'Prince' Charles Martin talks Sky Sports

[Ruthless-RKO]

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It has taken two years to track down 'Prince' Charles Martin during which time he has travelled the world, shunned the spotlight, survived a shooting and started a hip-hop career.

Can't nobody take that from me. I'm my own personal god.

"People may go against my belief but, at the same time, you've got to be a god. For real, that's how you've got to act, period," Martin told Sky Sports.

"Can't nobody take that from me. I'm my own personal god."

Martin's self-belief has not waned since his disastrous night at The O2 in 2016 when his IBF belt was taken by Joshua, who claimed his first world title. The defending champion couldn't back up his sensational proclamations about "walking this Earth like a god", falling inside two calamitous rounds, but he regrets nothing.

"It comes from believing in yourself, loving yourself. Before [someone else] can love you, you've got to love yourself. That's something you've got to develop, know what I'm saying? Find it within yourself. Can't nobody teach you that. Look at yourself as somebody special. I'm spiritual so I'm my own god. In boxing it's important to be yourself. Be you.

"Not even just boxing, just for confidence. On this Earth people will put you down and try to break your confidence. It's a hard world. You've got to make the best life for yourself.

"People just give up on their life to work a 9-5. That's them, but I'm not. I want to be something special and I've got to have the upmost confidence to do so. I've got to have more confidence that the average person."

The spiritual and introspective Martin isn't your average boxer, or your average interviewee. His comeback will not be average, and nor was his reaction to the high-profile defeat that still defines him.

"I travelled to see my momma in Alabama. Momma gives you a talk."

About boxing?

"About life."

He took a gap-year from boxing, a ghetto kid always desperate to expand his horizons, and posted social media snaps saying "loving my life" from Brazil.

"I always knew that boxing was for me, but I needed a break," Martin said. "My whole career from the amateurs to the pros was back-to-back-to-back and I never had any time off. I wanted time off, period.

"I did everything in a short amount of time, and was fast-tracked through the amateurs. Bam, bam, bam - fight after fight after fight. It was crazy. In the pros I had 11 fights in one year.

"But I haven't missed a step. I'm still that same guy - but better, sharper and tightened up."

A Soundcloud link appeared, and still exists, on Martin's Twitter bio highlighting Gorgeous Villin, his hip-hop alter-ego. He looks the part in trademark gold chains with a tattoo saying "above the law". Gorgeous Villin is worth a listen although he won't be sticking around.

"I was just doing that as a hobby. You know that you can't do two things at one time. When I was out, I was doing music. Now I'm back in boxing I've dropped that. I don't have time to do two things at one time."

There was concern last year when Martin made headlines for the first time since losing to Joshua when he was the victim of a drive-by shooting. He survived to tell the tale and has an anti-gun message to spread: "It's important for our communities. Stop with the gun violence. They're glorifying it but it's nothing to be proud of."

He won't detail the incident but insists that it hasn't changed his positive outlook.

Martin, now 32, has unfinished business inside the boxing ring. Once a prospect at 'All-American Heavyweights', a state-of-the-art California programme designed to reignite the USA's Olympic hopes, Martin failed to make the 2012 Games where Joshua won the gold medal.

But 23 unbeaten pro fights led him into an IBF title bout, months after the belt was stripped from Tyson Fury. The southpaw Martin won when Vyacheslav Glazkov injured his knee in the third round. Eighty-five days later, a period only bettered by record-holder Tony Tucker who ran into Mike Tyson, Martin's world title was gone.

His comeback a year later was alarmingly low-profile. Martin beat journeyman Byron Polley at an obscure Mississippi casino, and wasn't even the main-event. He has since won again, somewhere random in Louisiana, totalling less than three rounds. He has boxed just 12 rounds since April 2015.

"I had two fights in 2017, know what I'm saying? Tune-up fights," he said. "I got what I needed from them.

"It was just what I had to do, before going back up to the big leagues. It's a process, that's all. Absolutely I have enjoyed every minute. The training is hard but it's worthwhile, to get me to where I want to be. I'm going back to get my belt back."

Finally the Joshua fight is properly addressed. It is still a sore subject for Martin who won't make excuses but also insists he didn't do himself justice.

"That wasn't a fight," he remembers. "I don't consider that a real fight, man.

"He never saw me. That wasn't no Charles Martin. People don't know…

"That's why a lot of the people that were with me, aren't around me now. Dumb decisions cost people their jobs.

"[The experience] was cool. It didn't go how I wanted, because of things that happened during the process. It wasn't perfect, for sure.

"I'm smarter now. I don't do the things that I used to do. I'm better at decision-making, I'm wiser, and I'm older. That's the key.

"Yes, I'd come back. There's good people [in the UK], absolutely. I don't have no regrets."


Martin subscribes to the theory that defeats can make a fighter better: "I believe so. That's true. You've got to face things to grow them from.

"I had to find a new team, know what I mean? The people I was with weren't all for the team so I switched people, and got a new stable. Now the team has good chemistry - we click, we vibe.

