7/11/07 - Tom DodgeBy Tom Dodge www.keeppunching.com 
HOUSTON – Michael Martinez and Daniel Garcia hail from the great state of Texas and they both plan to make name for themselves in the stable of boxers under the direction of Keeppunching Entertainment.Martinez, the native from Synder, TX and presently training in Houston, second fight in a row at the Paragon in May and he is ready for the bout on July 14 at the Coushatta Casino as part of the “Shoot Out at Coushatta”. Michael “El Torito” Martinez won his last fight on May 12 with a fourth round knockout with 1:48 left over Joey “KO” Hixon. “I thought I handled it real well,” he reflected. “I need to learn on my feet a little better and learn to do more precise punching – hitting the target a little bit better. “I still feel I have a point to prove. I want to show I am a good fighter.” Martinez said he is proud of his Hispanic heritage and he wants to win for his family. “What I can do is train hard, fight hard and give the people a good show,” Martinez said of the future plans for his career. “I want to represent myself well.” Kerry Daigle, matchmaker for the July 14 card, said boxing fans will be impressed with Martinez when he steps into the ring. “He was a national amateur champion and was the four time All-Marine champion,” Daigle said. “He is a tremendous fighter – no holds barred – ‘El Torito de Ferro’: The Little Iron Bull.” 
Fight promoter David Rivas from Rivas Warriors Boxing added Martinez is a powerful threat in the ring.“When Michael gets in the ring, he is really quick with his right hand and uses it to his advantage. When he uses it, you are going to see the opponent step back about two steps.” While Martinez is heading into his second pro fight, Houston’s Garcia is entering his final four-round fight before moving up to six and eight round bouts. Garcia, 8-3-1, has confidence in his ability and his power, especially his left hook. “My opponent may be a little tougher than the last few fights,” Garcia said, “but that is fine. I think with my power, no opponent coming up in the next few fights should be able to stay with me more than a round or two.” It is going to be a step up and it will help me in the future as I prepare for the 8-10 round fights immediately after this one.” “Daniel is a typical Hispanic fighter who has a tremendous left hook,” Daigle pointed out. “He will put a left hook to the liver and is looking to knock you out with every punch he throws. There is no secret to what he is looking for – he is looking to knock you out, period.” “He is very fluid in the ring,” Rivas said of Garcia. “He will move around and counter punch a little bit and he is going to feel out his opponent. But once he has his plan in mind, it is just about closing the deal.” Garcia said he is already sparring eight to 10 rounds in preparation for the future, stepping up his training to a more intense mode. Starting boxing at seven, Garcia said his amateur experience (256 fights with only 36 losses) prepared him well for his professional career. With only 11 pro fights, Garcia is an inside fighter attacking the body attempting to put his opponent down with tremendous punches – recording six knockouts in the last eight fights “I am fairly short so the guys I face in this weight class are two to three inches taller than me,” Garcia said of his 5-9 frame. “So we focus on getting inside and working combinations to the body. They usually can’t stand the pressure that long.” His last fight lasted until 1:55 left in the opening round and he is hoping this one doesn’t go much longer. “I was pleased with the fight,” Garcia said of his first round TKO over Michael Taylor at the Paragon Casino on May 12 after an 11-month layoff. “It is always good when you execute your game plan. You don’t want to be in there any longer than you have to. I am glad to be back in the ring sooner than last year. It is nice to be active.” Garcia said while his opponent has not been announced, he is preparing for all types of fighters in his workouts. “I am training in Houston and there are a lot of different types of fighters to spar against,” Garcia said. “I am working against punchers, dancers and we have our brawlers here. So I am will be ready against any type of opponent.” Garcia said he is excited to be on the card at Coushatta, even though his last trip to Kinder was a split decision loss against Lafayettte’s Bobby Aucoin on October 2003. “They put on great shows there,” Garcia said of the Coushatta Casino. “I am looking forward to being there again.” Two title fights head the card on July 14th at the Coushatta Casino in Kinder, Louisiana. In a night filled with exciting boxing and tremendous talent in the ring, Shoot Out at Coushatta is not to be missed. Detroit’s Damien Fuller will be fighting for the National Boxing Association World Lightweight Championship. Local Louisiana favorite Heath “Lil Rocky” Nichols will be battling for the NBA Junior World Lightweight Championship as he seeks to keep his perfect record (5-0). Also on the card is Houston’s Michael Martinez and well as Lafayette’s undefeated Wilford Scypion, Jr. For tickets call Ticketmaster at 1-800-488-5252 or the Coushatta box office at 1-800-584-7263. Reserved stadium seating is $40, Bronze (floor seating) is $100, Silver (main floor seating) is $150 and Gold (ring side) is $200. All floor seating will offer FREE BEER. Now that is something to write about. For more information or interviews contact: kerry@keeppunching.com DAVID RIVAS, RIVAS WARRIORS BOXING PROMOTIONS @ 318.305.4100 rivaswarriors@aol.com TOM DODGE, KEEPPUNCHING MEDIA @ 337.692.5809 tdodge3@yahoo.com AMBER BURKHOLDER, KEEPPUNCHING MEDIA @ 337.344.1857 
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