  Holm retained her IFBA welterweight title by scores of 99-91 twice and a more realistic 96-94. 

Holm got away for her usual lateral movement and in and out style early, as she showed in the first round that  she was here to make a statement. Holm stood in front of Martinez and land hard shots to Martinez head and body, Martinez looked frustrated as she was unable to catch Holm with anything with meaning, Holm on the other hand landed three-four punch combinations; before Martinez was able to land one shot. Speed kills as they say.
 
 Martinez who had said to Holm earlier in the week at the final press conference to bring her A-Game, because she was bringing her A-Z. simply didn't have plan B or C, as Holm's style this time around kept Martinez at bay.
 
 Holm startled Martinez in round three bring the crowd to its feet with every punch Holm landed, Martinez to her credit is a warrior and kept coming forward, she was able to land hard right hands to Holm's head but had nothing to follow it up, her corner kept encouraging Martinez to throw punches but each time Martinez landed a shot, Holm would stand and fire back different from previous fights where Holm would use her boxing skills to maneuver out of harms way.

The fight followed the same course most of the night, with Holm peppering Martinez with hard shots to the head, snapping Martinez head back, Martinez would still press forward but was unable to catch Holm on the ropes and when she did Holm would fire quick left hands to the head.
 
 Most at ringside wondered when Martinez was going to get back into the fight, as in the previous fight where she rallied to make the fight close, many felt she had reserved her energy until late in the fight die to her having two days notice, but this time when Martinez finally pressed the action, Holm didn't let her back into the fight, although Martinez.
 
 In rounds nine and ten Martinez had her better rounds, landing right hand leads on Holm, but Holm would fire right back, the action was furious as both had there moments; for all the critics that wondered why they were fighting for the fourth time, they were put to rest with two warriors going at it leaving nothing on the table and the crowd loved it!

 With the win Holm retains her IFBA title, but is still the holder of seven other organizations belts; while also raising her record to 19-1-2, Martinez falls to 6-4-1, going 0-3-1 against Holm, Martinez is a tough fighter and at a different time she would be the top Welterweight in the world, but she is in the Holm era. An era where its going to be hard for someone to beat her.

 

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