Comments Thread For: Sergio Martinez-Andy Lee Close, HBO Rejects Zbik

[hitking]

I don't get it. Zbik's resume is much better than Lee's and he's considered a step or two above Lee in boxing circles. I wonder if this is HBO doing Manny Steward a favor by giving his boy a crack at the title that he didn't earn. Either way, as much as I dislike and could care less about the ABC belts, I think its wrong that HBO is basically handcuffing Martinez when it comes to the WBC strap by making him skip his mandatory to fight a lesser fighter that's been KO'd by Bryan friggin' Vera for god's sake.

[The Hammer]

I don't get it. Zbik's resume is much better than Lee's and he's considered a step or two above Lee in boxing circles. I wonder if this is HBO doing Manny Steward a favor by giving his boy a crack at the title that he didn't earn. Either way, as much as I dislike and could care less about the ABC belts, I think its wrong that HBO is basically handcuffing Martinez when it comes to the WBC strap by making him skip his mandatory to fight a lesser fighter that's been KO'd by Bryan friggin' Vera for god's sake.

I agree. Zbik isn't great, but he's accomplished more than Lee.

Andy Lee doesn't have a single win over a decent journeyman/fringe contender. He lost to the only one he ever fought.

Zbik has never beaten a real contender, but at least he has a few wins over decent journeymen/fringe contenders like Spada.

[hitking]

I agree. Zbik isn't great, but he's accomplished more than Lee.

Andy Lee doesn't have a single win over a decent journeyman/fringe contender. He lost to the only one he ever fought.

Zbik has never beaten a real contender, but at least he has a few wins over decent journeymen/fringe contenders like Spada.

I agree. I watched his two fights with Spada. He's a decent little fighter. Not a chance in hell of beating Martinez. But, he's at least more deserving than Lee. HBO should be ashamed of themselves. If they were balking on Zbik for Pacquaio or Cotto or Felix Sturm for that matter, it would be cool. But to basically make Maravilla give the WBC trinket away to fight Andy friggin' Lee is a joke. The only silver lining I see is that if he's stripped of the WBC trash, at least meaningless mandatories will no longer be in the future of the middleweight champion of the world.

[Buffalo]

Gennady Golovkin is the WBA "regular" titleholder.

- he defeated Andre Dirrell in the 2004 Olympics

- he KOed Lucian Bute, and defeated Andy Lee and Matt Korobov in the world amateurs

- he is 20-0 and has an 85% KO ratio in the pros so far

Golovkin is an elite boxer.

Don't agree with all the other stuff, but your dead on about golovkin

[Buffalo]

Lol, GG was sched to fight Tarvis Simms - Simms never made it to Germany because of legal issues. Ishe Smith got injured. Sturm stated that he under no circumstance will honor his mandatory against Golovkin. Mundine pulled out of the fight with Golovkin after purse bid. N'jikam was offered title fight, but he chose to fight Omar Weiss in Morocco. Again, WBA ordered N'jikam to fight Golovkin vs Nunez winner, yet his promoters were able to cancel that order because N'jikam "was not ready for that fight".

Golovkin is the real deal. as a fan I don't want him anywhere near martinez yet, but he would ko lee and zbik. That being said, the win over tapia means next to nothing for me

[tomatocantender]

Things are starting to make a little sense here. Cotto fights in early March and Sergio Martinez fights in early March. Steward will be able to scout Martinez from the bottom of the apron when Andy Lee survives for at least 8 rds in a bicycle performance...but eventually gets utterly outclassed by Sergio where a corner stoppage in between rds is almost a certainty. But this could be a foreshadowing to Cotto/Martinez in June in MSG b/c I still can't see NY Commission giving Tijuana Plaster a license until CSAC reinstates him...which I honestly don't see happening as Texas already circumvented them along with the Assoc of Boxing Commissions and that boat has sailed.

[Cotto 54/10]

That's bad.

[brooklyngod]

it is what it is, but after he fights andy if indeed. then have him fight cotto and if sergio wins, then fight pirog, then sturm i.m.o. but regardless i want to see what sergio will do in his first fight after the paul knockout

[Iceta Lives]

I agree. I watched his two fights with Spada. He's a decent little fighter. Not a chance in hell of beating Martinez. But, he's at least more deserving than Lee. HBO should be ashamed of themselves. If they were balking on Zbik for Pacquaio or Cotto or Felix Sturm for that matter, it would be cool. But to basically make Maravilla give the WBC trinket away to fight Andy friggin' Lee is a joke. The only silver lining I see is that if he's stripped of the WBC trash, at least meaningless mandatories will no longer be in the future of the middleweight champion of the world.

I think it's crap that they are gonna turn down Zbik as an opponent and then approve of a guy who probably isn't much better if truth be told. If they really cared about a good fight, they'd make Martinez fight Pirog or Golovkin. They forced Paul Williams to fight him when he didn't really want to. So why doesn't the same standards apply? I like Sergio and all, but I'm just trying to not let my admiration of one fighter get in the way of me being a genuine boxing fan by supporting competitive fights.