By John F. McKenna (McJack): For quite some time now WBC & RING Middleweight Champion Sergio Martinez (47-2-2, 26 KO’s) has been calling out World Boxing Organization (WBO) Welterweight Champion Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KO’s) and WBC Middleweight Champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr (43-0-1, 30 KO’s) in an effort to nail down a fight with either one. The reason is fairly obvious. Pacquiao is 5’6”, and has moved up from 106 pounds when he began his pro career to welterweight.

Manny fights best around 145 pounds and as recently as 2008 he was fighting at 130 pounds. It is a real stretch to think he should move up yet again to fight a much bigger and stronger Sergio Martinez. Sergio had the misfortune of being 36 years old before most boxing fans knew he was. Why does Martinez want to pick on a smaller fighter like Manny Pacquiao? Famed back robber Willie Sutton was once asked why he kept robbing banks. He responded with the classic quip: “Because that’s where the money is.”

Sergio Martinez wants to fight Manny Pacquiao because Manny Pacquiao is where the money is. There are no exciting fighters in Sergio’s weight class, or at least no fighter who can draw the kind of money that Pacquiao can.

In the super middleweight division however there are a lot of big name fighters that Martinez could call out. The problem that Sergio would face if he steps up to 168 pounds however, is that he may lose against fighters who are bigger and stronger than he is.

Obviously the weight at the weigh in for a fight is not the same weight that the fighter enters the ring at. When Manny Pacquiao fought Antonio Margarito last November, Antonio outweighed him by 17 pounds by the time they stepped into the ring. At 5’11” and outweighing Pacquiao by 17 pounds Margarito was a much bigger fighter.

Also, the reason Martinez wants to fight Chavez is money. Chavez would be a big draw because of his father’s legendary status as a fighter. Julio is not in his father’s class and he is not in Sergio’s class. It would be an easy payday for Martinez, but not much of a challenge for him.

Instead of trying to lure a smaller fighter such as Pacquiao into the ring with him, Martinez needs to man up and face the reality that Team Pacquio is not going to sacrifice their cash cow so that Sergio can make tons of money for himself.