RECENTLY in Belfast, hundreds of people packed the Europa Hotel’s banquet hall for Carl Frampton’s testimonial evening.

It was moving, fun, crowded, and just before it started, as everyone sat down, Kiko Martinez arrived. It was a good evening and a great entry for the icon of Spanish boxing and the horse-loving cowboy.

Frampton and Martinez shared the ring twice and each of the 21 rounds was fierce, bloody and heavy. They both ended up with scars, bruises and stitches. Now they hug like long lost friends; It’s not uncommon in our industry for fighters who have shared so much to be given this level of respect, but the Frampton-Martinez pairing is unique.

“He’s the toughest man I’ve ever fought,” Frampton said. “I was always amazed when people thought the rematch would be easy – in the first fight, when he went down, I prayed he wouldn’t get up and keep fighting.”

The first fight in 2013 ended in the ninth round; It was during the Odyssey – one of those nights that people remember vividly – and Frampton won the European super bantamweight title in one of his favorite rings.

In 2007, Kiko went to the Point in Dublin as a huge underdog to fight for the same title against Bernard Dunne. It happened from ringside one night and was also Dunne’s third defense in that stadium. He was a huge star and Kiko, a sixteen-fight unknown from Spain, was easy to touch. The evening was packed with Irish boxers; Andy Lee, Brian Magee and Matt Macklin. And then there was Dunne against the Spaniard – the world title was already ready, just an easy victory was enough.

It lasted only 86 seconds. Dunne was dropped and stopped twice. I remember the wildest of Martinez and his team’s wildest celebrations that night. Dunne and the crowd gathered at the Point could only watch in shock and amazement. And silence, it’s worth adding. Two years later Dunne won the world title and Point was a carnival of joy that evening.

Meanwhile, Martinez traveled to the Harvey Hadden Sports Center in Nottingham a few months later and lost the title to Rendall Munroe in a difficult decision. This should probably be Martinez’s last contact with Irish and British boxers. No way, it was just an extraordinary start.

“I think he is the greatest Spanish boxer of all time,” Frampton added. “Just look at what he did and where he had to go to fight. His record is absurd.” Frampton is right, it’s ridiculous.

Every word of praise spoken on Friday night was delicately translated directly into Martinez’s ear by Rickie Pow, a former professional and now agent and specialist based in Alicante. Martinez smiled, laughed and raised his hand at appropriate moments. He is a classy man and behaves with dignity.

After losing to Munroe in 2008, Martinez returned to Dublin and scored a few easy wins before losing to Munroe again in Barnsley. In 2010, he regained the European title, defeating Arsen Martirosyan in Dublin. A year later, he stopped Jason Booth in the bullring in Leganes. The following year he scored a six-round victory at the Belfast Saloon; in 2013 he lost to Frampton. And then his career is really crazy.

“When I beat him, he went and won the world title away from home,” Frampton continued. “He went and defeated the undefeated Jonathan Romero for the world title in Atlantic City and then defended the title in Japan. I knew he wasn’t coming back to Belfast to lose – he was coming back to take revenge.

At my table, across from me, Pow continued his comment in a steady whisper, and Martinez just nodded. Frampton became emotional when talking about his great rival. By the way, there was complete silence in the ballroom, and that happens less and less often.

The fight night on the Titanic with Frampton and Martinez ten years ago was epic. A shortened version of it was shown and it was even better than I remembered. Martinez stood with Frampton at the end of the short and received a standing ovation. He seemed a bit overwhelmed by the love that surrounded him in the room.

And then on stage, Frampton shook his head and laughed. “Kiko is not finished,” he added. And that’s an understatement.

Martinez lost to Scott Quigg in an old-fashioned shootout in 2015, then took a hard decision to Josh Warrington in Leeds, and then in 2021, when it seemed like his long, long career was coming to an end, he was defeated within twelve rounds at Wembley by Zelfa Barrett. It was Martinez’s 53rd fight, his 18th year as a professional, but he wasn’t finished and found himself in another British ring just a few months later.

