By Michael Marley
Promoter Artie Pelullo is tying the low key sell for now.
Pelullo is full of bluster and often full of good, red wine but he's a "work within the system" kind of guy.
But the fact is the Philadelhia guy has the most sensible and dangerous opponent for the brilliant WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez in the wake of the Argentinean's made for TV clip usage, one punch KO over Tall Paul Williams.
Pelullo has the other guy who recorded a devastating on TV knockout this year, WBO middleweight champion Dmitry Pirog.
Most Americans don't know Pirog from a pierogi, the Eastern European equivalent of a a tamale.
Pirog whacked Golden Boy's "Golden Child," the then undefeated Danny Jacobs earlier this year.
HBO may not like pitting a South American against a Russian on its airwaves in terms of US audience appeal and it's certainly no PPV lure.
But Pirog against Martinez would make for great ring entertainment with both of them looking for the knockout from the opening bell.
If anyone says Pirog is hardly a household then what of Felix Sturm, Sebastian Zbik and Sebastian Sylvester? Only Sturm's name is recognizable on these shores but the "fumes" of his getting the short end of the judges' stick against Oscar De La Hoya are mighty thin at this point.
Trainer Manny Steward is not selling snake oil when he says typical fight fans want to see KOs rather than Fancy Dan boxing exhibitions wherein Harold Lederman waxes on and on about ring generalship.
Two freight trains colliding at midring, that's the format for Pirog-Martinez, so my question is, can HBO afford not to hand this to the deserving Martinez as his risk/reward reward for overcoming elongated PWill so powerfully?
Pirog brings a 17-0, 14 KOs record in against the 42-2-2 Martinez. He's the Young(er) Lion (age 30) to movie actor looking Sergio's "middle aged" figure (age 35).
You don't have to be a Dartmouth grad to make this match, correct Kery Davis?
