Aztec’s Martinez headlines pro boxing card in Farmington

Joe Martinez has fought 32 times as a professional boxer over the course of 20 years, but never at home in San Juan County.

Isidro Castillo decided to do something about that.

Castillo, a veteran fight promoter from Hobbs, is staging a pro boxing card on Friday at Farmington’s McGee Park. Martinez (23-8-1, 11 KOs), of nearby Aztec, is matched against Colorado Springs’ Jeremy Ramos (12-15, four KOs) in Castillo’s eight-round main event.

Castillo has made the 500-mile drive from Hobbs to Farmington, he said on Wednesday in a phone interview, because he wanted to give Martinez and other fighters from the Four Corners area a chance to perform in front of family and friends.

“From what I hear,” he said, “there hasn’t been pro boxing (in the area) since 1985.”

On Oct. 26 of that year, Albuquerque’s Tommy Cordova beat Mexico’s Antonio Guido by 10-round unanimous decision at — guess where? — McGee Park. The only Four Corners fighter on that card, Lee Mascarenas of Farmington, lost by first-round KO to Phoenix’s Rollin Williams.

Chances are, at least a few San Juan Country residents will have their hands raised on Friday. In addition to Martinez, Castillo’s card features Bloomfield’s Rolyn Nez (2-0), Kirtland’s Elija Martinez (3-0) and Farmington’s Jonathan Abeyta (2-1-1) and Ty’Rek Wells (pro debut).

“There’s some great talent here,” Castillo said. “Rolyn Nez and Elija (Martinez) are special.”

It was Abeyta, a heavyweight who made his pro debut on a Castillo-promoted card in Hobbs in 2021, who persuaded Castillo to promote in Farmington.

In the past, Castillo has promoted in Las Cruces, Clovis, Roswell and Ruidoso as well as in his hometown of Hobbs. In neighboring west Texas, he’s staged cards in El Paso, Amarillo, Odessa and Midland.

Friday’s card, he said, will be his 51st — predominantly boxing, but also MMA and bare knuckle.

Martinez will be fighting for the first time in five years, his last bout a victory by fourth-round TKO over Arturo “Tudy” Crespin of Las Vegas, N.M. at Buffalo Thunder in Pojoaque.

He’ll be facing a durable opponent in Ramos, who has never been stopped short of the distance in his 27 pro fights.

Ramos is a have-gloves, will-travel journeyman who has fought in nine states — Friday in Farmington will make it 10 — during his 12-year pro career. Like Martinez, he, too, defeated Crespin by fourth-round TKO, that occurring in 2015.

Castillo said Farmington will not go another 39 years without another combat-sports promotion.

“I’m scheduled to promote three more cards here,” he said. “I think one of them, I’m gonna do an MMA show, but the other two will be professional boxing.

“I’m excited to bring combative sports to the northwest part of the state.”