Cuban boxer in the U.S. misses major fight card in Japan due to immigration issues

The Cuban boxer Armando Martínez, one of the most promising talents in Caribbean boxing based in the United States, was removed from the "Japan vs. The World" card scheduled for December 27 due to delays in processing his permanent residency.

The news, confirmed by El Nuevo Herald, hit like a thunderbolt in the career of the young fighter, who is experiencing one of the most stable and rising moments of his journey.

Martínez himself acknowledged that the blow "was harder than any received in the ring," but he assured that he remains focused on the future.

The issue with his visa prevented him from traveling to the Middle East to face the undefeated Japanese fighter Taiga Imanaga (9-0), a matchup that had generated expectations both inside and outside the professional circuit.

“We did everything we could to have the documents ready on time, but the visa issue turned out to be impossible. There's no choice but to keep working hard,” he said to the Herald.

At just 27 years old, Martínez not only carries an undefeated professional record —17-0, 15 KOs— but also a legendary surname. Son of Olympic champion Armando Martínez, the young fighter asserts that he does not live in his father's shadow; instead, he uses his legacy as motivation. “I am the protagonist of my own story,” he previously stated to journalist Jorge Ebro.

His journey outside of Cuba is an essential part of that story. After seven years on the national team, he requested to leave in search of professional opportunities, but he was sanctioned with two years of inactivity without the ability to obtain a passport. He later emigrated to Dubai, where he fought nine matches, until he decided to make the leap to the United States "like all Cubans, crossing the border, through the volcanoes," he recalled in an interview.

Now based in Miami, he works under the guidance of Dream Bigg Management and Warriors Boxing. Last October, he showcased his skills once again with a unanimous decision victory at the Hard Rock Live in Fort Lauderdale, keeping him on track for an elite stage like the Japanese event.

Although the immigration bureaucracy left him out this time, Martínez asserts that he remains motivated. His goal is still intact, with the intention of making his way in professional boxing and fighting for a title that he can dedicate to his daughters and his family, both in and out of Cuba.