O’Malley improves to 17-0 with unanimous decision

By Jay Mwamba

Martin O’Malley pounded out an eight-round unanimous points decision over Mexican warhorse Luis Lizarraga in Glen Burnie, Md., last Thursday night to improve his professional record to 17-0 (14 KOs).

O’Malley hurt Lizarraga, who dropped to 30-24-3 (22 KOs), several times in the lightweight contest at Michael’s Eighth Avenue, although it was the 29-year-old veteran who was credited with the only knockdown of the bout when his young foe went down from a glancing blow in the sixth round.

"I threw a left hook and overextended myself and he threw a wild right. I slipped and it was ruled a knockdown," O’Malley said, shrugging off the first knockdown of his career. "I was controlling the round."

He was up in a flash, protesting the referee’s the eight-count from the referee but to no avail.

O’Malley, who’s 25, came back in the seventh stanza to stun Lizarraga with a right hand that sent him reeling into the ropes. But like on the other occasions when he was hurt, the Mexican veteran used his ring savvy to survive.

"The guy was, as expected, very tough and durable. He knew all the tricks, some not fully legal, and was very slick," said O’Malley, who was nicked above the right eye in the third round.

"Overall, it was a very good win. Lizarraga was tough and durable and fighting guys like this will prepare me for bigger fights in the future."

It was O’Malley’s second distance fight in three months. Last January, the highly touted prospect from Edmonds, Wash., by way of County Wicklow, decisioned former Ghanaian lightweight champion Awel Abdulai over eight rounds in New York.

And the first major bout of O’Malley’s young career could come in May in New York when he challenges for the Irish lightweight champion.

"I have an opportunity to do it in May and I want to do it in New York. I’m looking forward to is," said the number one ranked contender to the 140-pound Irish crown.

At ringside in Glen Burnie was Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley (no relation to the boxer) who made his namesake an honorary citizen of the city.