Hardnosed Puerto Rican Roman "Rocky" Martinez won the WBO junior lightweight title on three occasions during the late 2000s-mid 2010s.

Martinez, who was one of 10 children, was born and raised in Vega Baja in central north of Puerto Rico, famed for his sun-kissed beaches, agriculture and industry, on January 31, 1983. His father worked in construction and with cars, while their mother was a housewife.

"My upbringing was humble," Martinez told The Ring. "Always with respect, discipline is what is important, not material things."

As a youngster, he enjoyed sports and regularly played volleyball and ran marathons before he was taken to the gym.

"I was always into boxing from the age of 12, my uncle started taking me to the gym, then my aunt and I also trained with my dad at home," he said. "When I started boxing I liked it, I say that I was born for it because I trained Sunday's, holiday's, everything, there were no holidays. That is what gave me my great victories."

Although Martinez was unable to win a national title in the amateurs he fought in many tournaments and built a record of 60-16. He struggled to get fights and decided his future lay in professional boxing.

The Puerto Rican made his debuting, earning $400, beating Wilfredo Ramos in four-rounds in December 2001.

Over the next several years, Martinez worked his way up through the ranks, notably beating the experienced Jose Soto Karass (UD 10), he showed his power late against Daniel Jimenez (KO 12) and solidified his championship credentials against veteran Walter Estrada (UD 10).

Martinez big opportunity came when he headed to Manchester, England to face WBO junior lightweight titlist Nicky Cook in March 2009.

"It was very difficult because I had to fight to be No. 1 in the rankings," he said of his route to the top. "The training was super strong; we did many rounds of sparring.

"The fight started very well, in the second round he gives me a good blow and the bell rings. I told [my trainer Raul] 'Papo' [Torres], 'I'm going to put pressure on.' I didn't want to lose and went out to fight until the fourth round when the knockout came."

It was a special moment and one he greatly enjoyed.

"I celebrated that fight like never before because everything you worked for and sacrificed was worth it," he said proudly. "Then I arrived in Puerto Rico and was welcomed by the town of Vega Baja and the major of Dorado. My neighborhood was tremendously welcoming."

Martinez defended his title against Feider Viloria (KO 9) and Gonzalo Munguia (KO 4) before being tempted back to the U.K., this time to Glasgow, Scotland to face largely unknown Ricky Burns in September 2010.

"I knocked him down, but he was very slippery," said Martinez, who lost his unbeaten record and title by a hard fought 12-round unanimous decision. "The defeat was my fault for not following the instructions of my promoter Peter Rivera and my team. When I fought in Puerto Rico, it was for little money and less risk. Peter told me, 'Rocky, it's better in Puerto Rico.' but I didn't listen to him. I wanted to fight overseas for bigger money but in the end, it was a bad deal because I had more expenses and was worse off.

"I handled [the defeat well,] Peter told me, 'Don't worry, I'll make you a champion again.'"

After over a year off, Martinez began his climb up the mountain again. He had to sit tight and when Adrien Broner, who had collected the vacant title after Burns moved up to lightweight, missed weight for a subsequent fight the championship become vacant and Martinez was matched with Miguel Beltran on the undercard of Sergio Martinez vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at the Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas in September 2012.

"It was a lot of exposure and that was important for me," he said of appearing as part of the HBO Pay-Per-View. "It was a close fight [but I won a 12-round split decision], but I was attacking and giving the hardest blows.

"Recovering the title for me was great because I worked for it. Another opportunity to continue growing in boxing and be able to generate more money."

The offensive minded fighter couldn't be separated from the gritty Mexican Juan Carlos Burgos (D 12) at the famed Madison Square Garden in his first defense of his second reign and then edged past previously unbeaten Diego Magdaleno (SD 12) in Macao.

However, Martinez yielded his title to Mikey Garcia (KO 8) in Corpus Christi, Texas in November 2013

"I had a good start to the fight until I knocked him down [in Round 2] but the weight affected me, and I was weak," he explained. "I was 129-pounds at the weigh in and only rehydrated to 133-pounds. I was many years at 130-pounds, since I was an amateur. No excuses, he beat me."

Martinez took some time off before returning a year later with a win up at lightweight. However, he was lured back down to 130-pounds to face the scourge of Puerto Rican boxers, Orlando Salido.

"I wanted that fight and told Peter that I would beat him, he told me the same thing," said Martinez, who dropped Salido in Rounds 3 and 5 en route to claiming a hard-fought 12-round unanimous decision.

"The fight was great because he had knocked out Juanma [Lopez] twice. I felt like I was going to beat him and trained hard for that. He put a lot of pressure on, he throws a lot of punches everywhere, my thighs and leg. I was careful to bring my right hand into the fight and succeeded. The work was done in the gym with my team, especially my coach, Raul 'Papo' Torres."

Due to the exciting nature of the first fight both combatants lined up for a rematch on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Andre Berto in Las Vegas in September 2015.

"The day of the fight, an alarm went off and we had to run all the equipment downstairs, I guess it was a trick," he recalled before turning his attention toward what happened in the fight.

"It was a close fight, I knocked him down, but they said it was a slip. It was a close fight, but I landed clearer blows. It was a draw."

Next, he was matched with the otherworldly talented double Olympic champion Vasiliy Lomachenko, who was bidding to become a two-weight titleholder in the professional ranks. The two met at Madison Square Garden in June 2016.

"[Lomachenko] beat me very well," he said in a very honest appraisal of the fight in which he was stopped in five-rounds. "He did his job; he was superior in everything."

After two-and-a-half-year off, he returned with a win in Puerto Rico before losing to Yuriorkis Gamboa (KO 2), in unsavory fashion, which prompted him to retire.

"Gamboa didn't make weight, and they ordered me to have an eye exam on the morning of the fight," he said still clearly vexed at the situation. "That was a mistake, because your pupils dilate, and you see blurry. I had no option to fight or to leave. With that fight I was always left wanting. I never got to see the punches; it was like slow motion."

That marked the end of Martinez career, he retired with a record of (30-4-3, 18 knockouts).

Since then, he has remained involved in boxing working as a trainer at the Dorado gym and is currently helping the youth. Amongst the boxers he works with are Danielito Zorrilla, who unsuccessfully challenged Regis Prograis for the WBC junior welterweight in 2023. He also trains Miguel Marrero, Edgardo Rolls and Ryan Enoch Rodriguez as well as several fighters who are close to turning professional.

Martinez, now 42, is married and has two children. He still lives in Vega Baja and has invested in houses, which he rents out.

He graciously took time to speak to The Ring about the best he fought in 10 key categories.

Mikey Garcia: "Every time he gave me the jab, [it was] very hard."

Vasiliy Lomachenko: "Due to his lateral and waist movements."

Lomachenko: "Very versatile in his movements to throw blows. Very explosive when he's attacking."

Lomachenko: "A super-natural fighter, with lots of speed and explosiveness."

Garcia: "Very intelligent, he doesn't take many risks - never. Always waiting for opportunity."

Garcia: "He was normal size at the weigh in, the next day, he was very big and strong in the fight."

Miguel Beltran: "I hit him with good punches, and he showed good endurance."

Mikey Garcia: "Garcia hit very hard every time he punched me, I felt his knuckles. He was the biggest puncher I fought in my career."

Lomachenko: "Lomachenko was a natural. His movements and punches from different angles. And his experience as both an amateur and professional."

Lomachenko: "Mikey Garcia was strong and patient but the best fighter was Lomachenko for his speed, power, very versatile, movement and strategy."