(Photo by DiBella Entertainment/Ed Diller) By Allen Fox: Former WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (48-2-2, 27 KO’s) and HBO apparently have settled whatever issues that were between them judging by some of the comments that Kery Davis, Senior Vice President of Programming at HBO Sports, had to say about Martinez during Wednesdays’ press conference to promote the March 17th fight between Martinez and Matthew Macklin (28-3, 19 KO’s) at the Madison Square Garden in New York.

Davis said “Sergio Martinez has become must-see television and he is recognized as The Middleweight Champion of the World…Sergio recognizes that not only is it important to win, but to win entertainingly, which is great for boxing but outside of the ring is really where the magic begins with Sergio. Not only is he handsome and intelligent, but he is a great humanitarian and we couldn’t be happier to have him as one of the faces of HBO Boxing.”

Davis sure was spreading on this, wasn’t he? It sounds like Davis making sure he keeps Martinez at all costs for HBO. That makes sense because Martinez is far and away the best fighter in the middleweight division right now. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. may bring in better ratings for HBO than Martinez due to Chavez Jr. inheriting fans from his famous father, but Martinez is the best fighter in the division and will likely easily beat Chavez Jr. if the two ever fight.

Martinez had been angry with HBO for them not agreeing to televise his title defense against #1 challenger Sebastian Zbik. To please HBO, Martinez fought the guy they wanted to see him fight instead Sergiy Dzinziruk. That fight was televised by HBO. However, the World Boxing Council took the opportunity to then strip Martinez, give the title to Zbik and then set it up to where Zbik had to defend his belt immediately against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., the son of boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez. It didn’t work out well at all for Martinez because Chavez Jr. subsequently beat Zbik and ever since then, Martinez has been frozen out by Chavez Jr. and his promoter Bob Arum for a rematch, even after the WBC ordered it. Instead of the Martinez-Chavez Jr. fight happening next month, Chavez Jr. fights Marco Antonio Rubio after asking and getting permission from the WBC to bypass Martinez.

Martinez said recently that he was considering leaving HBO to fight on Showtime instead. However, it looks like Davis has patched everything up judging by his comments and the fact that the Macklin-Martinez fight is scheduled to be televised on HBO.