DiBella: It's up to Pacquiao, Roach to demand Martinez fight
Let's borrow a medical term to describe Sergio Martinez promoter Lou DiBella's view on landing Manny Pacquiao as a 2012 big fight opponent.
"Guardedly optimistic" is a fair appraisal of the New Yorker's outlook on the chances of Pacquiao getting into the ring with a contracted weight of 150 pounds against his Argentine bruiser.
"I know Manny is in the driver's seat," DiBella said on Tuesday. "I know Manny and (trainer) Freddie Roach have said they want to fight my guy at that specified weight. I think it's the second biggest fight out there for Pacquiao.
"But it's up to Manny and to Roach to tell Top Rank they want to do the fight. We're not going to go out to Vegas for Manny's fight (Nov. 12) against Marquez with the idea of getting in Manny's face on this," DiBella. "That won't get the fight deal done.
"I'll give it a month after the Marquez bout. It's up to (Bob) Arum to call me, he knows we want the fight and he knows what Roach and Manny have said on the record. Let them talk to Arum about this if they really want it. Until that happens, there's nothing to discuss."
DiBella said he hopes he is wrong in thinking "that Top Rank doesn't want Pacquiao to bgo anywhere near Martinez."
DiBella said nothing is brewing as to a Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Martinez bout, either.
"We can't just sit around. I do think a fight against Floyd would also be great but Floyd won't fight until next spring."
DiBella said, if Top Rank balks, Martinez is likely to next face his newly signed Irishman Matthew Macklin in a New York City St. Patrick's Day themed event.
But clearly, DiBella hopes certain Filipino eyes will be smiling at "Maravilla."
http://www.examiner.com/boxing-in-na...martinez-fight
Let's borrow a medical term to describe Sergio Martinez promoter Lou DiBella's view on landing Manny Pacquiao as a 2012 big fight opponent.
"Guardedly optimistic" is a fair appraisal of the New Yorker's outlook on the chances of Pacquiao getting into the ring with a contracted weight of 150 pounds against his Argentine bruiser.
"I know Manny is in the driver's seat," DiBella said on Tuesday. "I know Manny and (trainer) Freddie Roach have said they want to fight my guy at that specified weight. I think it's the second biggest fight out there for Pacquiao.
"But it's up to Manny and to Roach to tell Top Rank they want to do the fight. We're not going to go out to Vegas for Manny's fight (Nov. 12) against Marquez with the idea of getting in Manny's face on this," DiBella. "That won't get the fight deal done.
"I'll give it a month after the Marquez bout. It's up to (Bob) Arum to call me, he knows we want the fight and he knows what Roach and Manny have said on the record. Let them talk to Arum about this if they really want it. Until that happens, there's nothing to discuss."
DiBella said he hopes he is wrong in thinking "that Top Rank doesn't want Pacquiao to bgo anywhere near Martinez."
DiBella said nothing is brewing as to a Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Martinez bout, either.
"We can't just sit around. I do think a fight against Floyd would also be great but Floyd won't fight until next spring."
DiBella said, if Top Rank balks, Martinez is likely to next face his newly signed Irishman Matthew Macklin in a New York City St. Patrick's Day themed event.
But clearly, DiBella hopes certain Filipino eyes will be smiling at "Maravilla."
http://www.examiner.com/boxing-in-na...martinez-fight
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