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When middleweight champ Sergio Martinez and Paul Williams stepped on the scale recently for the 30-day weight check in advance of their much-anticipated rematch Nov. 20 (HBO) at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., some people may have done a double take.
With a month to go, Williams was almost on weight. The man who says he would prefer to fight at welterweight was 162 pounds at his training camp in Washington, D.C. Making the contract weight of 158 should be no problem. Despite some confusion and initial comments from the promoters that the maximum weight was 157 pounds, it is 158, promoters Lou DiBella and Dan Goossen said.
Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KOs) lost a debatable majority decision to Williams (39-1, 27 KOs) in December in a nontitle fight that was one of the most thrilling bouts of the year. He went on to win the 160-pound world championship against Kelly Pavlik in April in the same ring in which he will face Williams, whose handlers insisted on the 158-pound limit.
Martinez said "No problem" and accepted the catch weight.
"I never made a big deal out of this weight," Martinez said this week. "They're the ones who brought up the 158. The fight should be at 160. To me, 157, 158, 159, 160 -- I'll make the weight. I just wanted to fight him again."
But he surprised many when he weighed 176 pounds during his prefight weight check late last week at his training camp in Oxnard, Calif.
That's 18 pounds to go before the Nov. 19 weigh-in.
"Dropping weight has never been an issue for me. It hasn't been hard," said Martinez, adding that as of Wednesday he was down to 169. "It's more difficult to get in the ring and battle against Paul Williams or Kelly Pavlik. Cutting weight, that's easy.
"My weight loss won't slow me down. On the contrary, I gain speed. The speed will bring more of the element of surprise. With more surprise brings more potential and ability. I'll be stronger than my last fight against Williams and Kelly Pavlik."
Nobody in Martinez's camp seemed concerned either.
Adviser Sampson Lewkowicz said Martinez did the weight check after eating lunch and while wearing clothes, figuring that added at least three or four pounds.
"There is nothing abnormal and nothing to worry about," Lewkowicz said. "We signed a contract based on the request of Williams to be 158 at the most and we will not be an ounce over."
Said DiBella: "He used to weigh that much before the fight when he was at a junior middleweight, so no issue. He's going to be the bigger stronger man in that ring. He's a pro. He has a system and it doesn't involve losing 10 pounds in a week and doing it in a ****** way. He'll lose approximately four pounds a week, which is what he needs to do."
Williams said he was not concerned about Martinez's weight either.
"I don't see Sergio's weight making a difference," Williams said. "He's been doing this his entire career and he has been prevailing and performing. If he weighed in at 176 then he must have started the camp weighing 200 pounds. Ultimately what matters is that he comes in at [158] at the official weigh-in."http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/box...dan&id=5738549
With a month to go, Williams was almost on weight. The man who says he would prefer to fight at welterweight was 162 pounds at his training camp in Washington, D.C. Making the contract weight of 158 should be no problem. Despite some confusion and initial comments from the promoters that the maximum weight was 157 pounds, it is 158, promoters Lou DiBella and Dan Goossen said.
Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KOs) lost a debatable majority decision to Williams (39-1, 27 KOs) in December in a nontitle fight that was one of the most thrilling bouts of the year. He went on to win the 160-pound world championship against Kelly Pavlik in April in the same ring in which he will face Williams, whose handlers insisted on the 158-pound limit.
Martinez said "No problem" and accepted the catch weight.
"I never made a big deal out of this weight," Martinez said this week. "They're the ones who brought up the 158. The fight should be at 160. To me, 157, 158, 159, 160 -- I'll make the weight. I just wanted to fight him again."
But he surprised many when he weighed 176 pounds during his prefight weight check late last week at his training camp in Oxnard, Calif.
That's 18 pounds to go before the Nov. 19 weigh-in.
"Dropping weight has never been an issue for me. It hasn't been hard," said Martinez, adding that as of Wednesday he was down to 169. "It's more difficult to get in the ring and battle against Paul Williams or Kelly Pavlik. Cutting weight, that's easy.
"My weight loss won't slow me down. On the contrary, I gain speed. The speed will bring more of the element of surprise. With more surprise brings more potential and ability. I'll be stronger than my last fight against Williams and Kelly Pavlik."
Nobody in Martinez's camp seemed concerned either.
Adviser Sampson Lewkowicz said Martinez did the weight check after eating lunch and while wearing clothes, figuring that added at least three or four pounds.
"There is nothing abnormal and nothing to worry about," Lewkowicz said. "We signed a contract based on the request of Williams to be 158 at the most and we will not be an ounce over."
Said DiBella: "He used to weigh that much before the fight when he was at a junior middleweight, so no issue. He's going to be the bigger stronger man in that ring. He's a pro. He has a system and it doesn't involve losing 10 pounds in a week and doing it in a ****** way. He'll lose approximately four pounds a week, which is what he needs to do."
Williams said he was not concerned about Martinez's weight either.
"I don't see Sergio's weight making a difference," Williams said. "He's been doing this his entire career and he has been prevailing and performing. If he weighed in at 176 then he must have started the camp weighing 200 pounds. Ultimately what matters is that he comes in at [158] at the official weigh-in."http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/box...dan&id=5738549
So much for making such a big deal and Dwyer switching his bet. He knows a lot about what goes on inside the ring, but not a clue on what goes on outside of it, if he thought 18 pounds a month out would have a real effect on Sergio
.At least P-Will knows the level of poundage fighters can lose in a training camp (though I doubt Sergio came in to camp over 190-195). P-Will probably done it in the past himself.
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