By William Mackay: WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-0-1, 32 KO’s) is heading for the 50-0 mark, and perhaps the last fighter standing in his way from achieving that incredible mark is WBC Diamond middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (49-2-2, 28 KO’s), who will be facing the young and powerful Chavez Jr. on September 15th at the Thomas & Mack Center, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Opinions are mixed as to who will be the one to win this fight. Some boxing fans see Chavez Jr’s size being too much for the smaller Martinez, while other fans feel that Martinez’s superior power, speed, movement, experience and southpaw stance will be the telling factor in the fight. Chavez Jr’s trainer Freddie Roach doesn’t see Martinez as having a chance in this fight because of his lack of size.

Roach told fighthub.tv “I think he’s [Martinez] too small. I think he’ll [Chavez Jr] walk right through his punches. We’re going to cut the ring off and make it a bit smaller. He does hide the left hand well. The reason he has success with it is because people don’t see it coming. He gets at an angle, he hides it well, and he delivers it quickly.”

There’s a little more to it than that. Martinez also has really good power. Sure, his hand speed is great, the angles help and being a southpaw definitely helps as well, but the power he brings is perhaps Martinez’s best asset. He’s knocking people out because he’s got average power and fast hands. He’s been knocking guys out because he’s both quick and really powerful. Roach seems to be neglecting that aspect of Martinez’s game.

Hopefully, Roach has a better plan for Chavez Jr. other than just cutting off the ring and taking Martinez’s best shots. Having your fighter come forward without a jab, depending on his chin to get him through the fight isn’t much of a plan. It’s worked for Chavez Jr. thus far, but he’s not fought anyone with huge power like Martinez. We do know that Chavez Jr. can be hurt because John Duddy staggered him in the 6th round in their fight in 2010 when he connected with a hard right hand. Martinez punches considerably harder than Duddy. Chavez Jr’s defense is almost nonexistent, and if he has to eat straight left hands and right hooks from Martinez all night long on September 15th it’s going to take it’s toll on Chavez Jr. sooner or later.

Roach will likely stick with what brought Chavez Jr. to this point by having him pressure Martinez constantly, and setting a fast pace to try and wear him down. I don’t know if that game plan will work against a fighter like Martinez. He’s traditionally always done well against pressure fighters with the exception of Antonio Margarito, who beat him 12 years ago. Martinez is a much different fighter now compared to then, and so it’s going to be tougher for Roach to have Chavez Jr. try and emulate that performance from Margarito.