By Jhonny Gonzalez
WBC Diamond middleweight champion Sergio 'Maravilla' Martinez speculates that his prior beating of Top Rank star Kelly Pavlik is preventing a possible fight with the WBC's full champion at 160-pounds, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Martinez is the mandatory challenger to Chavez's title, but Top Rank is passing on the Argentine fighter and looking to finalize a deal for an all-Mexican showdown with Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.
In April 2010, Martinez moved up in weight and beat up and bloodied Pavlik in the late rounds to capture the middleweight crown with a twelve round unanimous decision. Martinez feels the upset with over Pavlik is making Top Rank hesitate with offering up their young Mexican superstar, Chavez Jr.
"Since then, [Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum] doesn't even want to see a photo of me. He already had a very bad experience with me, but this is boxing and not a game of checkers. Chavez has improved somewhat, but he also had little opposition from Peter Manfredo. If he's the champion, then he must suffer the consequences [of taking the fight or being stripped]. The World Boxing Council ordered the winner of the bout between Chavez Jr. and Manfredo Jr. to make a defense against me, or otherwise they would be deprived of the title, but I realize that Chavez will continue to be the spoiled child. I'm really getting tired of it," Martinez said.
