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While middleweight champion Sergio Martinez is basking in the afterglow of his massive second-round knockout of Paul Williams in their rematch two weeks ago, fighters are practically tripping over themselves for a shot at the champ, boxing's newest must-see star.
I got an email over the weekend from Damian Ramirez, the adviser to Winky Wright (who was copied) pushing for the fight, even though Wright has lost two in a row and has not fought since April 2009, when Williams won every round against him in a lopsided decision. But Wright is trolling for a payday, and I can't blame him.
Ramirez wrote, "There is someone at middleweight that Martinez can fight. WINKY WRIGHT!!!! A future Hall of Famer that's never tasted what Paul and so many great fighters before him have tasted. Getting KTFO."
While Martinez against Wright is not a credible fight at the moment, at least one against England's Matthew Macklin, the European champion in his prime at age 28 and a legitimate top-10 middleweight, would be more so.
Macklin, who defends his European title against Ruben Varon on Dec. 11, called me out of the blue on Monday. He said he wanted to "get my name out there."
Macklin (27-2, 19 KOs), who hasn't lost in four years, was complimentary toward Martinez and said he just wants an opportunity.
"I want it on record that I am more than willing to fight Martinez. It's not even about the money. I just want an opportunity," said Macklin, who said he was impressed by the knockout of Williams. "I think I'm ready now to fight for the world title. If he's going to fight someone in the middleweight division I don't think there's anyone more worthy, and I really believe I will beat him."
He said his promoter, Frank Warren, has been in touch with Lou DiBella, Martinez's promoter, to see if there was a chance for the fight. Interestingly, Golden Boy tried to make a Macklin-Wright fight earlier in the year, but it never came together even though Macklin said he was interested.
"Winky changed his mind and chose not to take the fight," Macklin said. "Sergio Mora refused to fight. I was hoping to break into America. I am European champion and have a name here, but I want to push my name there. I understand the risks and rewards and I am a big risk for Martinez and maybe not that much of a reward if he beats me, but I want people to know I am ready to prove myself. I'm ready to fight for a world title. I'm ready to rock 'n roll."
I give Macklin credit for trying to get his name out there, even though I doubt he has a real chance of getting the fight (although that's not to say it wouldn't be a good fight). He's simply not known enough in America yet.
While everyone calls out Martinez, he was in Las Vegas this past weekend with DiBella, adviser Sampson Lewkowicz and trainer Gabriel Sarmiento doing a victory lap at the Juan Manuel Marquez-Michael Katsidis card.
DiBella, who had Andre Berto and Celestino Caballero on the undercard, hosted a news conference for Martinez so some of the West Coast media could get a chance to talk to Martinez.
DiBella reiterated his stance on Martinez's place in boxing's pound-for-pound hierarchy.
"In my opinion a valid argument can be made for all three so let's just number them 1A, 1B and 1C," DiBella said of Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Martinez. "But I sure would like to see them prove who the best is inside the ring and Sergio is ready to concede his weight advantage to do it."
Martinez said he'd drop down to 154 pounds to meet Pacquiao.
"If Manny is willing to defend his WBC super welterweight title, I would come down to 154 pounds to challenge him for it as well as allow him to challenge me for my WBC middleweight title," Martinez said. "It would be the opportunity of a lifetime. But I'm a realist and if he feels that he is physically too small to fight me I certainly understand that too."
We all know that fight won't happen, but I can't blame Martinez and DiBella for trying. (Pacquiao's new 154-pound belt is the one that Martinez vacated after he won the middleweight championship.)
Whomever Martinez fights next, it will be a big deal. He has become a must-see, must-cover fighter. His fight with Williams did the second-best rating of the year for boxing on HBO, a tick less than the Miguel Cotto-Yuri Foreman fight in at Yankee Stadium in June. Had Martinez not iced Williams so quickly, the fight likely would have topped Cotto-Foreman because ratings generally build during a live fight, but this was over too quickly to overtake it.
DiBella hopes to make a deal with HBO for Martinez's next fight to be in March, possibly in New York or Atlantic City, N.J. He'd love to do it March 19 -- St. Patrick's Day weekend -- and one possibility would be for Martinez to face Ireland's Andy Lee. And for an undercard we could see a fight such as junior middleweight titlist Sergei Dzinziruk against Kermit Cintron, who would be jockeying to get the next shot at Martinez if he also wins his fight.
