By Rick Reeno
Sampson Lewkowicz, adviser to former two division world champion Sergio Martinez (49-2-2, 28KOs), is not ruling out a potential fight with WBA/WBC super middleweight king Andre Ward (26-0, 14KOs) - if Ward moves down to 160-pounds. There is absolutely no chance of Martinez moving up in weight to fight Ward at 168, says Lewkowicz to BoxingScene.com.
Martinez returns to action this Saturday night at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, taking on WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
HBO pay-per-view will carry the fight.
"If Andre Ward moves down to 160-pounds, the fight will happen. Sergio Martinez would never turn down any challenge in the middleweight division. However, Sergio will never move up to 168-pounds or fight Ward at a catch-weight. We are ready to fight anyone in the middleweight division or at 154-pounds, or Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Manny Pacquiao at 152," Lewkowicz told BoxingScene.com.
"Martinez is a blown-up 154-pounder, who chooses to fight in the middleweight division. He made weight for this fight last week. He will never fight at super middleweight."
An interested observer, WBA/IBF middleweight champion Daniel Geale, also wants to a piece of Martinez. Lewkowicz doesn't see that fight take place in the near future, especially with the WBC's new rule that prevents boxers from being able to simultaneously hold a title from a rival sanctioning body.
"Sergio Martinez has the deepest respect for the WBC and he loves the green belt. Because of that, once Sergio Martinez beats Chavez - he doesn't have any plans to unify the titles. He will defend his WBC belt. If Mr. Geale is traveling from Australia to sit ringside, and thinks he will get Martinez next for a unification, he is only coming for a nice vacation," Lewkowicz said.
