5’8, welterweight Angelica “Angel” Martinez born in Oceanside, California,  and she fights out of Dallas, Texas.  Martinez did not really start her athletic career until high school.

Martinez said,  “I grew up wanting to do nothing but play basketball. And that’s what I did everyday when I was a kid.”

In middle school she was more of a musician than anything else. “Most of my family that I knew were musicians. So I thought maybe that’s what I should try, " said Martinez.  She picked up the alto saxophone and played all the way through college.

Growing up was not particularly easy for her. She was bullied for most of her childhood and as time went by was bound and determined to become something other than what her peers made her out to be. Martinez said that her mother worked two jobs just to be able to make ends meet for her brother and her. "It was hard not having her around most of the time, so I always had to find a way to defend myselff," added Martinez.

In the summer of 1990 she was selected to play AAU basketball and went to tournaments in Mexico and Europe representing the United States. She later went on to graduate in the top ten in her class and earned a basketball scholarship to Southwest Texas State University. She later lost that scholarship due to an injury and went out to the work industry.

Martinez said,  “That really depressed me. I started drinking a lot and lost all hope.”

Martinez started working as a bartender where she later found herself in Dallas. She moved to that area to start over and get away from all that was around me...that’s when she "accidentally" discovered boxing.

With her mind set on losing the weight she gained since losing her scholarship she ended up at a gym in Arlington where she met a trainer named Jose. Martinez said,  “He’s the one who introduced me to the whole idea of boxing. He said it was the best cardio.”

With Jose never showing up to the gym Angel went on to learn what she could from what was around her. “I was so desperate for training that I started training with the wrestlers that worked out there. They threw me around and all kinds of stuff.”

Bent on learning the art of boxing she later went on to find someone who didn’t think she was a joke. Out of curiosity, she attended an amateur tournament. There her interest was ignited and told her friend that she wouldn’t mind competing. Her friend laughed and said that she was too old and that she couldn’t do it. “That’s all it took.” Her interest in boxing steadily turned into a passion and that’s all she could think of. She only competed in 5 amateur bouts and with 4 bouts ending in RSC she decided to take her trainer’s advice and go pro. She dedicated herself to boxing so much that all her money went to equipment and so forth.

Living out of her truck and training six days a week she finally got her shot with a pro debut. Martinez said, “With all I had gone through to this point there was no way I was gonna go at it half way. It was all or nothing.”

On July 5, 2003, Martinez made her pro debut at Club Life in Dallas, winning by a unanimous decision over Morgan McCarly of Rosenburg, Texas,  who fell to 1-1. She won all three judges over and left Angel to move on to Mary Wells from San Antonio, TX.

On August 28, 2003 at the Worthington Hotel in Fort Worth TX she won by a knockout in 1:48 of the second round. Mary fell to 3-2 while Angel was getting a taste of what was to come in the future.

She then went on to one of her toughest challenges to that point. She was to face undefeated Holly Holm on December 12, 2003 in Albuquerque NM.

There she lost a unanimous decision to Holly Holm. Martinez said,  “Holm was heavily favored to win. But again, it was a clash of styles as Holm’s kickboxing background showed against a well-timed classic boxing style.” That wouldn’t be any where near the end of the Martinez-Holm saga. They later met in a rematch on May 15, 2004. Here the two fought a grueling battle to a majority draw.

Martinez did not return to the ring again until November 5, 2005 where she met Tanya Gallegos of Colorado in the Boxing Pavilion in Dallas, TX. There she dominated Gallegos for four rounds. Thought the inactivity showed in the ring, Martinez was far from showing the world of boxing what she was made of .

It wasn’t until the following year that she got a chance to prove herself.

On January 27, 2006 she came up against the more experienced Yvonne Reis. “I thought, well if I am to prove to myself that this is where I belong, what better place than in the ring with the WIBA belt around my waist.” And that she did. She won an eight round unanimous decision at the Palladium in Hollywood, CA.(78-74, 80-72, 80-72) 2006 would end up being a very trying year for her as she geared up for none other than Holly Holm once again. “It all happened really fast. I was coming into the gym on Wednesday only to find out my trainer was on the phone to fight that Saturday.” And that she did.

With a one day notice Angel was bound and determined to get business done this time. Taking a world title fight in short notice she lost a unanimous ten round decision (98-92 x 3) that passed her up for a chance at the WBA welterweight title. Holm’s trainer had this to say about Martinez, “That girl can flat out fight,” said Mike Winkeljohn.

Richard Stevens of the Albuquerque Tribune said, “Martinez won more than the two rounds accredited by the judges, and probably won the last three."

With this world class experience that Angel was accumulating, she went on to Tunica, Mississippi,  to face Miriam Brachache. There she won a six-round majority decision,  (59-55, 58-56, 57-57).

Martinez said, "I can’t wait until I finally have a chance to finally prove that I am world champion material. That’s the kind of stuff I work for. That’s why I could take a world title fight in a one day notice. I may not be a world champion just yet but the ones that are better watch out cause here I come.”

Martinez just may have her chance to prove herself just yet. She is scheduled to fight Christy Martin on October.