The sad case of Sergio Martinez

On November 20th Sergio Martinez knocked out Paul Williams with a vicious left hand that punctuated his rise within the world of boxing. Martinez's arrival as an elite fighter has been less than typical and unfortunately, is not providing him the millions upon millions of dollars a top three pound for pound fighter might expect to garner. At age 35, Martinez only became a fixture on HBO after an eye catching performance against Alex Bunema a little over two years ago. Since then, the Argentinian has fought everyone put in front of him and is likely to capture the 2010 Fighter of the Year Award due to his victories over Williams and a Kelly Pavlik. Due to his age, "Maravilla" has been very open about wrapping up his career in the next year or so and wanting to cash out on his thirteen years of globetrotting as a boxer. Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Julio Cesar Chavez Junior and Antonio Margarito all interest Martinez, but his promoter Lou Dibella has been unable - mainly due to boxing's endless political game between promoters - to land a high profile fight and payday. HBO has shown interest in televising Martinez three times during 2011, but without household names in the middleweight division, even putting together a proposed March 12 fight at New York's Madison Square Garden has proven to be difficult for DiBella. Tonight Dibella stated on Boxingscene that Martinez's opponent would be selected by HBO from the trio of: Sebastian Zbik (also in the running for a bout with Chavez Junior), Irishman Andy Lee, or Sergui Dzinziruk. Seemingly, everything that has made Martinez successful - learning his craft over a series of years away from the public eye, a willingless to fight anyone and being successful in doing so - has not equated into an easy move to boxing's high rent District. Add the facts that Martinez does not speak English well, has no real geographic fan base, lurks in a division barren of other true marquee talent, and his final years as a boxer will likely be one negotiating nightmare, after another. Unfortunately, Martinez is arguably one of the best three fighters in the world, but aside from a few hundred thousand hardcore boxing fans, nobody could care less. http://theboxingtruth.com/article.php?id=1938

Comments (20)

I just heard the reason Martinez doesn't want to fight Pirog is because of the WBO stripping him. That would serve them right in a lot of ways. But why don't he just fight Pirog and don't pay the sanctioning fee? We need to get rid of all these belts. Yes that is true, Dibella said that is the reason So why isn't Pirog an option again? I still don't know why his name is not a consideration. Surely he's better than those three losers Because, he holds the belt that Martinez use to hold. However, is funny cuz Martinez will fight Pac for the belt he used to hold.

15y ago

Crazylegs77

http://theboxingtruth.com/article.php?id=1938 pointelss article

15y ago

Bushbaby

people prattle on about supporting superstar cherrypickers,but this is what's wrong with boxing!!Martinez deserves support,but boxing fans are busy supporting cherrypickers & can't see diamonds in the rough like Martinez & a boatload of other fighters who don't get the credit they diserve!!But him & Dzinziruk would be a major fight!!By the way Martinez is not picking on welterweights,isn't Pacman a 154lb title holder??

15y ago

adrian16

Why sad? The guy seem happy and content...

15y ago

RIZO24

Pirog, Bute and some other 168 pounders has been calling Martinez out but Martinez has been a coward calling out 147 pounders Dude Martinez beat down a big ass middleweight in Kelly Pavlik who nobody wanted to fight other than Bernard hopkins.

15y ago

RIZO24

Id like to see Margarito vs Martinez 2 after Cotto gets Pounded on By Margarito in June. Maybe for December 2011

15y ago

jiraiyasama

Pirog, Bute and some other 168 pounders has been calling Martinez out but Martinez has been a coward calling out 147 pounders

15y ago

Iceta_Lives

15y ago

jrosales13

Too good for his own good. Just talking about the 80's and 90's and here we have a guy who just like in those era's is willing to fight anyone. But he's stuck in a era where cherry picking rules the sport. ****ing pathetic man :grumble: The KO win was the best and worst thing that could of happened to him.

15y ago

AntiJalandoni

i think marg beats cotto everytime....it aint the smart carreer decision for cotto though it is moneywise...........then we shall see margs vs sergio 2....... With one eye? I don't think so

15y ago

Alex_Hayden

http://theboxingtruth.com/article.php?id=1938 Too good for his own good. Just talking about the 80's and 90's and here we have a guy who just like in those era's is willing to fight anyone. But he's stuck in a era where cherry picking rules the sport. ****ing pathetic man :grumble:

15y ago

Khalid_X

I gaurantee if Martinez was with GBP or Top Rank he wouldn't be in thus position.

15y ago

ThePrince

Obviously Lou DiBella isn't capable of getting his client the type of fights and $ his talent and accomplishments are worthy of. Martinez should get with a promoter who can. If he was with Top Rank, his '11 would probably look like: Clottey in March Chavez Jr in the Summer Cotto/Margarito II winner in the fall And maybe Pac in early '12 as a retirement fight for both.

15y ago

jrosales13

A fight with Dzinurik would be cool with me, and then maybe something better would come along after. It would be cool with me too. I hope HBO, Dibella, and Shaw can make it work. BTW, I don't know what is going on maybe somebody can tell me. But, I think Shaw is doing a horrible job with Dzinziruk he has only gave him one fight granted it was Showtime but still it was against Daniel Dawson. You have to do a better job as a promoter. And, then he screwed him out it seemed in a potential Dzinziruk-Angulo fight. Which would have been on HBO. And, now it might bite him in the ass if Angulo never fights again. Just horrible promoting job or is there something else? Somebody explain it to me?

15y ago

ergheiz

What do you expect? Right now many of the lucrative ones are midgets and its not like Sergio is super tall either,hes not even 1.80

15y ago

Hotsoup

A fight with Dzinurik would be cool with me, and then maybe something better would come along after.

15y ago

jrosales13

i think marg beats cotto everytime....it aint the smart carreer decision for cotto though it is moneywise...........then we shall see margs vs sergio 2....... I think Marg beats Cotto as well...And, then we'll see if he fights Martinez or Arum will make a Pac-Margarito 2 for unification JMW title.

15y ago

puga

I think is quite clear that Arum plan is Margarito-Cotto II...So I doubt top rank would want to put Margarito against Martinez in the near future. i think marg beats cotto everytime....it aint the smart carreer decision for cotto though it is moneywise...........then we shall see margs vs sergio 2.......

15y ago

jrosales13

stop picking on a midget sergio ....then maybe you'd get some props!.....margo is waiting for your ass!... I think is quite clear that Arum plan is Margarito-Cotto II...So I doubt top rank would want to put Margarito against Martinez in the near future.

15y ago

puga

stop picking on a midget sergio ....then maybe you'd get some props!.....margo is waiting for your ass!...

15y ago