Carl Jammes Martin stuns David Picasso to win WBC Silver featherweight title
Filipino boxer Carl Jammes Martin beat Mexico’s David Picasso by split decision on Saturday, 31 October, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh to win the WBC Silver featherweight title.
The 27-year-old from Lagawe, Ifugao, stayed unbeaten in 29 professional fights, now 29-0 with 21 knockouts. It was the biggest win of his career, on the undercard of the “Mexico vs. The World” card headlined by Canelo Alvarez’s victory over Christian Mbilli.
The judges could barely separate them over 10 close rounds. Guido Cavalleri scored it 95-94 for Picasso, Jorge Gorini gave the same score to Martin and Barry Linderman had it 96-93 for the Filipino. Picasso dropped Martin early in the seventh round with a jab. Martin said their feet had tangled, but the replay showed a clean shot. He got up and finished strongly to take the decision.
Picasso, 26, had been the favourite. He challenged Japan’s Naoya Inoue for the unified super-bantamweight titles and lost on points, then moved up in weight and won the silver featherweight belt by stopping Maicol Rincon in two rounds. The defeat is the second of his career, leaving him at 33-2-1 with 18 knockouts.
Martin celebrated with traditional dances from his home province of Ifugao, on his way to the ring and again after the result was announced. He fell to the canvas in tears when the decision was read out, then offered Picasso a rematch, which Picasso said he would take.
Why it matters
The win puts Martin, nicknamed “Wonder Boy”, in line for a shot at a full world title at featherweight. The WBC Silver belt is a stepping stone to the main title, held by Bruce Carrington. It also gave the World team a 4-1 lead over Mexico on a card built around Mexico against the rest of the world. For Filipino boxing, it is a breakthrough win on a major Riyadh card for a fighter who has mostly fought at home.
What happens next
Martin will now wait to see whether the WBC orders a final eliminator or a shot at Carrington. A rematch with Picasso is also on the table. Picasso must rebuild after a second career defeat, having already come back once from a loss to Inoue.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://www.dazn.com/en-GB/news/boxing/canelo-alvarez-vs-christian-mbilli-live-updates-results-live-blog/1bwyud45zwby11g29rnoa0njg5 (DAZN, 31 October 2026)
- https://sports.aseancoverage.com/news/martin-beats-picasso-by-split-decision-to-claim-wbc-silver-featherweight-title/n3239 (ASEAN Coverage, 31 October 2026)
- https://www.ringmagazine.com/news/relive-the-action-as-canelo-alvarez-becomes-world-champ-681a227rPRjxwUsom6eSxf (The Ring, 31 October 2026)
- https://fastbreak.com.ph/martin-brings-ifugao-pride-in-win-against-david-picasso/sports-galore/ (Fastbreak, 1 November 2026)
