Sergio Martinez needs to stop ducking Dmitry Pirog!

[crold1]

Pirog and his management tried to get a fight in the US on HBO before finally deciding to fight Malciel. It wasn't what they wanted, and Dmitry had a hard time getting motivated for that opponent. But it's really not so easy to get better opponents to come to Russia. Where else can Dmitry draw a big crowd?

Martirosyan was Pirog's WBO mandatory, he had to get that out of the way. He's better than C- level, and better than Brian Vera, who was on HBO last night.

In every interview, including the recent boxingscene interview, Pirog has said HE WANTS TO FIGHT IN THE USA. But HBO doesn't seem to want him back on for some reason, it seems they'd sooner have less talented and less exciting fighters like Andy Lee.

Maybe there's still some lingering residue from the Cold War in some peoples' minds?

Yup, Lee-Vera sucked. Oh well. HBO isn't the only place Pirog can be seen. Why did it have to be HBO? And if it's hard to get opponents to come to Russia, and you have never beaten a legit contender, isn't there SOME onus to go find more opponents somewhere? There are multiple U.S. TV outlets, including Spanish TV (where Shumenov recently headlined SOlo Boxeo after headlining an ESPN card). In his credit, at least Pirog had an ESPN3 stream.

Other fighters cut deals, and give points, to get dates and exposure. Pirog's team may not want to. That thinking has business consequences. It shouldn't. Boxing should be structured fairly.

It's not and everyone knows it.

Wanting to see Martinez-Pirog is one thing (and I'm with you on that). Being disingenuous and calling duck when you know, as evident in your avoiding direct answers to simple questions, that Pirog's career choices since Jacobs have as much or more to do with where he isn't...well, that speaks for itself.

[Pugilistic™]

thats dumb. there are better fights than pirog no matter how u look at it. to say pirog is ahead of the proverbial pack tells me ppl really dont kno much about wats going on in that division.

i mean seriously who as pirog beat to make him #1 contender?

Who are the better fights out there for Martinez at 160 ? Lee ? Sturm ? Geale ? I don't think so.

Pirog isn't much more deserving but he's better than those guys.

[HeroBando]

Says who? N'Jikam beat Martirosyan worse and Lorenzo is a better win than Jacobs. Clearly, this is the man Martinez is really ducking.

You honestly think that "Budget Rocky Juarez" Lorenzo is a better win then the guy you called the sport's brightest prospect?

/boxingscenes-2009-year-end-awards--24431

[Sadistic]

FAO: Pirog Haters

Pirog also has a dominant shutout win over Kofi Jantuah, who KO'd Marco Antonio Rubio in the 1st round, KO'd Daniel Santos in the 5th round, went the distance with Arthur Abraham and gave him a tough fight.

[Sadistic]

[Sadistic]

[Sadistic]

The Americans said Daniel Jacobs is a "Future P4P King"

Pirog destroyed Jacobs on HBO

[Barry Halls]

wow, this ****** is gonna do this **** about pirog too?

[ИATAS]

you guys know martinez will fight macklin next right? I'll be shocked if it's anyone else.

[crold1]

You honestly think that "Budget Rocky Juarez" Lorenzo is a better win then the guy you called the sport's brightest prospect?

/boxingscenes-2009-year-end-awards--24431

Dude, I was being cheeky (you missed some of the sarcasm here). N'Jikam isn't being ducked. he also is no more or less deserving. Neither has huge wins. I think Pirog matches up much better with Martinez and could be a real threat. As it stands though his best win is over a fairly unproven prospect. I think he needs a legit contender on his mark to force the issue.

Right now, I stand seriously by Proska having a better top win than Pirog. Sylvester, a former champ at Middle, is a better win than Jacobs.

The Geale idea making the rounds yesterday is perfect. Guys used to have to have some real wins to get a crack at a legit champ. I think one isn't too much to ask before people start screaming duck. The real top contender is too punk to take a crack (Sturm). Pirog clearly needs another way to push the issue because, outside of message board land, he barely registers in the U.S. market where Martinez is fighting.

There are ways to put a champion on his heels and force a fight, and the best is to box him in with quality wins.