Tony Martin, a retired boxer from Philadelphia, was shot and killed after an altercation with someone visiting one of his rental properties. Police are searching for the subject.
Martin, 52, was shot during an argument in the Huntington Park section of Philadelphia, police said. His niece, Robyn Peete, said that Martin went to the house to collect rent when he came across a person at the property who was not supposed to be there. She was not sure what exactly happened to provoke the altercation, but indicated he was a very strict, but compassionate landlord.
“He was a very good landlord as far as giving breaks to his tenants,” she said. “It’s just a matter of time before the person is identified and apprehended.”
Tony Martin had a good run as a boxer, compiling a nice 34-6-1 record as a professional. His last fight took place in Las Vegas in 1997 against Julio Cesar Chavez. He began fighting after finishing up in the military, when he moved from St. Louis to Philadelphia.
His longtime manager Eddie Woods said he began to work with martin when he was just 22-years-old. He said he was not arrogant, and a very good family man.
“Tony was calm, cool and collected. He said `I do all my business in the ring,” Woods said. “The guy had a heart that was bigger than his body.”
Two of the more notable victories on his resume came against Mickey Ward and Livingston Bramble.
The last fight against Chavez was one Woods wished Martin had never taken. At the time Chavez was on a roll, while Tony Martin was starting to decline as a fighter. However, Martin went anyway, alone, sure that he could pull off a victory.
“He said, `Eddie, I think I can beat him,” Woods said. “He wanted to be on record that he fought him.”
Martin is survived by his wife, Donna, and four grown children.