Frampton just smiled. “And then he came back and knocked out Kid Galahad to win the world featherweight title. It was unbelievable.” Hosted by Frampton, Europa Night quickly became a Kiko Martinez tribute night. He certainly deserves one.

Martinez lost the title in a brutal and grueling fight against Warrington in Leeds. It was a wild fight. Later in 2022, Martinez went down and stopped Jordan Gill. No top-class boxer has fought in the UK and Ireland as many times as Kiko Martinez. His fighting left a lasting legacy in Britain and Ireland that may not be shared by the Spanish.

“It was an honor to share a ring with him,” Frampton concluded. It was an honor to be at his table.

THERE ARE different versions of why the Noakes brothers were banned from sparring.

“We haven’t sparred together in years,” said Sean, who is two years older than him at 29.

“I always complained that it was sullied. He was always pushing and pulling.

That’s not how Sam remembers it.

“You saw me struggling, I was just coarse and he didn’t like it,” he said.

“He hit me a few times after the bell. I have videos. One time I had my hands down and he hit me with a left hook and then he moaned at me.

Sean protests.

“I also have it on video,” he said, “and I was halfway through the punch when the bell rang.”

Sam explained: “We are brothers and best friends.

“I was the best man in his wedding and we never really fought growing up, but if we go to the beach and throw rocks, we always say, ‘I’m better at moving rocks than you.’

“This is who we are.”

Sean has revealed that one of his motivations ahead of his clash with Inder Bassi last month for the vacant English welterweight title was to “start catching that little fool”.

Sam is further along in his career, having won lightweight honors in the UK, Commonwealth and Europe.

He will make his first defense of the latter belt on Friday, September 6 at York Hall against Gianluta Ceglia.

It was there that he won the vacant belt in April, defeating French veteran Yvan Mendy, who was the first to go the distance with the Maidstone mauler. Noakes stopped his first 13 opponents.

“It was good to start the round,” said Noakes, who has worked with coach Alan Smith and manager Francis Warren since turning professional in 2019 after winning the Elite Championship with Westree ABC. “I showed that I’m not a one-trick pony.

[Denys] Berinchyk took several shots away from him [three, four and four] and now he’s the world champion, so I made a statement.

Mendy was always willing to give Noakes the rounds considering he had never been stopped in 56 previous fights. “I hit him as strenuous as I could and it finished me off,” Noakes said.

“I was lying in the locker room exhausted and he came in looking like he hadn’t fought at all! He is a machine.

“I got him a few times, but it was right at the end of the round.

“I was a little disappointed that the knockout streak was over, but we can always start a up-to-date one!” Which could spell trouble for Ceglia. The 34-year-old Italian lost to Mendy in his career 21-4-1 and has points over Vincenzo Finiello, who was then defeated in four by Noakes.

“He looks like a player who wants to get forward,” Noakes said. “I know people can change, but if he’s got 26 fights in his career and he’s still getting ahead, that’s how he fights.”

This is also how Sam fights. When asked to compare himself to Sam, Sean said: “I’m not as crazy as him!

“I’m completely different. Sam is an uncompromising brawler, and I’m a puncher.

He himself said: “We have different characters and it shows when we box. He is more patient. I’m not patient.

“I always go there looking for an early night. Everything is arduous with me.

“I’m more aggressive than Sean, but he has better knockouts. He decides to take one shot and I won’t leave them alone.

Sean’s choice of knockout punches is certainly the right one, which knocked out Colombian Santiago Garces for a few minutes at Wembley Arena last January.

He also blew away Robin Zamora with a perfectly timed shot in just 42 seconds at York Hall.

He himself said: “I am mighty, dominant. You are aware that I am there. I spar with bigger guys, and when we struggle, there’s not much to offer. I was told I had the strength of a middleweight.”

