Martinez Can’t Hide From Johnson’s Run

Miguel “Maikito” Martinez might have learned to keep his mouth shut before his fights.

At a press conference last week, Martinez pleaded with Johnson not to run. After the pounding he took Monday night, Martinez probably wishes Johnson would have run.

After losing a close first round, Johnson knocked down Martinez with a vicious right to the jaw. He floored Martinez two more times before California’s three-knockdown rule ended the bout at 2 minutes 1 second of the second round in front of 2,634 at the Pond.

Martinez, who lost his North American Boxing Federation flyweight belt, admitted he misjudged Johnson’s power.

“I misread the fight,” said Martinez (35-11-1 with 28 knockouts). “I opened up to a boxer. I should have boxed him more instead of fighting him.”

Johnson (13-3 with eight knockouts) said he figured he would be fine after the first round.

“He landed some good shots,” said Johnson, 30, of East St. Louis, Ill. “I knew he’d be strong early. But I said, ‘If that’s the best he’s got, he’s going to be in trouble.’ ”

Johnson was never in much trouble himself, though Martinez did back him up a few times in the first round with left hooks. But Johnson turned the fight around with a big left-right combination early in the second round. Johnson’s left caught a lunging Martinez, then his overhand right caught Martinez flush on the jaw.

“I was ready to go 12 but I thought if I caught him with a good shot on his jaw, I could hurt him,” Johnson said. “And I knew if I could hurt him, I had a good chance to knock him out.”

Johnson put down Martinez a second time with a left hook to the forehead, then finished him with a grazing right hand on top of the head.

“This was for all the so-called experts who said Arthur Johnson can’t punch,” he said.

Johnson, who has only had 16 fights in five years as a professional, said this was his biggest victory.

“I told myself the moment of truth was here,” he said. “The great ones come through at moments like this.”

In the co-main event, bantamweight Jorge Eliecer Julio (33-1, 25 knockouts) of Bogota, Colombia, kept his North American Boxing Organization belt with a fourth-round knockout overmatched Michael Gallati of Phoenix.

Gallati (6-4) spent most of the fight searching for his footing. Julio ended that search at 2:50 of the fourth round. Referee Jose Cobian stopped the bout after Julio sent Gallati into the ropes with two left hooks.