By Scott Gilfoid: WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (50-2-2, 28 KO’s) weighed in at 159.4 lbs. today in his weigh-in for his first defense of his World Boxing Council 160 lb. strap against his unbeaten challenger Martin Murray (25-0-1, 11 KO’s).
Martinez looks incredible shape and he was positively staring holes through Murray’s face when the two fighters stood for their face off. Murray came in at a little heavier at 159.6 lbs. for their fight at the Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina.
There was clearly a look of nervousness in the eyes of the 30-year-old Murray. He looked like a trapped deer in the headlights of a big truck heading straight towards him.
I don’t blame Murray for being worried looking because he’s facing one of the best middleweights in the world tomorrow night in 38-year-old Martinez, and he’s had nothing to prepare him for this moment. You certainly can’t call former WBA paper champion Felix Sturm as adequate preparation for a fight with Martinez because they are so vastly different fighters that it’s not even funny. Murray fought an old version of Sturm by the way, and not the prime version.
There could be as many as 40,000 Martinez fans tomorrow night cheering him on, and it’s going to be tough on Murray to have to deal with all those fans cheering every Martinez punch thrown. Heck, even Martinez’s missed punches will be cheered by the crowd and I can’t see Murray being able to handle that. Murray has fought most of his fights in the safe confines of the UK in front of his loyal fan base cheering him on, but tomorrow night it’s going to be a much different story with Murray being booed like mad by the Argentinian fans.
The only advice I can give for Murray is to go all out from the 1st bell and pray that Martinez fades under the pressure. Martinez is getting older, as we’ve seen in his last three fights, but only quality fighters are able to expose that. I’m not sure Murray has the talent to expose Martinez’s weaknesses.
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