He started lifting weights as a teenager.

“The school I went to gave me and my friend a gym membership when I was in 10th grade, about 14 or 15,” he said.

“It was part of the plan. That’s when I started lifting weights. [Friend] Josh was as lofty as I am now. He weighed about 70 kilograms and I tried to keep up with him. We did curls weighing 45 kg. I wanted to get gigantic, muscular and mighty.

His current personal bests include a bench press of 125 kg, a squat of 155 kg and a deadlift of 200 kg.

“I don’t have long levers [arms] so I don’t have that far to push,” he said.

Boxing was the idea of ​​their mother, Sharon.

“I was overweight and shy, so my mom sent me to the gym,” Sean said.

“About a year later, Mom sent Sam too. He was a bit naughty and comical. My mother saw how boxing healed me.

He didn’t think boxing was for him – until he lost his debut. “I couldn’t be bothered,” he said, “but when I lost my first fight, it was a terrible, terrible feeling.

“I remember the Master of Ceremonies asking for applause for the loser and I just wanted to run out of the ring. I felt terrible. Then I took it more seriously. I decided I didn’t like losing. I’m not afraid of who I’m fighting. Failure terrifies me.”

He lost only five of his next 52 amateur fights and it was his success that brought Sean back to boxing.

“I took a break from boxing when I was 16 or 17,” Sean said. “I went out to a party, went out and acted stupid with my friends. Watching Sam win the titles made me want to go back to it.

Sean retired in 2022 under trainer Micky Burke, at a time when his younger brother was gaining a reputation as a 135-pound wrecking machine.

Recalling his professional career, Sam said: “I cut Chris Adaway, broke Des Newton’s eye socket and broke Naeem Ali’s nose. They are all experienced travelers. They get paid to take hits and bet on people.”

Queensberry started to match Noakes more fiercely and kept getting stoppages – until he ran into Mendy.

Sean has been in the ring for every one of his brother’s fights and Sam was his loudest supporter when he met Bassi for the St George’s belt on the Derek Chisora-Joe Joyce card at the O2 Arena last month.

“I heard some of what Sam was shouting,” Sean said, “but I was focused on what was in front of me.”

Sam proved to be a useful ally in the build-up to Sean’s first title fight.

“I sparred with Inder and I knew he was a tough and reliable opponent,” Sam said. “Having that first title shows you’re heading in the right direction.”

Sean wasn’t entirely ecstatic with his eighth win in a row (four at the start).

“I was very excited about it,” he said, “and I was a little too excited. If I had relaxed, I might have been able to stop. He was backing up and it was a mess.

Sean, who is married to Anna and has a four-year-old son Hugo, wants to defend his title by the end of the year, while Sam hopes to fight for the world title in 2025.

The most essential domestic battle for Noakes comes against Mark Chamberlain, the Portsmouth southpaw who has won all 16 games (12 at the start) and highly-rated Turki Alalshikh.

Chamberlain’s next fight will be against Josh Padley at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, September 21. “He fell to his feet as a result of Turki Alalshikh,” Noakes said.

“Fair play for him. He is a good fighter.

“There are people who are doing better than me and people who are doing worse than me. That’s how it is. I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing.

“He’s a good player with a good hand in the back, but when you take that hand away I don’t think there’s much there.

“He had a tough fight against it [Artjom] Ramlavas [a 10th-round stoppage last November] and I’m like Ramlavs times 10. I think maybe he likes it when everything goes his way, and with me he won’t do everything his way.

It’s just over two and a half years since former professional boxer and now promoter Izzy Asif and GBM Sports staged their first ever promotion at the Magna Center in Rotherham.

Since then, the promotional company has grown significantly. By signing partnership agreements with DAZN and Talksport, it has gained the position of a leading company dealing in the promotion of tiny halls.

For boxers, activity is key, and for those who are just developing, the GBM platform is ideal.

