By Michael Marley

Lou DiBella, promoter of middleweight king Sergio Martinez, confirmed a recent newsbreaker that appeared on BoxingScene.com. DiBella notes that exciting Japanese slugger Nobuhiro Ishida, who floored James Kirkland three times en route to an upset first round TKO last Saturday night in Las Vegas, is in the running for a fall fight against the menacing Martinez. DiBella does make it clear that Ishida is only "one name of several" which the veteran promoter provided on a list submitted to HBO for approval.

"I've just given HBO a few names but anything else is premature," DiBella said. "I like Ishida. He's one of the names I submitted. He is exciting and, in beating Kirkland the way he did, he beat a guy who so many people considered a beast."

DiBella said such a fight would have to take place in the United States rather than Japan. An Ishisda-Martinez fight figures to be brief but possibly spectacular.