Carl Jammes Martin Beats David Picasso for WBC Silver Belt, Targets Title at 122 Pounds

A breakthrough in Riyadh, with another division in mind

Carl Jammes Martin left Riyadh with the WBC Silver featherweight belt, an unbeaten record of 29 wins and a decision to make about his next weight division. After beating Mexico's David Picasso at the Kingdom Arena on October 31, November 1 in Manila, the Filipino's preferred target is a world championship at 122 pounds.

Martin, 27, from Lagawe, Ifugao, won the closely contested fight despite a seventh round knockdown. Judges Jorge Gorini and Barry Linderman scored the contest 95-94 and 96-93 for Martin, while Guido Cavalleri awarded Picasso a 95-94 victory. An initial account gave Picasso's winning card as 96-95; the accounts identifying all three judges give Cavalleri's score as 95-94.

The victory came on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez's fight against Christian Mbilli, giving Martin exposure to a much larger international audience. He finished with 29 victories, including 21 knockouts, while Picasso dropped to 33 wins, two defeats and one draw, with 18 knockouts.

Martin's achievement was substantial, but the belt's status matters: the WBC Silver championship sits below the organisation's main world championship. His next task is to turn this win into an opportunity to fight for a full world title.

Sean Gibbons, Martin's matchmaker and promoter, has since outlined a return to super bantamweight, the division with a limit of 122 pounds. Martin is ranked No. 1 there by the World Boxing Organization. The boxer himself remains open to staying at featherweight, where the limit is 126 pounds, if a championship opportunity becomes available.

Those options give the Riyadh result its lasting importance. Martin beat an opponent with experience against Naoya Inoue, survived a scoring setback and gained bargaining power for his next bout.

How Martin took away Picasso's advantages

Picasso entered with a height advantage of about two inches and a reach advantage of five inches. Reach measures the distance between a boxer's fingertips with both arms extended. A longer reach can help a fighter land punches while remaining outside an opponent's range.

Martin answered with speed, movement and changes of rhythm. Fighting as a southpaw, with his right hand forward and his left hand behind it, he used right jabs, straight lefts and hooks to interrupt Picasso's attacks. Picasso fought from an orthodox stance, with his left hand leading.

Martin repeatedly moved into punching range, landed combinations and stepped away before Picasso could build a sustained attack. His feints, movements that suggest a punch without completing it, also made Picasso hesitate over whether to jab or protect himself.

A straight left helped bloody Picasso's nose early in the contest. Martin also attacked the body, drawing the Mexican's guard downward and creating openings to the head. Picasso responded with body punches of his own, seeking to slow the Filipino's movement.

Dennis Principe, Martin's longtime adviser, said the preparation included drawing Picasso into exchanges at close range to reduce the value of his longer reach. Martin's movement between those exchanges was equally important: he could step inside to score, then leave before Picasso settled into a comfortable rhythm.

The knockdown that tightened the contest

Picasso changed the scoring picture in the seventh round when a short left jab caught Martin and the Filipino touched the canvas. Martin quickly rose and protested that he had tripped. Descriptions of the moment also noted contact between the fighters' feet, but the referee ruled a knockdown after Picasso's punch landed.

A knockdown usually gives the boxer who scores it a 10-8 round, rather than the more common 10-9 score for winning a round. In a contest decided by narrow margins, that extra point can be crucial.

Martin responded by recovering his composure and continuing to look for openings. When asked after the fight how he adjusted to the knockdown, the new WBC Silver champion gave a brief answer.

"Just patience," Martin said.

Martin's activity became more measured during stretches of the closing rounds, but he still landed punches to the head and body. A strong finish in the final two rounds helped him make his case to the judges after the seventh round setback.

Principe urged Martin to commit everything before the final round, telling him in Filipino, "Buhos na, wala nang next round," meaning he should give everything because there would be no next round. The instruction captured the urgency of a fight in which a single round could change a judge's verdict.

What the scorecards tell us

Gorini's 95-94 card gave Martin victory by one point, while Linderman's 96-93 card gave him a three point margin. Cavalleri preferred Picasso by one point. A split decision means two judges chose one boxer and the third chose the opponent.

Each judge scores the rounds separately. The winner is decided by how many judges favour him, rather than by adding all three cards together. Martin therefore won because he secured two of the three verdicts.

Gibbons believed Martin had won seven rounds. His assessment was more favourable to the Filipino than the two narrowest cards, showing how differently observers could value Martin's clean combinations, Picasso's pressure and the knockdown.

Martin's 21 knockouts in 29 victories mean roughly 72% of his wins have come inside the distance. Riyadh demanded another route: he had to manage his energy, recover from a knockdown and remain effective through the final bell against an experienced opponent.

Why Picasso was a demanding opponent

Picasso brought experience from a world championship challenge against Inoue in 2025, when he completed 12 rounds before losing a unanimous decision. Facing Inoue gave him experience against a leading champion that Martin had yet to acquire.

