Martin in ALA Boys’ corner

It’ll be a dream come true for London-born Tony Martin when he works the corners of ALA (Antonio Lopez Aldeguer) fighters Z Gorres and Czar Amonsot in their bouts against Mexican opponents at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas this Friday (Saturday morning, Manila).

Martin, 63, will be wearing the trademark ALA black-and-red jacket as one of trainer Freddie Roach’s seconds.

"He deserves it," said Aldeguer yesterday. "When I was in Las Vegas last year, I asked Tony to get involved in booking matches for my boys. He made the rounds and found an interested promoter in the Guilty group. Tony worked hard to arrange the fights. He told me it’s been his dream to work in the corner of a big fight and that dream will come true in a few days."

Gorres takes on Jose Alfredo Tirado in the main event while Amonsot faces Antonio Wong in the aperitif.

Aldeguer and Martin go back a long way and share a common passion for the Sweet Science. Martin lived many years in Cebu, where Aldeguer is based, with his Filipina wife Yvonne Yoligon and their four children, Edward, 18, Matthew, 16, Adrian, 12 and Abigail, 8. He trained several fighters including Ernie Alesna, Johnny Lear, Isagani (Little Guns) Pumar and Tirso Albia.

Martin left London in 1986 to work as a chief engineer in a hospital in Saudi Arabia. It was in the hospital where Martin met his wife, a nurse. They later raised their family in Cebu.

In 2003, the Martins moved to Tennessee where Yvonne took a job in a hospital. Last March, they transferred to Las Vegas. Yvonne, 44, now works as a nurse in the intensive care unit of the Mountain View Hospital while Martin is a full-time personal trainer at the Vegas Gym on Sahara Avenue.

When the Philippine basketball team played at the Global Hoops Summit in Las Vegas last July, Martin and two of his sons were permanent fixtures in the stands, cheering of course for coach Chot Reyes’ squad.

His sons Edward and Matthew are handsome 5-10 Fil-Brits who’re seriously thinking of going back to Cebu and playing college hoops. Edward was once a model for Aldeguer’s clothes line. They’re not only athletes but also honor students.

Aside from earning $35 to $75 an hour in the gym, Martin acts as the sole North American representative of the Melbourne-based World Boxing Foundation headed by Mick Croucher.

Martin’s clients include amateur and professional fighters, showgirls, businessmen and even Las Vegas strippers. One of his fighters is unbeaten 26-year-old Michelle Haggard who boasts a 16-0 record and is itching for a showdown with Laila Ali. Another is 22-year-old heavyweight prospect Grant Howard.

A prized client is a stunning Thai stripper who rakes in $3,000 a night. According to Martin, she packs a 38-24-34 figure and drives a Hummer with $10,000 wheels, a TV and DVD video system, a telephone line and a satellite dish. Another client is a beautiful showgirl who’s romantically linked to a high-profile boxing promoter.

Whenever Filipino friends visit Las Vegas, the Martins welcome them to their home. Bantamweight sensation Rey (Boom Boom) Bautista, trainer Edito Villamor and even Aldeguer’s chief lieutenant Sammy Gello-ni are frequent guests at the Martins’ home.

"Tony’s helping out our Filipino boxers," said Aldeguer. "And he’s doing a good job. Manny (Pacquiao) has opened the doors for more Filipinos to fight in the US. But we should be careful not to just send anybody. We should only send our marquee fighters to protect our reputation."

Bautista, an Aldeguer protege, is back in the US and will fight again next month.

"Boom Boom is gaining a lot of attention," said Aldeguer. "To tell you the truth, there’s a promotions group offering him a world title shot. But we’re not rushing him. Felix Murillo was his first test then Gerardo Espinoza, who is a world-class fighter with 26 knockouts in 28 wins. Boom Boom passed both tests with flying colors. Let’s see how he does in his next fight."

Martin will probably be in Bautista’s corner, too.