Seems like most everyone at middleweight and junior middleweight wants a piece of Martinez, boxing's newest star. Can you blame them?
I got an email over the weekend from Damian Ramirez, the adviser to Winky Wright (who was copied) pushing for the fight, even though Wright has lost two in a row and has not fought since April 2009, when Williams won every round against him in a lopsided decision. But Wright is trolling for a payday, and I can't blame him.
Ramirez wrote, "There is someone at middleweight that Martinez can fight. WINKY WRIGHT!!!! A future Hall of Famer that's never tasted what Paul and so many great fighters before him have tasted. Getting KTFO."
While Martinez against Wright is not a credible fight at the moment, at least one against England's Matthew Macklin, the European champion in his prime at age 28 and a legitimate top-10 middleweight, would be more so.
Macklin, who defends his European title against Ruben Varon on Dec. 11, called me out of the blue on Monday. He said he wanted to "get my name out there."
Macklin (27-2, 19 KOs), who hasn't lost in four years, was complimentary toward Martinez and said he just wants an opportunity.
"I want it on record that I am more than willing to fight Martinez. It's not even about the money. I just want an opportunity," said Macklin, who said he was impressed by the knockout of Williams. "I think I'm ready now to fight for the world title. If he's going to fight someone in the middleweight division I don't think there's anyone more worthy, and I really believe I will beat him."
He said his promoter, Frank Warren, has been in touch with Lou DiBella, Martinez's promoter, to see if there was a chance for the fight. Interestingly, Golden Boy tried to make a Macklin-Wright fight earlier in the year, but it never came together even though Macklin said he was interested.
"Winky changed his mind and chose not to take the fight," Macklin said. "Sergio Mora refused to fight. I was hoping to break into America. I am European champion and have a name here, but I want to push my name there. I understand the risks and rewards and I am a big risk for Martinez and maybe not that much of a reward if he beats me, but I want people to know I am ready to prove myself. I'm ready to fight for a world title. I'm ready to rock 'n roll."
I give Macklin credit for trying to get his name out there, even though I doubt he has a real chance of getting the fight (although that's not to say it wouldn't be a good fight). He's simply not known enough in America yet.
While everyone calls out Martinez, he was in Las Vegas this past weekend with DiBella, adviser Sampson Lewkowicz and trainer Gabriel Sarmiento doing a victory lap at the Juan Manuel Marquez-Michael Katsidis card.
DiBella, who had Andre Berto and Celestino Caballero on the undercard, hosted a news conference for Martinez so some of the West Coast media could get a chance to talk to Martinez.
DiBella reiterated his stance on Martinez's place in boxing's pound-for-pound hierarchy.
"In my opinion a valid argument can be made for all three so let's just number them 1A, 1B and 1C," DiBella said of Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Martinez. "But I sure would like to see them prove who the best is inside the ring and Sergio is ready to concede his weight advantage to do it."
Martinez said he'd drop down to 154 pounds to meet Pacquiao.
"If Manny is willing to defend his WBC super welterweight title, I would come down to 154 pounds to challenge him for it as well as allow him to challenge me for my WBC middleweight title," Martinez said. "It would be the opportunity of a lifetime. But I'm a realist and if he feels that he is physically too small to fight me I certainly understand that too."
We all know that fight won't happen, but I can't blame Martinez and DiBella for trying. (Pacquiao's new 154-pound belt is the one that Martinez vacated after he won the middleweight championship.)
Whomever Martinez fights next, it will be a big deal. He has become a must-see, must-cover fighter. His fight with Williams did the second-best rating of the year for boxing on HBO, a tick less than the Miguel Cotto-Yuri Foreman fight in at Yankee Stadium in June. Had Martinez not iced Williams so quickly, the fight likely would have topped Cotto-Foreman because ratings generally build during a live fight, but this was over too quickly to overtake it.
DiBella hopes to make a deal with HBO for Martinez's next fight to be in March, possibly in New York or Atlantic City, N.J. He'd love to do it March 19 -- St. Patrick's Day weekend -- and one possibility would be for Martinez to face Ireland's Andy Lee. And for an undercard we could see a fight such as junior middleweight titlist Sergei Dzinziruk against Kermit Cintron, who would be jockeying to get the next shot at Martinez if he also wins his fight.
Seems like most everyone at middleweight and junior middleweight wants a piece of Martinez, boxing's newest star. Can you blame them?
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