Picasso then moved up in weight and stopped fellow Mexican Maicol Rincon in two rounds in August 2026 to win the WBC Silver featherweight belt. Martin took that same belt from him in Riyadh. The Rincon victory came between the losses to Inoue and Martin, leaving Picasso with two career defeats rather than consecutive defeats.

One betting assessment gave Picasso an 87% chance of winning and Martin 13%. Those figures reflected the expectations surrounding the matchup, especially the Mexican's stronger list of previous opponents.

Martin's unbeaten record was already impressive, but Picasso provided a more recognisable name on it. The Filipino now has a victory over someone who had challenged for the championship of the division to which Martin may return.

The preparation behind the upset

Abel Martin, Carl's father and longtime trainer, remained central to the preparation. The camp also involved American training facilities arranged through Gibbons and work with Filipino coach Marvin Somodio.

Accounts give different timelines for the camp. One describes three months of preparation with Abel before a later American phase; Gibbons described three months in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, including about three weeks with Somodio in Los Angeles. Both describe a substantial preparation period and access to sparring partners in the United States.

Gibbons' Knuckleheads Boxing facility in Las Vegas hosted Martin's training. Somodio helped prepare him, although descriptions of the Riyadh corner differ: some place Somodio alongside Abel, while Gibbons said the coach had a previous commitment in London and could not attend. Principe identified Abel and cutman Hervi Estrada as members of the corner with him.

Martin credited the American training and sparring with helping him win. Speaking after the fight, he described what the preparation had given him.

"I learned a lot in the U.S. I trained so much. I found so much good sparring. I won, I won, the WBC Silver title!" Martin said.

Martin's purse was reported to be at least $150,000, or about P9.58 million. The amount gives a measure of the financial scale of this appearance, alongside the sporting value of beating Picasso on a major international card.

Why 122 pounds remains the priority

Martin's position as the WBO's No. 1 contender at super bantamweight gives his team a reason to favour a return to 122 pounds. He was also ranked No. 7 by the International Boxing Federation in that division before the Picasso victory.

Gibbons said the plan was to prepare for a world title opportunity at the lower weight. His expectation rests partly on Inoue moving up, which could open championships at 122 pounds. Inoue's move and any resulting vacancy remain prospective steps; no next opponent or fight date has been announced for Martin.

Martin expressed his own preference at a Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum, while leaving room for an attractive offer at featherweight. The unbeaten contender said a championship at super bantamweight remained his priority.

However, our main priority remains a championship in the super-bantamweight division," Martin said. "But if an offer comes for a championship at featherweight, I'll gladly stay here for now.

A mandatory challenger is a boxer designated by a sanctioning organisation to receive a title opportunity under its rules. Martin's ranking places him prominently in that process, while the identity of the champion, the organisation's decisions and negotiations will shape the actual matchup.

A rematch is possible, with rest first

Picasso asked for another fight after the decision, according to Martin, who said he accepted the challenge in their conversation. Martin recalled the exchange after taking the belt.

"He said, 'I want a rematch, brother.' Let's do it again. And then he said, 'Let's go, bro,'" Martin said.

Martin also told the forum that he wanted opponents ranked in the top three or four and a world championship fight. A return bout with Picasso is therefore one option alongside his pursuit of a bigger opportunity.

Abel Martin said the immediate expectation was about a month of rest, followed by a gradual return to training while the team waited for Gibbons to present the next assignment. For the boxer, the practical priority is recovery and readiness rather than immediately committing to another demanding camp.

The sequence behind Martin's next move

Martin's choice now connects two divisions and several stages in Picasso's career. The key dates explain how the WBC Silver belt changed hands and why a return to 122 pounds is under discussion.

• In 2025, Picasso lost a decision to Naoya Inoue in a world championship challenge at super bantamweight.
• In August 2026, Picasso stopped Maicol Rincon in two rounds to win the WBC Silver featherweight belt.
• On October 31 in Riyadh, November 1 in Manila, Martin beat Picasso by split decision over 10 rounds.
• After the fight, Martin said he was open to a rematch, while Gibbons outlined a return to super bantamweight.
• At the subsequent Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum, Martin prioritised a championship opportunity and Abel Martin discussed about a month of rest.

Riyadh gave Martin something his rankings alone could not provide: a victory over an established contender in front of an international audience. His team's next decision will determine whether that result leads back to his familiar division or to another opportunity at featherweight.

Key Points

• Martin beat Picasso by split decision to capture the WBC Silver featherweight belt in Riyadh.
• The Filipino recovered from a seventh round knockdown and improved to 29-0 with 21 knockouts.
• Picasso's record fell to 33-2-1 with 18 knockouts.
• The WBC Silver belt is a secondary championship, below the organisation's main world title.
• Martin prioritises a world championship at 122 pounds, where he is ranked No. 1 by the WBO.
• A Picasso rematch remains an option, with about a month of rest expected before training gradually resumes.