By James Blears

Newly crowned WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez, who’s been visiting Mexico City, faces a defense snag. WBC rules state that immediate rematches are not allowed. In years past, these type of rematch clauses tended to hold back other highly ranked worthy challengers, who had to wait too long for deserved title bouts.

Although Martinez’s win was clear cut in every sense, Kelly Pavlik fought bravely through an unstaunched blood flow, and in spite of what he described as a whiteout, to make the fight competitive.

While underlining the rule, WBC President Jose Sulaiman who praised Sergio Martinez’s courage, determination and ability, also added that an application concerning this issue would be considered.

International matchmaker Sampson Lewkowicz, who helped guide Sergio to the pinnacle of his career and accompanied him to Mexico City, stressed the crucial importance and significance of the Green Belt. But he also explained to BoxingScene.com that Martinez will not entertain any other offers, including a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr., because there is a rematch clause with Pavlik and they plan to honor their end of the deal. If Pavlik passes on the rematch, then Martinez is open for business.

“We are not entertaining any offer from any fighters or promoters beside Kelly Pavlik, because we signed and we need to honor the contract, regardless of the money. I believe in Boxing, just like in any other business, you need to honor your word and you honor your signature. So it’s Kelly next,” Lewkowicz told BoxingScene.com.

Sergio Martinez has mentioned that he would like to fight Antonio Margarito again, somewhere down the line. Ten years ago, in the infancy of  his professional career, Sergio was TKO’d by Margarito in seven rounds.

Sampson quantified this as a "too much, too soon" career blunder by commenting: “He was mismanaged early in his career. He got paid less than a [$1,000] to fight Margarito. So he walked back into Argentina with $900 dollars in his pocket and a defeat. This happens many times in boxing and I’m totally against that.

“However, he’s now looking at millions of dollars and he has a great future. And definitely Margarito is one fight he wants as a rematch, because honestly it’s the only fight he really lost.  He got robbed with Paul Williams and didn’t draw with Kermit Cintron, whom he knocked out. He should have won by disqualification, because all the team came to the ring, and then he got robbed in the victory.”

Sergio himself who far from denigrating Antonio Margarito, praised him as a tremendous fighter and a decent person, confirmed he does want another fight. He explained: “In the future it’s very important because it’ll be a great sporting rematch because professionally we’re involved. It’ll be good for him, and it’ll be good for me.”

Sampson also clarified that it was at least a year too early to consider either Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, or Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez to challenge Sergio, as neither are the finished article.