Tag: frank martin

UMass extends head coach Frank Martin through 2029 season

UMass Minutemen head coach Frank Martin received a contract extension to stay in Amherst through the 2028-29 college basketball season.

Following the first 20 win season in over a decade, the UMass Minutemen extended head coach Frank Martin’s contract for two more seasons, keeping the 48-year-old in Amherst through the 2028-29 college basketball season.

Martin and his coaching staff will all receive raises, per the team’s release. Martin’s first contract was a five year deal signed in 2022 that paid him $1M per season, but he’ll earn a bump after leading the Minutemen to a 20-11 record and a fourth place finish in the Atlantic 10.

“I am unbelievably excited personally, for our staff and players that this university believes in us and asked us to be a part of the present and extend us well into the future,” Martin said in a statement. “Together with our supporters, we will continue to build this program and get it back to a championship level like it deserves and assist the university as we transition to a new conference. I have tremendous enthusiasm for this opportunity that Ryan Bamford and Javier Reyes have afforded me.”

UMass had not finished above .500 in conference play across a full season since they went 10-8, and 17-15 overall, in the 2014-15 season under coach Derek Kellogg. Led by Josh Cohen (15.9 points) and Matt Cross (15.3 points), last year’s Minutemen squad went 11-7 in league play and lost to VCU in the Atlantic 10 Tournament.

Martin was the head coach at Kansas State from 2007-2012, making the NCAA Tournament in four of five seasons before taking over at South Carolina ahead of the 2012-13 season.

Martin only made the big dance once at South Carolina, but it was a run all the way to the Final Four in 2017 before the team fell by four to Gonzaga – narrowly missing a matchup against North Carolina for a national championship.

Sixers star Tyrese Maxey reacts to Tank Davis knocking out Frank Martin

Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey reacts to Tank Davis knocking out Frank Martin in the eighth round.

The sports world was captivated by boxing on Saturday night as Gervonta “Tank” Davis took on Frank Martin out in Las Vegas.

Davis was able to knock Martin out with a vicious knockout punch in the eighth round to retain his WBA knockout title. It was a left uppercut and a straight left that knocked him out after it appeared that Martin had the upper hand in the first handful of rounds.

Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey, like the rest of the world, was in awe of Davis being able to knock Martin out. He took to Twitter to give his reaction to the result.

Maxey, who is currently in France, had to get up a little early over there to watch the fight. He stated that he was up so he could watch the fight.

Maxey and the Sixers will now look ahead to the offseason in order to add the right piece that will push them over the hump in the Eastern Conference.

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Boxing video: Gervonta Davis, Frank Martin exchange heated words in final faceoff

Gervonta Davis and Frank Martin came face-to-face one last time before their WBA lightweight title bout.

[autotag]Gervonta Davis[/autotag] and [autotag]Frank Martin[/autotag] are set for their big title showdown.

Saturday, two of the best boxers in the game clash with the WBA lightweight title on the line. Friday, Davis and Martin came face-to-face one last time, perhaps building even more anticipation for the TGB and PBC-promoted fight which takes place at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and airs on Prime Video pay-per-view.

Their final faceoff was an expletive-filled heated exchange, which matched the energy the fighters displayed during their press conference faceoff earlier during fight week.

Check out video of the faceoff in the video above.

Video: Gervonta Davis makes opponent Frank Martin flinch in press conference faceoff

Watch Gervonta Davis get testy with his opponent Frank Martin during their faceoff on Wednesday.

[autotag]Gervonta Davis[/autotag] got testy with his opponent [autotag]Frank Martin[/autotag] at Wednesday’s pre-fight press conference.

Following the presser, the two boxers engaged in a tense staredown, jawing at each other. That’s when “Tank” Davis (29-0) feinted at Martin (18-0) and got him into defense mode, which cracked a good laugh for Davis.

You can watch their staredown from their pre-fight press conference in the video above.

Davis returns to the boxing ring this Saturday to defend his WBA lightweight title against Martin. The championship bout is scheduled to take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be available on pay-per-view through Prime Video.

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Report: Gervonta Davis set to defend 135-pound title against Frank Martin

Report: 135-pound champ Gervonta Davis and contender Frank Martin have reached an agreement to fight in late spring or early summer.

Gervonta Davis reportedly has his next opponent.

The popular 135-pound titleholder and No. 2 contender Frank Martin have reached an agreement to fight on pay-per-view in late spring or early summer, ESPN is reporting.

Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) evidently has put legal issues behind him, which allows him to get back into the ring. He hasn’t fought since he stopped Ryan Garcia in seven rounds last April.

Martin (18-0, 12 KOs) also fought only once last year, defeating Artem Harutyunyan by unanimous, but close decision in July.

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Report: Gervonta Davis set to defend 135-pound title against Frank Martin

Report: 135-pound champ Gervonta Davis and contender Frank Martin have reached an agreement to fight in late spring or early summer.

Gervonta Davis reportedly has his next opponent.

The popular 135-pound titleholder and No. 2 contender Frank Martin have reached an agreement to fight on pay-per-view in late spring or early summer, ESPN is reporting.

Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) evidently has put legal issues behind him, which allows him to get back into the ring. He hasn’t fought since he stopped Ryan Garcia in seven rounds last April.

Martin (18-0, 12 KOs) also fought only once last year, defeating Artem Harutyunyan by unanimous, but close decision in July.

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Report: Frank Martin decides against fighting Shakur Stevenson

Report: Frank Martin decided against fighting Shakur Stevenson after they agreed to meet in the fall.

Frank Martin reportedly will not fight Shakur Stevenson, at least not anytime soon.

The lightweight contenders were believed to have reached a deal for a bout in the fall. However, according to Fight Freaks Unite, Martin decided not to go through with the fight.

The outlet cited Todd duBoef of Top Rank, Stevenson’s promoter.

“We agreed to terms for the fight and we sent them a contract and now the guy doesn’t want the fight,” duBoef said. “These guys can talk all they want on social media and say this and that, that they’ll whip Shakur’s butt, but they don’t want these fights.

“It’s a disappointment for the sport. You get these guys chirping everywhere and talking smack and then this guy gets the opportunity he said he wanted, we send the contract we agreed to and then he turns down seven figures. Give me a break.”

Stevenson (20-0, 10 KOs) evidently will fight someone else soon.

“We’ll figure something out. Shakur will still fight,” duBoef said. “Why should he be punished? He will fight anyone. Everyone knows that.”

Steveson, No. 13 on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list and a former titleholder at 126 and 130 pounds, is coming off a sixth-round knockout of Shuichiro Yoshino in his debut as a full-fledged 135-pounder on April 8.

Martin (18-0, 12 KOs) is a rising contender. He last fought on July 15, when he outpointed Artem Harutyunyan in a competitive fight.

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Report: Frank Martin decides against fighting Shakur Stevenson

Report: Frank Martin decided against fighting Shakur Stevenson after they agreed to meet in the fall.

Frank Martin reportedly will not fight Shakur Stevenson, at least not anytime soon.

The lightweight contenders were believed to have reached a deal for a bout in the fall. However, according to Fight Freaks Unite, Martin decided not to go through with the fight.

The outlet cited Todd duBoef of Top Rank, Stevenson’s promoter.

“We agreed to terms for the fight and we sent them a contract and now the guy doesn’t want the fight,” duBoef said. “These guys can talk all they want on social media and say this and that, that they’ll whip Shakur’s butt, but they don’t want these fights.

“It’s a disappointment for the sport. You get these guys chirping everywhere and talking smack and then this guy gets the opportunity he said he wanted, we send the contract we agreed to and then he turns down seven figures. Give me a break.”

Stevenson (20-0, 10 KOs) evidently will fight someone else soon.

“We’ll figure something out. Shakur will still fight,” duBoef said. “Why should he be punished? He will fight anyone. Everyone knows that.”

Steveson, No. 13 on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list and a former titleholder at 126 and 130 pounds, is coming off a sixth-round knockout of Shuichiro Yoshino in his debut as a full-fledged 135-pounder on April 8.

Martin (18-0, 12 KOs) is a rising contender. He last fought on July 15, when he outpointed Artem Harutyunyan in a competitive fight.

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Weekend Review: Frank Martin had to settle for shaky, unsatisfying victory

Weekend Review: Frank Martin had to settle for a shaky, unsatisfying victory over capable Artem Harutyunyan on Saturday in Las Vegas.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER
Frank Martin

Martin will be a better fighter because of the experience he gained against fellow 135-pound contender Artem Harutyunyan on Saturday in Las Vegas but the process was painful for him. The combination of Martin’s relative inactivity over the first eight rounds and his opponent’s impressive ability and work rate made for a close fight, one in which Martin (18-0, 12 KOs) had to rally to win by a close, but unanimous decision. The winner wasn’t satisfied at all afterward, blaming his sluggish performance on poor timing that he couldn’t explain. His trainer, Derrick James, provided the reason: James pushed Martin to let his hands go until he finally did so with some consistency down the stretch. My theory is that Martin was overly concerned with being precise with his punches when he should’ve focused on simply touching his clever opponent as much as possible, as he did in an explosive sixth round and in the late rounds. I’m guessing that will be the lesson Martin will take away from the most difficult fight of his career. Is he still a threat to the top 135-pounders? I believe so. All top fighters must endure such challenges at some point to evolve into stars. I wouldn’t want to be Martin’s next opponent.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Harutyunyan (12-1, 7 KOs) made a strong impression in defeat. The 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, who had never fought outside his home country of Germany, demonstrated against a respected opponent that he has world class talent. He’s a gifted, clever boxer and durable. It took what appeared to be a severe eye injury to put him down in the final round, when he took a knee. He lost by scores of 115-112, 115-112 and 114-113. Had he managed to win the final round with a score of 10-9 (instead of losing it 10-8) the fight would have been a majority draw (114-114 on two cards). I hope the native of Armenia gets more big fights. He earned that Saturday night. … Elvis Rodriguez (15-1-1, 13 KOs) gave arguably the strongest performance of his career on the Martin-Harutyunyan undercard. The 140-pound contender patiently broke down still-capable veteran Viktor Postol (31-5, 12 KOs) before putting him down late in Round 6 and then finishing the job in Round 7. The convincing victory bolstered the Dominican’s position as a legitimate contender. Meanwhile, Postol, 39, might decide to call it quits after three consecutive losses. He had an excellent career, which peaked when he stopped Lucas Matthysse in 10 rounds to win a world title in 2015. …