"I'll work my way back up. It ain't no thang but a guarantee."

Martin is training in Big Bear under Henry Tillman and Jeff Mayweather, sparring Joe Joyce, and will fight Adam Kownacki next month at Brooklyn's Barclays Center in a substantial step-up for his comeback. Joshua is on his mind, but Martin has nothing to say to him.

"Absolutely not. We'll talk in the ring. We'll let our fists talk."

And with that, Martin disappears into the remote Big Bear wilderness, genuinely thankful for an interview that was two years in the making. He'll probably resurface, but maybe he won't. Either way, 'Prince' Charles Martin will continue to walk this Earth like a god.

[Tuan_Jim]

Easily the worst heavyweight champion ever. Easily.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Easily the worst heavyweight champion ever. Easily.

What about Tucker?? Jokes.

I wouldn't say easily. One off maybe.. It's easy now to had 'worse' champions cus we have 4 orgs.

[Stuarty]

Haye should try and get him for Joyce. Would probably sell ok.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Haye should try and get him for Joyce. Would probably sell ok.

Yeh, It would I think. Let's see is Martin beats Kownacki first.

[Loynesy]

Easily the worst heavyweight champion ever. Easily.

What about Tucker?? Jokes.

I wouldn't say easily. One off maybe.. It's easy now to had 'worse' champions cus we have 4 orgs.

Depends when you start to recognise the WBO. In their early days they had some true turkeys who I would have taken Martin to beat.

[Stuarty]

Haye should try and get him for Joyce. Would probably sell ok.

Yeh, It would I think. Let's see is Martin beats Kownacki first.

Ahh I hadn't even realised they were fighting. Got to favour kownacki there.

[Tuan_Jim]

Easily the worst heavyweight champion ever. Easily.

What about Tucker?? Jokes.

I wouldn't say easily. One off maybe.. It's easy now to had 'worse' champions cus we have 4 orgs.

Depends when you start to recognise the WBO. In their early days they had some true turkeys who I would have taken Martin to beat.

So just to be clear, you'd pick Charles Martin to beat... Francesco Damiani? Ray Mercer? Michael Moorer? Tommy Morrison?

I wish we had a time machine. I would bet you my house they would all knock out Charles Martin!

[tobyh5]

Easily the worst heavyweight champion ever. Easily.

What about Tucker?? Jokes.

I wouldn't say easily. One off maybe.. It's easy now to had 'worse' champions cus we have 4 orgs.

Depends when you start to recognise the WBO. In their early days they had some true turkeys who I would have taken Martin to beat.

Like who? Damiani was an olympic silver medallist from memory. Mercer? Morrison? Bowe? Akinwande? Hide? Bentt was not that good but who are all these turkeys?

[Londonirish]

What about Tucker?? Jokes.

I wouldn't say easily. One off maybe.. It's easy now to had 'worse' champions cus we have 4 orgs.

Depends when you start to recognise the WBO. In their early days they had some true turkeys who I would have taken Martin to beat.

Like who? Damiani was an olympic silver medallist from memory. Mercer? Morrison? Bowe? Akinwande? Hide? Bentt was not that good but who are all these turkeys?

Lee McAllister is now the Heavy Weight WBU Champ

[Loynesy]

A perfect example of why I rarely post here these days.

Damiani - did you ever see him box? Upright amateur style, upright as can be. I’d have given Martin a decent chance against him.

Tommy Morrison - a scrap of two truly dreadful fighters. Would maybe rginally back King C against him

Herbie - a deeply flawed fighter but would have probably blasted Martin out.

Bent/akinadwe - terrible stylists 50/50 fights.

I’m not trying to pick a proverbial fight, but it’s not true to say Charles Martin is the worst heavyweight champion of all time. He may Be and he’s certainly bottom 5, but I take exception to massive statements of subjectivity as if they are facts.

I reckon he’d have take Jack Dempsey.....

[handsofstone]

Charles Martin walks this earth like a Dog

[Oiky]

Stark raving mad

What a lemon

[jamamb]

A perfect example of why I rarely post here these days.

Damiani - did you ever see him box? Upright amateur style, upright as can be. I’d have given Martin a decent chance against him.

Tommy Morrison - a scrap of two truly dreadful fighters. Would maybe rginally back King C against him

Herbie - a deeply flawed fighter but would have probably blasted Martin out.

Bent/akinadwe - terrible stylists 50/50 fights.

I’m not trying to pick a proverbial fight, but it’s not true to say Charles Martin is the worst heavyweight champion of all time. He may Be and he’s certainly bottom 5, but I take exception to massive statements of subjectivity as if they are facts.

