Pacquiao vs. Martinez mega fight gaining ground
inShare
Published : Friday, November 04, 2011 00:00 Article Views : 2,732 Written by : Jun Medina
WASHINGTON, D.C: Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao is assured of a “record payday” if he makes good his wish to fight world middleweight king Sergio “Maravillla” Martinez at a 150-pound catch weight.
Martinez’ promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz, said Pacquiao vs Martinez would easily generate more than two million pay-per-view (PPV) buys, assuring both fighters record purses in what could be the biggest fight in boxing history.
Lewkowicz said the only other fight that could attract more PPV sales is a super fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., which he thinks “will never happen.”
Martinez, who is ranked third in Ring Magazine’s Top 10 pound-for-pound list behind Pacquiao and Mayweather, recently called out Pacquiao and said he would be willing to down to 150 for a mega match between two of the best southpaws in boxing today.
Pacquiao told boxing scribes recently that he is open to fighting Martinez at 147, the welterweight limit, or at a weight that both fighters could agree on.
Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, said during a Skype conversation with US troops on Afghanistan that Team Pacquiao was receptive to Pacquiao-Martinez.
“I would put Manny Pacquiao in front of Sergio Martinez at 150 pounds. This would be a great fight for Manny,” Roach said to members of Task Force Duke, 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division as the pound-for-pound champion sat next to him.
Roach observed in that well-publicized talk with the American soldiers that Martinez was far from impressive in his most recent fight against Darren Barker of Britain.
“Sergio got exposed in his last fight. I think Sergio is very athletic, but I don’t think he’s a good boxer,” Roach said of that Martinez-Barker title fight which the Argentine champ won by technical knockout in the 11th round.
Seizing the opportunity presented by the comments of Team Pacquiao, Lewkowicz promised Pacquiao would make more money fight-ing Martinez than he would against Mayweather.
“This is music to my ears. Let’s do it! Manny will get the biggest purse ever . . . by fighting Martinez. He will sell two million for the first time in boxing,” Lewkowicz told Fight Hype’s Mike Juhas.
The New York-based promoter said besides Pacquiao vs Mayweather, nobody could sell two million plus PPVs other than Pacquiao-Martinez.
Lewkowicz appeared stung by Roach’s assertion that Martinez is not an impressive boxer.
“Let Pacquiao prove it the day we fight. If you feel he’s not a good boxer, let’ see. I believe it will be easy [to make] if he doesn’t get greedy,” the promoter said.
The first to broach a Pacquiao-Martinez super fight was Manila Times columnist and Filipino boxing promoter Manny Pinol.
Pinol thinks Pacquiao’s explosive speed and power plus his boxing skills would negate Martinez’ vaunted knockout power and size advantage.
inShare
Published : Friday, November 04, 2011 00:00 Article Views : 2,732 Written by : Jun Medina
WASHINGTON, D.C: Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao is assured of a “record payday” if he makes good his wish to fight world middleweight king Sergio “Maravillla” Martinez at a 150-pound catch weight.
Martinez’ promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz, said Pacquiao vs Martinez would easily generate more than two million pay-per-view (PPV) buys, assuring both fighters record purses in what could be the biggest fight in boxing history.
Lewkowicz said the only other fight that could attract more PPV sales is a super fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., which he thinks “will never happen.”
Martinez, who is ranked third in Ring Magazine’s Top 10 pound-for-pound list behind Pacquiao and Mayweather, recently called out Pacquiao and said he would be willing to down to 150 for a mega match between two of the best southpaws in boxing today.
Pacquiao told boxing scribes recently that he is open to fighting Martinez at 147, the welterweight limit, or at a weight that both fighters could agree on.
Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, said during a Skype conversation with US troops on Afghanistan that Team Pacquiao was receptive to Pacquiao-Martinez.
“I would put Manny Pacquiao in front of Sergio Martinez at 150 pounds. This would be a great fight for Manny,” Roach said to members of Task Force Duke, 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division as the pound-for-pound champion sat next to him.
Roach observed in that well-publicized talk with the American soldiers that Martinez was far from impressive in his most recent fight against Darren Barker of Britain.
“Sergio got exposed in his last fight. I think Sergio is very athletic, but I don’t think he’s a good boxer,” Roach said of that Martinez-Barker title fight which the Argentine champ won by technical knockout in the 11th round.
Seizing the opportunity presented by the comments of Team Pacquiao, Lewkowicz promised Pacquiao would make more money fight-ing Martinez than he would against Mayweather.
“This is music to my ears. Let’s do it! Manny will get the biggest purse ever . . . by fighting Martinez. He will sell two million for the first time in boxing,” Lewkowicz told Fight Hype’s Mike Juhas.
The New York-based promoter said besides Pacquiao vs Mayweather, nobody could sell two million plus PPVs other than Pacquiao-Martinez.
Lewkowicz appeared stung by Roach’s assertion that Martinez is not an impressive boxer.
“Let Pacquiao prove it the day we fight. If you feel he’s not a good boxer, let’ see. I believe it will be easy [to make] if he doesn’t get greedy,” the promoter said.
The first to broach a Pacquiao-Martinez super fight was Manila Times columnist and Filipino boxing promoter Manny Pinol.
Pinol thinks Pacquiao’s explosive speed and power plus his boxing skills would negate Martinez’ vaunted knockout power and size advantage.
Comment