Martinez: After I beat Chavez Jr I will be nipping at Mayweather’s heels

By Boxing News - 08/27/2012 - Comments

Image: Martinez: After I beat Chavez Jr I will be nipping at Mayweather's heelsBy Dan Ambrose: Sergio Martinez (49-2-2, 28 KO’s) sees himself as being in range of a big money fight against unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the near future. But before Martinez can get that big money fight, he’ll have to defeat WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-0-1, 32 KO’s) and hand him his first loss of his career next month on September 15th at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Here’s some of Chavez Jr and Martinez’s back and forth on HBO’s Kellerman face off:

Chavez Jr: “Maybe I wasn’t ready when I first became champion. Maybe that’s why my promoters wanted to wait so this way the fight is bigger.”

Martinez: “It hurts because of what he’s doing to boxing because this most important world title is at stake now. The champion has to defend it against the best. He shouldn’t be learning [on the job with easy fights]. You have a lot to learn before becoming champion. When you are the champion you must accept the consequences.”

Chavez Jr: “You think I don’t want to fight you?”

Martinez: “So I wasn’t wrong when I said you were a puppet?”

Chavez Jr: “Fighting you wouldn’t have generated money.”

Martinez: “That you have no voice or choice in deciding?”

Chavez Jr: “Do you choose your fights?”

Martinez: “I pick the rivals who want to fight me.”

Chavez Jr: “Why did you choose [Matthew] Macklin? Or [Darren] Barker?”

Martinez: “Because they were the ones that wanted to fight me. What about you [Miguel] Cotto? [Floyd] Mayweather? There were many fighters that wanted to fight me.”

Chavez Jr: “Of course.”

Martinez: “[Sebastian] Zbik didn’t want to fight me.”

Chavez Jr: “If you say so, then it is.”

Max Kellerman to Chavez Jr: “You called him a ballerina. Were you trying to insult him?”

Chavez Jr: “[Laughing] Maravilla Ballerina.”

Kellerman to Martinez: “He [Chavez Jr] says you won’t stand and fight him.”

Martinez: “I’ve won my last four matches by knockout. Out of 30 fights, I’ve won 20 by knockout. I think a ballerina wouldn’t win by knockout.”

Kellerman to Chavez Jr: “How do you get him to stand and fight?”

Chavez Jr: “Well, he’s a fighter that moves around a lot, but I think I’m ready and I know how to beat him.”

Martinez: [Now looking annoyed] “What are you going to do to beat me, Julio?”

Chavez Jr: “What are you going to do to beat me?”

Martinez: “I have to do what I always do. I’m going to knock you out.”

Chavez Jr: “I don’t believe it.”

Martinez: “It’s not me saying it. My career history supports it.”

Chavez Jr: “No, history says that you are out and I stay.”

Martinez: “History says that I am one of the best, pound for pound, and I will not stop until I’m number one. After I beat you, I will be nipping at Mayweather’s heels.”

Chavez Jr: “That will not happen.”

Martinez will be in great position to get a fight against Mayweather if he can beat Chavez Jr. He’ll have to make sure he beats Chavez Jr. convincingly enough to where there’s no stink involved if it goes to decision. Mayweather is running out of big fight options and a fight against Martinez would work if the fight can be made at 154 lbs. Obviously, 160 would be out of the question for Mayweather because he doesn’t have the frame to get up to that weight without being at a disadvantage.



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