‘McKinson’s a hype job - I’ll knock him out’: American Alex Martin slams Portsmouth favourite after explosive weigh-in ahead of Stateside bow

The Chicago stylist slammed the unbeaten Portsmouth favouite as a ‘hype job’ as tempers boiled over in Los Angeles at yesterday’s weigh-in.

This article is in association with PMC Construction & Development.

Martin is a late replacement for Mexican Jose Antonio Perez, after rising star Vergil Ortiz Jr was forced to pull out of their anticipated showdown at the Galen Centre in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The 32-year-old brings a 17-3 record to the table, a decorated amateur career and a reputation for upsetting prospects in his career to date.

Things got physical as McKinson weighed in at 146lb with his opponent coming in on the 147lb welterweight limit.

Martin then assassinated the former Moneyfields amateur’s talent and vowed to end the scheduled 10 rounder early.

He said: ‘He (McKinson) walked up on me and put his forehead on me. You don’t do that.

‘It was him, you see that, he’s about to get slapped for real. He’s trash.

‘He’s a screw-up, a hype job actually.

‘I was training for a different southpaw, Joe Diaz, which was going to take place April 9 - now they gave me this dude.

‘I don’t know **** about him, I know he was about to get knocked out by Vergil Ortiz, I knew that.

‘I know that he was going to knock him out, now I’m going to knock him out.

‘I’m going to clown this dude, I promise I’m going to clown him.’

The man who will be in Martin’s corner, Joseph Zagarino, was dismissive of what McKinson brings to the table when they clash on DAZN in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The New York-based trainer believes his man will have too much for the 27-year-old, who was roared on by his travelling fans at promoter Golden Boy Promotions’ Los Angeles HQ.

He added: ‘McKinson is a tough guy who has come from across the pond and I have respect for him.

‘He don’t know s*** about boxing, though, I’m just calling it for what it is.

‘He has bad footwork, he reaches a lot and he drops his hands.

‘This is going to be an absolute clinic, it’s a complete mismatch.

‘If they told me about this fight an hour ago I would have took it.

‘We were doing 12 rounds of sparring for fighting a southpaw last weekend.

‘Come fight night tomorrow we are going to whoop his ass.

‘Alex has been upsetting prospects with 19 knockouts not two.

‘I’m not delusional about him but McKinson lacks the tools. It’s not in his genetics.’