By Barbara Pinnella Christopher Martin will face off against Enrique Quevedo (14-6-1, 9 KOs) this Friday night at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, CA. Martin, who fights under Thompson Boxing Promotions, has a record of 27-2-3 with 9 KOs. Three of those knockouts have come in his last four fights. While Chris has not fought Enrique before, he did face his twin brother. “I fought him in 2007, and we fought to a draw. To this day I know I won, but, you know, it just happened that way. I saw short clips on YouTube and see the same style. He just comes forward and he’s a tough guy – typical Mexican fighter. He can take a punch, so I’m ready for all that.”

Chris started off as an amateur. “I started when I was 14, but I didn’t have my first fight until I was 15. I turned pro about four-and-a-half years later. My brother is seven years older than me, and he used to box also. I watched him in the ring, and eventually I worked up the courage to finally go to the gym and do it. It turned out that I was pretty good at it,” he laughed.

While Chris, like most fighters, is serious about his training, he has other obligations that demand his time. He is a full-time corrections officer in South San Diego, working as a detention officer.

“I’ve been doing that for five years this September. I do my rounds, keep the piece, and make sure everybody’s in order. The motto at work is general safety and security, and that’s what I try to do. I like it. I would like to be a full-time boxer, but I can’t complain.

“My job is not too hard. I do have to be on my feet eight hours a day, but it’s not heavy labor. It might weigh me down mentally sometimes, but for the most part I enjoy what I do.”

What could make it a bit more demanding for Martin is that he has a rotating schedule, so the days that he has off will change. That could make it more difficult for him as a fighter, but it works out.

“The wardens at my facility help out. They love boxing too and are sports fans, so anytime I ask for time off – it is leave without pay – but still, I get it.”

But getting that training in with a full-time job is not easy. Occasionally Martin and his team have come up to the Los Angeles area from his home near San Diego to spar, but they mainly stay down South. He said that there are so many people down there, as well as Tijuana, that he can get good sparring right there near home.

“When I’m training, I wake up in the morning at 4:45, get my run going, come home, do my push-ups and sit-ups, take a shower, go to work, come back, chill out with the kids and my wife for about a half-hour, then go back out to the gym, and usually get home at 7:15, 7:30 at the latest. That’s usually how my day goes. But I’m used to the schedule, so when I become a full-time boxer I think it will play in my favor.”

You notice Chris said that he likes to take some time for his wife and kids. He likes to spend as much time as possible with his family. He has been married for three years, but he and his wife have been together for 11 years.

“On my days off we usually spend time with my parents. My kids love their grandparents. If I’m off two days we’ll be there one day. I’m just basically a family man. I like hanging out with my mom and dad and my brother. Every so often I’ll call my brother just to see if he wants to go see a game or just hang out. I’m just very family-oriented. That’s the way I keep it. Everybody is very supportive, and I’m appreciative of that.”

Martin admits that he is very straight-forward, but that he likes to laugh. He does feel that one thing sets him apart from most.

“Boxing makes me special,” he said. “This is what I love to do, and not a lot of people have this talent.”

Good luck to Chris on his upcoming fight Friday night.