Kid Galahad to trigger rematch clause against Kiko Martinez for IBF title after shock knockout
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The Ingle Gym fighter had been comfortable and in control against Spaniard Martinez at the Utilita Arena on Saturday night before he was floored by an overhand right at the end of the fifth round then knocked out by an almost-identical shot at the start of round six.
"At the end of the day I just got complacent and got caught with a shot I shouldn’t have got caught with,” he told The Star.
"There’s no one to blame apart from myself."
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Hide AdThe second defeat of Galahad’s 30-fight career – and one of the biggest boxing upsets of 2021 – cost him the IBF world featherweight title he won after beating Jazza Dickens in August.
"I’m still upset now but it’s just one of those things,” he added.
"I have always been against the odds, it’s always been an uphill struggle for me.
"I’m not the first boxer it’s happened to and I’m not going to be the last.”
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Hide AdThe 31-year-old said he was dazed at the start of the sixth round, which lasted just six seconds.
He needed to be helped onto his stool after suffering his first career knockout and was led away from the ring by medics, but did not require hospital treatment.
"I wasn’t one-hundred per cent (after round five) but I was alright,” he said.
"I think he (Martinez) was more surprised than me, it was so one-sided.”
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Hide AdGalahad anticipates the rematch will take place in the first part of 2022 – and rejected suggestions the loss was down to his struggle to make weight, having initially weighed in at one ounce over the 126-pound limit the day before the fight.
Following the knockout former WBC cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew claimed Galahad is “absolutely killing himself to get down to this weight."
But Galahad said: “It doesn’t matter what weight you make it’s always going to be a struggle.
"Everyone is going to say ‘It was this or it was that’, but no one knows apart from yourself.”
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Hide AdAs the fight was a voluntary defence, Galahad said there is an automatic rematch clause with 35-year-old Martinez, who is now a two-time world champion.
He would also be willing to fight in the new champion’s home country and has no hesitation getting straight back in the ring with him, despite the outcome of their first fight.
"If we have got to do that (travel abroad) then we will do that,” he said.
"It’s not like I was getting beat up. That’s just boxing, sometimes one shot can change it all.
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Hide Ad“It’s happened to a lot of people and it can happen to anyone. You can’t swim without getting wet and boxing is the same thing – you can’t go into any fight and not come out with nothing.”
Plans to move up to super-featherweight, which were mooted well before Saturday’s fight, are, for now, on hold.
"I’m back in the gym straight away and just focused on the rematch and and fixing this wrong,” Galahad said.
"Nothing else matters apart from the rematch.”