# Charles Martin (boxer)
**Charles Martin** (born 1986) is an American professional heavyweight boxer, nicknamed "Prince", who held the IBF heavyweight title from January to April 2016 and is best known for losing it to [Anthony Joshua](https://www.edgepedia.org/anthony-joshua) in a two-round stoppage at London's O2 Arena.[1](https://www.foxsports.com/boxing/charles-martin-player-bio) • [2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/36008280)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1986[1](https://www.foxsports.com/boxing/charles-martin-player-bio) |
| Physical profile | 6 ft 5 in, 251 lbs, 80-inch reach, southpaw stance[1](https://www.foxsports.com/boxing/charles-martin-player-bio) |
| World title | Won the vacant IBF heavyweight title in January 2016 when Vyacheslav Glazkov suffered a fight-ending knee injury in round three[3](https://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-boxing-heavyweight-charles-martin-anthony-joshua-england-20160324-story.html) |
| Title defense | Lost the IBF title in his first defense, stopped in two rounds by Anthony Joshua on 9 April 2016 at the O2 Arena[2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/36008280) |
| Glazkov payday | $250,000, described as possibly the lowest ever received by a champion in a title fight; he was the 13th man to hold the IBF title since its introduction in 1984[4](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/boxing/anthony-joshua-vs-charles-martin-has-the-makings-of-a-great-fight-just-not-a-great-world-title-fight-a6877786.html) |
| Notable later results | Narrow decision loss to Adam Kownacki (2018); wins over Gregory Corbin and Daniel Martz (2019)[5](https://www.magnamedia.com/forms/Release%20Explosive%20PPV%20UCard.pdf) |
| Recent activity | Signed with Zuffa Boxing in 2026 after more than a year away from the ring[6](https://www.ufc.com/news/charles-martin-older-wiser-and-better-than-ever-zuffa-boxing-03) |
## Background
Martin is an American heavyweight who came up through the "All-American Heavyweights" project, a program launched by television producer Michael King around 2012 that trained prospective champions at a workout facility in [Carson, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/carson-california).[3](https://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-boxing-heavyweight-charles-martin-anthony-joshua-england-20160324-story.html) Based in North Hollywood at the time of his title run, he trained at Big Bear with 1984 U.S. Olympic heavyweight champion [Henry Tillman](https://www.edgepedia.org/henry-tillman) serving as co-trainer, and his manager was [Al Haymon](https://www.edgepedia.org/al-haymon).[3](https://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-boxing-heavyweight-charles-martin-anthony-joshua-england-20160324-story.html) He later lived in Las Vegas and trained in Southern California with Manny Robles.[5](https://www.magnamedia.com/forms/Release%20Explosive%20PPV%20UCard.pdf)
A southpaw standing 6 feet 5 inches with an 80-inch reach, he fought in the heavyweight division throughout his professional career.[1](https://www.foxsports.com/boxing/charles-martin-player-bio)
## IBF heavyweight champion
The IBF belt became vacant in December 2015 after the sanctioning body stripped [Tyson Fury](https://www.edgepedia.org/tyson-fury), who had chosen a rematch with [Wladimir Klitschko](https://www.edgepedia.org/wladimir-klitschko) over a mandatory defense.[2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/36008280) Martin faced the previously unbeaten Ukrainian Vyacheslav Glazkov for the vacant title in Brooklyn, New York, in January 2016. Glazkov suffered a fight-ending knee injury in the third round, and Martin won by technical knockout.[3](https://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-boxing-heavyweight-charles-martin-anthony-joshua-england-20160324-story.html) The victory was widely viewed as tainted by the injury; Martin himself argued that his punches had caused it, saying Glazkov's head had been clouded by a straight left hand before he stumbled into the hook that ended the fight.[3](https://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-boxing-heavyweight-charles-martin-anthony-joshua-england-20160324-story.html)
The payday was modest for a world title fight: $250,000 (£175,000), which the journalist Steve Bunce described as possibly the lowest ever received by a champion in a title fight, and which made Martin the 13th holder of the IBF belt since the organization introduced it in 1984.[4](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/boxing/anthony-joshua-vs-charles-martin-has-the-makings-of-a-great-fight-just-not-a-great-world-title-fight-a6877786.html)
## Loss to Anthony Joshua
For his first defense, Martin accepted a fight against the unbeaten 2012 Olympic super-heavyweight gold medallist Anthony Joshua (15-0, 15 knockouts) at the O2 Arena in London on 9 April 2016. Martin said the decision to travel was his own, not his manager's, and framed it as a champion's duty: "Accepting fight in England is part of being heavyweight champ."
