By Rich Mancuso
There is a score to settle when Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. meet in the ring next Saturday evening at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The possible fight of the year, for the middleweight championship is anticipated more because this will not be a love affair in the ring. This was a fight mandated by the World Boxing Council (WBC) a year ago. But a little of the boxing politics and promotional disputes had Martinez settling for a bogus belt that the WBC labels as “The Diamond Belt” champion.
A week from Saturday, it is for all the marbles and the fight has become personal. Martinez, (49-2-2, 28 KO’s) the two-division world champion from Quilmes Buenos Aires, Argentina went about his business. He has a two-year and five-bout winning streak with knockouts over Paul Williams, Sergiy Dzinziruk, Darren Barker and in March, on St. Patrick’s Day, he met and stopped a tough Matthew Macklin in the 11th round at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
So Martinez has proved to be an established champion, and he intends to continue the streak next week and settle the issue once and for all as to who is the best middleweight. Quietly he says, “I am number two in the sport,” meaning he is next to Floyd Mayweather Jr. as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the business. His promoter, Lou DiBella, who exposed Martinez and his ability to the American public, on HBO with a second round KO over Williams, wanted this fight two years ago.
And, DiBella has always vouched that Martinez should be in that class as best pound-for-pound. “His style still makes me nervous,” says DiBellla. However, that style of Martinez, who does not resemble a 37-year old fighter, has got him where he is. Chavez knows, it will not be easy facing a technician who makes adjustments in the ring. Martinez showed the world how to adjust when he had problems with Barker, before disposing him in the 11th round back in October of last year.
DiBella says, “It’s his hands down style.” That is something that the younger and aggressive Chavez will be aware of, something that makes the fight more enticing. In other words, getting to Martinez, means looking for an opening and Chavez has learned how to also adjust. Advertised as “Son of the legend” Julio Cesar Chavez, the former four-time champion and Mexican boxing legend, has an agenda. He says about Martinez, “He is a big clown. I don’t like to lose.
That’s the bottom line.” Chavez has not been talking fight strategy. Most of the talking has been done by his dad, which made for great fight theatre on the media three-city media tour. Bob Arum, the promoter of Chavez has a winning fight going against Joseito Lopez and Canelo Alvarez. That championship fight is being televised for free on Showtime, and is being held five minutes away at the MGM Grand Hotel. Chavez and Martinez will be televised on HBO Pay-Per-View, so once again fight fans have a dilemma.
Chavez Jr. (46-0-1, 32 KO’s) of Culiacan Sinaloa Mexico, feels he does not have a dilemma. He wants to take care of business and it has become personal. He is also competing with Alvarez with the media attention in Mexico. And there has been plenty of discussion of an eventual showdown with Alvarez. But for now, the focus is on this fight with Martinez that has gained plenty of attention back home. Martinez said Wednesday, “He doesn’t deserve to be world champion.
The only reason is because he is the son of a legend. His mouth is bigger than his brain. He’s been talking too much and that really ignited how this became personal.” Chavez, 26- years old is making his fourth title defense and according to trainer Freddie Roach, “Martinez is a smaller guy and it’s harder to get to his body.” Roach has a plan and that is “we have traps to break the body down.” In the end though, there is a score to settle. And the questions will be answered as to who is the best middleweight in the world and does Sergio Martinez deserve to be classified as a top three fighter in the world?
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