By Jake Donovan
By the end of his 12-round fight with Felix Sturm last June, there wasn’t a doubt in any objective observer’s mind that Matthew Macklin had just acquired his first major title.
Then came the unveiling of the judges’ scorecards.
The split decision in Sturm’s favor left most viewers in disbelief. Worse, it was the last time that Macklin has seen action in the ring, forced to sit on the heartbreaking loss for the remainder of 2011.
Soon after the fight, Macklin (28-3, 19KO) signed with American promoter Lou DiBella. The hope was to secure a well-deserved rematch, but an even better opportunity has come along as the British fighter of Irish descent travels to New York City on St. Patrick’s Day to contend for the lineal middleweight championship against Sergio Martinez.
HBO will televise the bout, which serves as the main event of a middleweight doubleheader.
Macklin views the fight as a terrible wrong righting itself in the form of something better coming along – not unlike what his opponent experienced on his way to the world championship at stake.
“I beat Felix Sturm from pillar to post. Anyone who saw the fight knows it was a bad decision,” Macklin pointed out during Wednesday’s press conference in New York City to promote the fight.
“Sometimes you get the opportunity itself, just like Sergio Martinez. He was robbed in his first fight against Paul Williams, came back to win the title against Kelly Pavlik and then beat Williams. Sometimes there’s the silver lining in that fate.”
Mackin’s silver lining comes in his second shot at a major title, this for the crown that dates back to Bernard Hopkins unifying the division more than a decade ago. The belief amongst his team is that what lies ahead on March 17 is far better than the potential scenario of Macklin waiting around for a Sturm rematch that most likely never occurs, especially considering how easily the Germany-based titlist was handled that evening.
“It wasn’t just a victory, it was an ass whooping,” promoter Lou DiBella says of Macklin’s performance that evening. “To be deprived of a W that night and the championship for which he worked so hard is unfortunate and depressing. But what it did result is an opportunity to fight for the real middleweight championship of the world.”
Though just 29 years old, Macklin doesn’t view the fight as a second chance but perhaps his last. Two losses early in his career – including a 10th round stoppage in Oct. ’06 at the hands of Jamie Moore in one of the best fights of the year and decade – went without being avenged, though he managed to claw his way back to the top over the course of the next five years.
Now that he’s been giving another chance at the middleweight crown, he has no intention of squandering that opportunity.
“I will need to be at my best. I’m very confident that I will be middleweight champion of the world. The fact that its March 17 here in New York with the big Irish community, I will feel like I’m fighting in Dublin. There’s not just the Irish here in NY but Irish all around the world coming here on March 17.”
The main trick is to make sure that Irish eyes are smiling by night’s end.
“I’m coming forward, I’m coming to win. He’s the slicker fighter, he’s the faster fighter and he’s a southpaw. If I can make him fight, I’m the bigger and stronger fighter and like my chances there. It’s a matter of who can force the other to fight their fight. “
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com. Follow Jake on Twitter at twitter.com/JakeNDaBox or submit questions/comments to JakeNDaBox@gmail.com
