Mohegan Sun, CT. - Former world champion Robert Easter Jr. (23-1-1, 14 KOs) showed his championship pedigree with a dominating unanimous decision victory over Chattanooga, Tenn.’s Ryan Martin (24-2, 14 KOs). The judges scored the fight 117-111 and 118-110 twice.

With the win, Easter improves to 5-1-1 in fights that have gone all 12 scheduled rounds, while Martin went 12 rounds for the first time in the losing effort. 

Easter was sharp from the onset of the fight, using his jab and movement to effectively dictate the pace. The former IBF Lightweight World Champion, fighting for the first time in 16 months, was successful in his second contest at 140 pounds. He showed no signs of ring rust as he landed 82 of 339 jabs and connected on 40 percent of his power punches. While Martin was busier, throwing 90 more punches than the Toledo native, it was Easter who was far more accurate as he outlanded Martin 161-118 in total punches.

Easter was cut for the first time in his career after an accidental headbutt in the eighth round, but still continued his dominance for the remainder of the fight in a composed and masterful performance.

“I was just comfortable,” said the 30-year-old Easter. “Once I stay boxing, I get comfortable. I get a little bored but everybody says when I box, when I use my jab, keep my distance, I make the fight that much easier. So that’s what I was working on the whole camp. Me and my dad have been stressing on using the jab, keeping your distance and that’s what we did. I wanted to fight but as you see, when I wanted to fight, I got headbutted. So it was best to keep our distance.

“Whoever has those straps, whoever is in the way is going to feel this wrath. Me and AB, we’re coming to stir up the 140-pound division and that’s that. There ain’t no particular fighter, I want them all. We’re coming for all those straps.” 

Martin, who was denied the opportunity to represent the United States at the Summer Games in London as an alternate when he lost to Easter in the amateurs, was unable to exact revenge or execute the game plan that trainer Mark Ferrait curated.

“I thought I was competitive but obviously I could have done a lot of things better,” said the 27-year-old Martin. “I followed him too much and he was able to take away our game plan. He did a great job of keeping me on the outside. There’s not too much to say, he was the better man tonight. His jab didn’t bother me too much but it did keep me from getting on the inside. He never stunned me or affected me with it, but I should have sped up on him a little more.”