I reckon he’d have take Jack Dempsey.....

ive been on the rather lonely 'martin isnt as bad as people make out' train, but i think tommy morrison most likely wrecks him and im pretty sure akinwande wouldve beaten him too

interesting point on dempsey, because dempsey, like many venerated hws of the past, was really no bigger then the size of light heavyweights today. i think a lot of people would be in for a rude awakening if we could transport hws of that time to fight recent hws

jack johnson is another one who stands out for this, maybe a bit bigger then dempsey and more like a natural cruiser, but so many of his opponents were nothing close to legitimate hws, he even won the hw title vs a guy who was 5'7 and weighed 168 on fight day

lol, now imagine aj winning the heavyweight title vs a guy the size of curtis stevens, because thats pretty much what johnson did

[rd350lc]

Charles Martin walks this earth like a Dog

With 2 dicks in his world .

[KiwiRider]

Thanks Ruthie
Appreciate the effort, I enjoyed reading that.
I like Martin a lot better since AJ smacked some 'umble into him
Kownacki is going to beat him though

[Gnome]

He's comes off as an interesting cat! I hope he stays busy and does well with his life.

[Tuan_Jim]

A perfect example of why I rarely post here these days.

Damiani - did you ever see him box? Upright amateur style, upright as can be. I’d have given Martin a decent chance against him.

Tommy Morrison - a scrap of two truly dreadful fighters. Would maybe rginally back King C against him

Herbie - a deeply flawed fighter but would have probably blasted Martin out.

Bent/akinadwe - terrible stylists 50/50 fights.

I’m not trying to pick a proverbial fight, but it’s not true to say Charles Martin is the worst heavyweight champion of all time. He may Be and he’s certainly bottom 5, but I take exception to massive statements of subjectivity as if they are facts.

I reckon he’d have take Jack Dempsey.....

Damiani had a top amateur career, was in two Olympics, beat Teo Stevenson and is a way more decorated pro than Charles Martin. "Upright" is best applied to Martin's clueless inept style. Upright until hit anyway, then horizontal.

And to look at some of Tommy Morrison's heroic blood and guts victories and then equate him with Charles Martin... Please go back to rarely posting.

[Loynesy]

Obviously manners aren’t part of your repertoire.

Damiani was siphoned down the newly formed WBO route because he couldn’t actually fight professionally - are you old enough to have seen him in real time?

I appreciate you’ve established a mantra of “Charles Martin: worst heavyweight champion of all time” and I mainly agree, he’s in the lower reaches of it. How would you pick a fight with him and Gerry Coetzea (spelling probably wrong), Stirvene or a coked up Pinklon Thomas ( not the early one, who was a good fighter).

I think we are arguing but broadly agreeing. If it makes you happy I will post less.

[jamamb]

lol no kidding, probably the most miserable git on the forum, just constant insults if you disagree with him. and trashes pretty much any modern fighter, whether theyve beaten second rate opposition or cleaned out there division the hard way. he wont see this though because he says hes blocked me because i said kovalev wasnt as hyped as he remembered , even though i had loads of evidence for my view

everyone but tuan is stupid and just idiotic when it comes to boxing, and pretty much all recent fighters are mediocre and massively overrated by tards

[TopGun]

Easily the worst heavyweight champion ever. Easily.

Hard to argue that one

[keithmoonhangover]

Easily the worst heavyweight champion ever. Easily.

Based on what? Losing one fight against the top guy in the division?

[Cyclops]

Easily the worst heavyweight champion ever. Easily.

Based on what? Losing one fight against the top guy in the division?

Based on the manner of winning the title (opponent's knee buckled and he had to retire) and based on the manner of losing the title (and grinning two knockdown capitulation where he appeared well able to get up.)

I doubt many people have watched much of the rest of his career, myself included, but from what I remember he had a straight up, goofy stuff and threw punches incorrectly. He reminded me a little of Mitch 'Blood' Green, although I have not watched him since the AJ loss.

[keithmoonhangover]

Easily the worst heavyweight champion ever. Easily.

Based on what? Losing one fight against the top guy in the division?

Based on the manner of winning the title (opponent's knee buckled and he had to retire) and based on the manner of losing the title (and grinning two knockdown capitulation where he appeared well able to get up.)

I doubt many people have watched much of the rest of his career, myself included, but from what I remember he had a straight up, goofy stuff and threw punches incorrectly. He reminded me a little of Mitch 'Blood' Green, although I have not watched him since the AJ loss.

It's impossible to judge him on his title win IMO. How can you tell by one completed round of boxing?

[Ruthless-RKO]

Based on what? Losing one fight against the top guy in the division?

Based on the manner of winning the title (opponent's knee buckled and he had to retire) and based on the manner of losing the title (and grinning two knockdown capitulation where he appeared well able to get up.)

I doubt many people have watched much of the rest of his career, myself included, but from what I remember he had a straight up, goofy stuff and threw punches incorrectly. He reminded me a little of Mitch 'Blood' Green, although I have not watched him since the AJ loss.

It's impossible to judge him on his title win IMO. How can you tell by one completed round of boxing?

We didn't see much of him against Glazkov, it wasn't his fault Glaz's knee went.. We didn't see much of him against AJ either. He didn't bother to beat the count, when he clearly could have.

I think Matin vs. Breazeale would be good. IF Martin can beat Kownacki.