This week I interviewed Murtaza Nadeem (3-0, 2 KO), Arlo Stephens (2-0, 1 KO) and Edward Hardy (1-0) to learn first-hand the impact the company has on the lives of fighters and to learn about their professional careers.

Murtaza Nadeem

In his last appearance, 24-year-old super middleweight Nadeem impressively knocked out the experienced Adam Cieślak in just one round. He said of his performance: “I was very placid, I liked it and I feel like I broke through a wall.”

In his youth, he fought 20 amateur fights, then gave up the sport for nine years to devote himself to CrossFit. Since returning to sports, Nadeem has had to adapt to a completely different diet. “CrossFit was about eating as much as possible. I would be at 5-6 thousand. calories a day,” he said. “I’m on a $3,000 meal plan now. and honestly, I’ve been starving lately!”

After a long break from the sport, the man known as “The Butcher” was fully aware of what it would look like in the eyes of promoters. Speaking about Izzy and GBM signing, he said: “They took a huge risk and it paid off for both them and me.”

Talking about where he wants to go in his career, Nadeem said, “You want to reach the top. When you look at Beterbiev and Triple G, it’s not so much about them winning world titles, but how they do it. I want to be able to do it, I just want to be so much better than everyone else.

Arlo Stephens

After an extensive amateur career, the 28-year-old heavyweight entered the professional ranks with great enthusiasm. In his first fight he secured a points victory, and in his second fight he scored a fantastic knockout in the first round. Talking about his last performance, he said: “It felt like my amateur days, it was great.”

While boxing can be lucrative for those at the top, it’s common for those just starting out not to pursue the sport full-time. In addition to boxing, Stephens is an occupational therapist focusing on mental health. Talking about how he manages to juggle the two professions, Stephens (pictured below) said: “It’s exhausting. I get up at six to train, at eight to work, and then after work I train again.

“The plan is to box full-time. The more fights I have, the more likely it will become possible.”

He said of his aspirations: “If I hadn’t won the British title, I wouldn’t have thought I’d achieved much. This is no disrespect to the British title; I just feel like I have all the talent and work ethic to get there.

Edward Hardy

The 22-year-old from Doncaster (pictured below) started his career last month by defeating the lively Engel Gomez on points. Reflecting on his performance, Ed said: “I’m really elated with my performance, everything went according to plan and it’s just nice to have my first performance behind me.”

In his first fight he fought in the super featherweight division, but he said that he was actually in the super bantamweight division and that is where he would fight in his second fight.

The man known as “Farm Boy” has lived and worked on a farm his entire life and still combines it with boxing. “Honestly, maintaining balance isn’t that bad. My family supports me very much, and my dad gives me a few hours off every day to train,” he said. “As I move forward in my career, I would like to always be involved in the farm in one way or another.”

Hardy also has a enormous following, which may prove to be too much pressure for many fighters. However, he said: “It was weird because I was nervous in the dressing rooms, but when I got out there and heard everyone shouting, I was pretty placid and didn’t really feel any pressure.”

Like all juvenile players, he is very ambitious. He said: “I want to become world champion and win as many titles as possible.”

Finally, he said, “I feel really lucky to have gotten signed to GBM and Izzy.”

Their careers have only just begun, but with GBM’s support, the future looks glowing for all three.

On his social media account, Izzy stated that in a year he would like to have a stable full of players competing at the world level. His fighters reflect his aspirations for the promotional company.

“They (GBM) could go anywhere. I don’t think other tiny venue promoters have the same experience as Izzy and his team,” Nadeem said.

Stephens said: “They (GBM) are just flying. The performances are of the same quality as Matchroom and Queensbury.

“If Izzy keeps pushing, I don’t see why they can’t make it to the top,” Hardy said.

Izzy, GBM, Nadeem, Stephens and Hardy will return on December 7 for the “A Storm is Coming” event.