Welterweight prospect Freudis Rojas (11-0, 11 KOs) lucked out when the Nonito Donaire-Alexandro Santiago was pushed back to July 29 and his fight with overmatched Diego Santiago Sanchez (19-3, 16 KOs) ended up on Showtime’s Martin-Harutyunyan telecast. And he took full advantage, dominating and then stopping Sanchez in seven rounds. Rojas has a lot going for him. The 6-foot-2 southpaw from Las Vegas used his length and heavy hands to pick his Mexican foe apart from a safe distance, a formula that could make him a formidable opponent for anyone. Rojas is definitely one to watch. … Undisputed 130-pound champion Alycia Baumgardner (15-1, 7 KOs) exacted revenge and maintained her momentum Saturday in Detroit, defeating Christina Linardatou (14-3, 6 KOs) by a one-sided decision. The official scores were 99-91, 98-92 and 98-92. Linardatou handed Baumgarnder her only defeat, a split decision in 2018. Baumgarnder has won nine consecutive fights and claimed all four junior lightweight titles since her setback, establishing herself as one of the best in the business.

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Weekend Review: Frank Martin had to settle for shaky, unsatisfying victory

Weekend Review: Frank Martin had to settle for a shaky, unsatisfying victory over capable Artem Harutyunyan on Saturday in Las Vegas.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER
Frank Martin

Martin will be a better fighter because of the experience he gained against fellow 135-pound contender Artem Harutyunyan on Saturday in Las Vegas but the process was painful for him. The combination of Martin’s relative inactivity over the first eight rounds and his opponent’s impressive ability and work rate made for a close fight, one in which Martin (18-0, 12 KOs) had to rally to win by a close, but unanimous decision. The winner wasn’t satisfied at all afterward, blaming his sluggish performance on poor timing that he couldn’t explain. His trainer, Derrick James, provided the reason: James pushed Martin to let his hands go until he finally did so with some consistency down the stretch. My theory is that Martin was overly concerned with being precise with his punches when he should’ve focused on simply touching his clever opponent as much as possible, as he did in an explosive sixth round and in the late rounds. I’m guessing that will be the lesson Martin will take away from the most difficult fight of his career. Is he still a threat to the top 135-pounders? I believe so. All top fighters must endure such challenges at some point to evolve into stars. I wouldn’t want to be Martin’s next opponent.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Harutyunyan (12-1, 7 KOs) made a strong impression in defeat. The 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, who had never fought outside his home country of Germany, demonstrated against a respected opponent that he has world class talent. He’s a gifted, clever boxer and durable. It took what appeared to be a severe eye injury to put him down in the final round, when he took a knee. He lost by scores of 115-112, 115-112 and 114-113. Had he managed to win the final round with a score of 10-9 (instead of losing it 10-8) the fight would have been a majority draw (114-114 on two cards). I hope the native of Armenia gets more big fights. He earned that Saturday night. … Elvis Rodriguez (15-1-1, 13 KOs) gave arguably the strongest performance of his career on the Martin-Harutyunyan undercard. The 140-pound contender patiently broke down still-capable veteran Viktor Postol (31-5, 12 KOs) before putting him down late in Round 6 and then finishing the job in Round 7. The convincing victory bolstered the Dominican’s position as a legitimate contender. Meanwhile, Postol, 39, might decide to call it quits after three consecutive losses. He had an excellent career, which peaked when he stopped Lucas Matthysse in 10 rounds to win a world title in 2015. …

Welterweight prospect Freudis Rojas (11-0, 11 KOs) lucked out when the Nonito Donaire-Alexandro Santiago was pushed back to July 29 and his fight with overmatched Diego Santiago Sanchez (19-3, 16 KOs) ended up on Showtime’s Martin-Harutyunyan telecast. And he took full advantage, dominating and then stopping Sanchez in seven rounds. Rojas has a lot going for him. The 6-foot-2 southpaw from Las Vegas used his length and heavy hands to pick his Mexican foe apart from a safe distance, a formula that could make him a formidable opponent for anyone. Rojas is definitely one to watch. … Undisputed 130-pound champion Alycia Baumgardner (15-1, 7 KOs) exacted revenge and maintained her momentum Saturday in Detroit, defeating Christina Linardatou (14-3, 6 KOs) by a one-sided decision. The official scores were 99-91, 98-92 and 98-92. Linardatou handed Baumgarnder her only defeat, a split decision in 2018. Baumgarnder has won nine consecutive fights and claimed all four junior lightweight titles since her setback, establishing herself as one of the best in the business.

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