He entered the ring wearing a tall crown, a fur-trimmed velvet cape, and, in the BBC's description, a smile as broad as his shoulders.[2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/36008280) Joshua floored him with a right-hand counter, knocked him down a second time in the second round, and the referee halted the contest, giving Joshua the IBF title in only his 16th professional fight.[2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/36008280) It was the first loss of Martin's professional career.[7](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/boxing/anthony-joshua-vs-charles-martin-report-joshua-crowned-ibf-heavyweight-champion-after-two-round-destruction-a6976971.html)
## Later career
After losing the title, Martin rebuilt with wins inside the distance, including victories over Gregory Corbin in March 2019 and Daniel Martz in July 2019, following a narrow decision defeat to [Adam Kownacki](https://www.edgepedia.org/adam-kownacki) in 2018.[5](https://www.magnamedia.com/forms/Release%20Explosive%20PPV%20UCard.pdf) His later record includes fights against [Gerald Washington](https://www.edgepedia.org/gerald-washington-boxer) (February 2020), Luis Ortiz (January 2022), Devin Vargas (September 2022), and [Jared Anderson](https://www.edgepedia.org/jared-anderson-boxer) (July 2023).[8](https://www.wbaboxing.com/wba-boxer-profile?id=3930) In November 2024 he stopped Matthew McKinney in the first round by knockout.[9](https://boxingmetrics.com/fighter/873/charles-martin)
Published records differ slightly: FOX Sports lists him at 30 wins, 4 losses, and 27 knockouts,[1](https://www.foxsports.com/boxing/charles-martin-player-bio) Tapology and BoxingMetrics list 30-5-1,[10](https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/fighters/213405-charles-martin-prince) • [9](https://boxingmetrics.com/fighter/873/charles-martin) and the WBA profile lists 29-3-1 with a 79 percent knockout rate.[8](https://www.wbaboxing.com/wba-boxer-profile?id=3930)
## Zuffa Boxing
In 2026, after more than a year away from the ring, Martin signed with [Zuffa Boxing](https://www.edgepedia.org/zuffa-boxing), the promotion's new boxing venture, and was set for a main event on 15 February 2026 against [Efe Ajagba](https://www.edgepedia.org/efe-ajagba).[6](https://www.ufc.com/news/charles-martin-older-wiser-and-better-than-ever-zuffa-boxing-03) • [8](https://www.wbaboxing.com/wba-boxer-profile?id=3930) Martin said the guaranteed fights the deal offered were something he had not been accustomed to over the previous decade of his career, and thanked [Dana White](https://www.edgepedia.org/dana-white) for the opportunity at what he described as the end of his career.[6](https://www.ufc.com/news/charles-martin-older-wiser-and-better-than-ever-zuffa-boxing-03)
## References
1. [Charles Martin Bio, FOX Sports](https://www.foxsports.com/boxing/charles-martin-player-bio)
2. [Anthony Joshua beats Charles Martin to become world heavyweight champion, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/36008280)
3. [Accepting fight in England is part of being heavyweight champ, says L.A.'s Charles Martin, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-boxing-heavyweight-charles-martin-anthony-joshua-england-20160324-story.html)
4. [Anthony Joshua vs Charles Martin has the makings of a great fight, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/boxing/anthony-joshua-vs-charles-martin-has-the-makings-of-a-great-fight-just-not-a-great-world-title-fight-a6877786.html)
5. [Explosive PPV UCard press release, Magna Media](https://www.magnamedia.com/forms/Release%20Explosive%20PPV%20UCard.pdf)
6. [Charles Martin: Older, Wiser, And Better Than Ever, UFC.com](https://www.ufc.com/news/charles-martin-older-wiser-and-better-than-ever-zuffa-boxing-03)
7. [Anthony Joshua vs Charles Martin report, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/boxing/anthony-joshua-vs-charles-martin-report-joshua-crowned-ibf-heavyweight-champion-after-two-round-destruction-a6976971.html)
8. [Charles Martin boxer profile, WBA](https://www.wbaboxing.com/wba-boxer-profile?id=3930)
9. [Charles Martin fight history, Boxing Metrics](https://boxingmetrics.com/fighter/873/charles-martin)
10. [Charles Martin ("Prince") boxer page, Tapology](https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/fighters/213405-charles-martin-prince)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Combat sports and professional wrestling › Boxing › American boxers › Active and recent boxers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license