Macklin: I’m bigger and stronger than Sergio Martinez

By Boxing News - 03/16/2012 - Comments

Image: Macklin: I'm bigger and stronger than Sergio Martinez(Photo: Sumio Yamada) By Sean McDaniel: 28-year-old Matthew Macklin (28-3, 19 KO’s) sees himself as the bigger and stronger of the two in his fight against Sergio Martinez (48-2-2, 27 KO’s) on Saturday night. However, Macklin, 5’10”, is the exact same size as the 5’10” Martinez and has a shorter reach at 72″ compared to Martinez’s 75″. This could be telling because Macklin is a pretty average fighter on the outside and almost has to get in close to land his shorter punches on the inside.

Macklin said to the dailystar.co.uk “I can make him fight. I’m the bigger and stronger fighter. I don’t believe Martinez can cope with the intensity and burning desire that I will bring into that ring with me.”

That doesn’t sound like Macklin plans on trying to box the harder hitting Martinez. Macklin is obviously hoping to wear the 37-year-old Martinez down with a high work rate in their fight at the Madison Square Garden, in New York, New York. It could work if Macklin can make it past the the first seven rounds to try and tire Martinez out in the second half of the fight.

Martinez did look slightly tired in his last fight against Darren Barker, and that was against a fighter that was just looking to survive. If Macklin can take Martinez’s shots and get him in the deep water, he could drown him with a high intensity attack in the 2nd half of the fight. But it comes down to whether or not Macklin can stand up to Martinez’s big shots in the first half because he’s going to get hit a lot harder than he’s been hit before. Macklin hasn’t faced any real punchers before during his career so this will be a first. He looked uncomfortable against Jamie Moore in his 10th round TKO loss to him in 2006, and seemed to run around the ring constantly to avoid getting hit by him. In the end, Moore caught up with Macklin and put him down on the canvas for the count. Martinez is a much bigger hitter than Moore and I can’t see Macklin lasting long in this one unless he brings his track shoes with him on Saturday.



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